myLAB Box Review: Reliable at-home testing?

How people manage their personal health has changed considerably in recent years, particularly through the use of remote options like virtual doctor visits and at-home testing.1 2 And with studies suggesting these at-home alternatives are just as effective and accurate as their traditional in-person counterparts, it seems unlikely that this trend will be a flash in the pan.3 4

Perhaps one of the best applications of at-home testing is when it comes to sensitive matters such as STD, hormone, or fertility testing; using these tests allows you to avoid office visits and maintain your privacy.

In this review, we examine the at-home test offerings from myLAB Box. While the company was created with STD testing in mind, it has since expanded to provide numerous other tests — some available individually and others grouped together to form targeted packages that address specific health and wellness issues. We break down the company’s performance and accuracy to help you determine if it’s the right choice for your health needs.

myLAB Box offers comprehensive at-home STD testing and a wide range of health screening options, along with patient consultations if certain test results require medications or therapies. Testing methodologies are research-backed and take place in CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited labs. Unfortunately, the time to receive results has recently gotten longer than it previously had been.

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions to live healthier lifestyles. We evaluate the services and products we review based on adherence to quality, as well as the latest medical evidence and health standards.

For this review alone, our team has collectively spent over 180 hours testing and researching the products and services of myLAB Box and its close competitors. We ordered and used myLAB Box test kits alongside comparable kits from major competitors. Besides acquiring hands-on experience with the tests, we also thoroughly investigated the testing methods employed by myLAB Box, as well as the accuracy and reliability of at-home testing itself.

Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this review was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy.

When evaluating myLAB Box, we examined it using four important criteria that we felt mattered most to those seeking at-home testing: accuracy, cost, speed, and customer support.

Accuracy

In terms of accuracy, we tend to evaluate at-home tests based on how the labs conduct the actual testing and the standards of the laboratories themselves (including certifications and accreditation). When it comes to accuracy, myLAB Box excels.

The labs that partner with myLAB Box are CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited. This means that they meet the standards defined by the Clinical Laboratories Improvement Act and adhere to guidelines determined by the College of American Pathologists.

Tests like the NAAT PCR test for STDs and those for blood or urine chemistry follow the same protocols that would apply in a clinic.5

The myLAB Box kits themselves are also well-assembled, and the company uses testing and collection materials (such as the lancets) that you’d likely find in medical offices. However, there is always the chance for human error during the collection process. Accuracy here requires that we follow the test-taking instructions carefully.

Cost

Some of these kits can be expensive (especially the larger bundles), but most myLAB Box tests land around the middle compared to similar offerings from competitive services — LetsGetChecked is often more expensive, while Everlywell is often less expensive.

Something we appreciate, however, is that all three of these at-home test companies provide free shipping on their tests, with optional upgrades for faster delivery at a cost.

In addition to free shipping, myLAB Box also offers some other cost-saving opportunities, including:

• A subscription plan for certain, often-repeated tests, which can save you around 10% on each recurring delivery.
• You can pay for kits using an FSA or HSA card.
• Consultations and treatments for some positive results (STDs and UTIs) are included with the cost of your test, so there are no additional surprise charges.

Speed

Unfortunately, myLAB Box’s results took quite a while for our testers to receive them. In the past, we experienced waits of only about 2-5 days for results after shipping the kits to the lab, but one of our most recent tests took a whopping 12 days before the results were ready.

Our testers were also never notified when the sample actually arrived at the lab, so we’re not entirely sure what the long wait was due to. It may have been slow to arrive at the lab, or it might have gotten to the lab quickly but was delayed for other reasons. Everlywell and LetsGetChecked have little “progress bars” in your dashboard that you can check to see the status of your sample. We hope myLAB Box will consider something like this in the future to remove this potentially confusing element of the unknown from the process.

Customer care

myLAB Box offers three ways to get in touch: chat, email, and phone. In our experience, the customer representatives were pleasant to deal with, but they were short on answers to a number of our questions. They asked that we email those questions in instead. So we did, but we never received a response. By contrast, LetsGetChecked’s representatives were able to easily answer complex questions about the complete lab methodology of certain tests.

