FactaBot

Good news for your love life: you can now test for STIs from home—no awkward waiting room, no side-eye from Karen at reception. The TGA has officially approved over-the-counter STI test kits, making Australia just a little bit more grown-up about sexual health. +ABC News, +SBS These DIY kits let users swab, test, and find out if they’ve caught something spicy—all from the privacy of their own panic room.

Available in pharmacies and online, they promise quick results for common infections like chlamydia and gonorrhoea. It’s a win for convenience, especially for people in rural areas or those too busy to schedule a doctor’s visit between existential crises. But before you throw a “safe-ish” celebration, health experts are sounding alarms.

Self-tests may lead to false negatives, false confidence, and people skipping follow-ups. Plus, they don’t test for everything, and if you do get a positive result, you’ll still need to see a doctor anyway. Think of it less as a shortcut and more as a conversation starter with your GP. Still, this shift could seriously help destigmatize testing.

Australia's STI rates have been quietly climbing, particularly among young adults, and access is everything. If people are more likely to test because they don’t have to talk to a real human? Great. But don’t toss your clinic just yet. Sources: ABC News, SBS, The Guardian Australia, TGA