After calling again a few days later, we found that no one was there to answer our call. There was no option to hold, but we could leave a message. A few hours later, one of our testers received a call back. Additionally, we found that the LiveChat agents were almost never available, even during normal business hours, which means you’re left with either calling or emailing.

Ultimately, the reps are very friendly and polite when you do get in contact with one, but we hope myLAB Box will work to improve the availability of its customer service team in the future.

Founded in 2014, California-based company myLAB Box was created to try and bridge the gap between discretion and quality in STI testing. Over time, the company has expanded its offerings to include other at-home health tests for a bevy of health concerns — from thyroid and heart health to hormones, drug testing, and more.

Similar to Everlywell, myLAB Box offers free consultations and the potential for prescription treatment if you test positive for certain conditions, like STDs or a UTI. If deemed appropriate for your case, the company will call in a prescription to your local pharmacy of choice.

Also, uniquely, myLAB Box’s services are available to everyone 14 and older. All of its competitors require clients to be at least 18 years old.

Who should look elsewhere for testing?

There can be multiple reasons that myLAB Box might not be the right choice for your needs. The following list breaks down a few reasons you may want to consider certain competitors.

• If you’re interested in less expensive tests, it’s worth noting that some (but not all) of Everlywell’s options cost less than those from myLAB Box. For example, Everlywell’s chlamydia and gonorrhea combination box costs $10 less than the one from myLAB Box.
• For those willing to spend a little more for faster results, LetsGetChecked delivered our testers’ results within 24 hours on a few different occasions.
• If you’re squeamish about collecting your own blood, an in-lab alternative using on-demand lab orders from HealthLabs, Walk-In Lab, or STDcheck.com could be ideal.

HSA/FSA and insurance coverage

myLAB Box currently doesn’t accept insurance, but you can use an HSA/FSA card to purchase your test. You can reach out to your insurance to inquire about reimbursement, but insurance tends to only cover STD tests that are conducted by your doctor or an in-person clinic.

A lack of insurance acceptance is common for at-home testing companies; LetsGetChecked and Everlywell don’t take insurance as payments for their test kits. However, the latter does accept insurance for its telehealth services.

myLAB Box online reviews and reputation

On the Better Business Bureau website, myLAB Box is not accredited but has an A rating. There are no customer reviews and only seven complaints, all of which have received replies from the company in an attempt to resolve the customer’s concerns.

The myLAB Box Trustpilot page is verified and is currently sitting at 233 reviews with a 3.8-star rating out of 5 stars. The “Company activity” section of the page details that the myLAB Box replies to 93% of negative reviews in less than two days after they’re posted. Many of the negative reviews are from customers who are unhappy with their results or who had difficulty completing the test. And a decent amount of the 5-star reviews are praising myLAB Box’s customer service representatives.

The level of privacy surrounding your myLAB Box test results is similar to the level of privacy in-person healthcare services offer. Privacy breaches are possible no matter where your data is stored, but the company takes privacy very seriously.

In terms of confidentiality, the law may require that the lab that processes your sample report certain positive STI tests to its state’s Department of Health.6 The information provided to the Department of Health often “must include” as much of the following information about the patient that the provider (or lab) knows:7

• Name
• Date of birth
• Ethnicity
• Race
• Residence
• Date of specimen collection
• Treatment prescribed and the date treatment began
• Physician name
• Address
• Phone number
• Additional pertinent information

Bear in mind that if a doctor had ordered the test, they would have to report the same information to your home state’s Department of Health, along with information about any treatment prescribed. However, neither your doctor nor at-home testing services can disclose this information to any third party (such as insurance providers, employers, or partners).

The myLAB Box privacy policy explains that all information on its website (including your results) is transmitted using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security protocol. This encryption-based internet security protocol is used to protect a user’s privacy and data integrity. In a website URL, seeing “HTTPS” instead of just “HTTP” means that it’s utilizing SSL and the connection is secure.8

The platform is also HIPAA compliant, and your personal health information is locked behind password protection.

myLAB Box breaks down its tests into five different categories, each with its own unique selection of individual and combined tests.

• Sexual Health: Tests include various panels for STDs, single-test kits, UTI testing, and cervical cancer screening.
• Wellness: Tests in this category cover a multitude of health aspects, such as thyroid and heart health, immunity, vitamin D levels, and more.
• Family Planning: This category is focused on male and female fertility, ovulation, and male and female hormones.
• Toxicology: The majority of tests in this section are drug testing panels for substances like THC, opiates, amphetamines, ecstasy, and others.
• COVID and Flu: Interestingly, the three tests in this category are all for COVID-19, and none of them are for the flu.

Additionally, myLAB Box states that all customers who test positive for STDs using its kits are “entitled to a complimentary phone consultation” with one of the company’s affiliate physicians. During this consultation, your provider will evaluate your case and, if deemed necessary, send a prescription to a local pharmacy of your choice that day.

To inquire about a consultation after a positive result, you can email customer service (customerservice@mylabbox.com) with your request and order number.

As a website, myLAB Box is as easy as using any other online shopping platform. While the presentation of its tests as one on top of the other instead of in the usual “grid” pattern you typically see when shopping makes navigation a little bit tedious, the website is ultimately straightforward to use.

In this section, we’ll walk you through the initial steps of using the myLAB Box platform.

Choosing a test

When compared to competitors Everlywell and LetsGetChecked, myLAB Box offers the broadest selection of tests. And a handful of them are packaged in ways that are unique to the company.

Due to the potentially overwhelming amount of choices, it can be difficult to know where to start if you’re unsure of what exactly to look for. To make things more difficult still, several of myLAB Box’s multi-test kits have non-specific names, like Uber Box, Total Box, and Safe Box. Without looking at the product page of certain tests, it would be a guessing game as to which kit tests what.

However, when you determine the test you’d like, you can either purchase it once or subscribe for 10% and auto-deliveries. Subscribing isn’t an available option for all myLAB Box tests; it’s most commonly seen with the fertility and STD tests.

Note: Several of the STD tests require you to select a kit based on your biological sex or anatomy — male or female. To ensure you don’t run into any delays or issues, we recommend double-checking to make sure you’re purchasing the one you need.

Payment and shipping options

At checkout, you’ll be able to apply any applicable gift cards or coupons (such as coupon code INNERBODY20, which will save you 20%) before selecting your shipping option. All myLAB Box purchases are eligible for free first-class shipping, but you can upgrade to 2-day shipping ($25) or overnight ($55) if you’d like to receive your test sooner. Our testers received their kits, using the free shipping option, in about four days on average.

For payment, myLAB Box accepts credit and debit cards, as well as HSA/FSA cards. As with competitors LetsGetChecked and Everlywell, myLAB Box doesn’t accept insurance as payment for its test kits.

Additionally, all of your payment information is protected by Stripe, a third-party financial service used by large companies like Amazon, Spotify, and Google.

Once your test arrives at your door in its discreet packaging, you’re almost ready to collect your sample. However, there are a few things you’ll need to do beforehand, which we’ll delve into below.

Registering your test kit

Before collecting your sample, it’s important that you locate the orange “Register your kit now!” card inside your test box. Then, you’ll have to either create or sign into your myLAB Box account, navigate to your dashboard, and click “Register a kit.”

A small form will pop up, requiring you to fill in the unique test code found on the orange card from the kit, your date of birth, your assigned sex at birth, and (optionally) a physician code if you received the kit from your doctor. After you submit your information, your test kit will be successfully registered, and you can move on to sample collection.

Collecting your sample

Compared to LetsGetChecked (which often requires you to bleed into a vial with a small opening), myLAB Box makes specimen collection simple and mostly painless. Some kits will require a urine sample, an oral swab, a vaginal swab, or a rectal swab. But most tests require a small blood sample that a majority of people should be able to accomplish without having to prick more than one finger.

As with any at-home test, we recommend that you read the instructions carefully. The collection process is straightforward, but you don’t want to accidentally use the wrong swab in the wrong place or collect a blood sample at an incorrect time.

After collecting your sample, make sure you fill out the “Laboratory Requisition Form” card that comes with your kit. Then, place the card (and used lancets) into the biohazard bag. Finally, put the biohazard bag and lab requisition form into the prepaid envelope.

It’s ideal to send your sample off as soon as possible to ensure accurate results. (myLAB Box uses USPS prepaid mailers.)

Reading your results

Some tests don’t require that you mail your specimens anywhere; instead, you’ll receive your results right there at home. For example, the Ovulation Confirmation test is similar to a pregnancy test. But in most cases, from the time you send your sample, you’ll wait at least a week for a notification that your results are available to view or download. In recent experience, one of our tester’s results took 12 days.

When your results finally arrive, you’ll likely notice that myLAB Box’s results presentation is fairly plain and “clinical” compared to the user-friendly and brightly colored ones from LetsGetChecked and Everlywell. Nonetheless, they’re not difficult to understand if you’ve had lab work done before and viewed the results.

If you do test positive for an STI/STD or a UTI, you’ll receive instructions to request your telemedicine appointment. The doctor you talk with may be able to enter a prescription for you at the pharmacy of your choice; it depends on the specific positive test result and your specific case. Regardless, the doctor who speaks with you will offer guidance on the next steps for seeking treatment.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) result from different classes of pathogens — viruses, bacteria, or protozoa — and can lead to health problems ranging from chronic discomfort to permanent sterility or acute, life-threatening illness.9 Sexual activity is not the only transmission route for many of these organisms; unprotected sex may account for most new infections, but some STIs can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy or delivery or through needle-sharing.10 11

One of the things that make STIs especially dangerous is that a large majority of infected people show mild symptoms or none at all — putting them at risk of disease complications down the road and increasing the chances they will infect someone else.11

If you’re sexually active — regardless of age, gender, or absence of symptoms — you should be tested regularly, at least every year. Proactively testing is a life-saving habit because effective treatment for you and your partner(s) or your unborn child can depend on early detection.12

Here are some factors that increase your risk of contracting an STI:13

• Having unprotected sex
• Not using a male condom correctly
• Changing partners without testing before becoming intimate
• Having a monogamous partner whose STI status is not known to you
• Having sex with multiple or anonymous partners
• Being in an open relationship
• Practicing safe sex, but your partner has an STI

How long after exposure should you test for STDs?

Every STD/STI has a different incubation period length from exposure to when it’ll ping as positive on a test. The chart below provides a quick reference for the STDs checked by myLAB Box.14

STD testing with myLAB Box

The bottom line for all of myLAB Box’s Sexual Health test kits is that you’re entitled to a telemedicine consultation with a doctor in your state if you test positive for one or more infection(s). In some cases, that doctor will be able to write you a prescription. If you test positive for syphilis, the doctor may advise you to confirm the diagnosis with a second type of blood test (a non-treponemal test). Positive tests for other STIs may also require a follow-up consultation and additional care from your provider.

myLAB Box labs stick to STD testing methods that provide exceptional accuracy, especially when compared to traditional cultures. For example, its herpes test is an ELISA test that looks for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. This type of test can be ideal for those who don’t know which type of herpes infection they have — according to researchers, ELISA tests can help distinguish HSV type 1 and 2 infections.15

A Western blot assay is technically the “gold standard” HSV test, but it can generate false negatives for HSV-2 infections (which myLAB Box specifically tests for).15

myLAB Box offers plenty of options for sexual health testing, including both individual tests and more comprehensive panels that can screen for multiple infections. The following chart breaks down what’s tested in the multi-STD kits.

Thankfully, the majority of these kits include screening for HIV. Most STIs — including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, and trichomoniasis — can increase your likelihood of HIV transmission because of the genital inflammation or sores that they cause. It makes sense to test for HIV if you’re going to test for other infections.13

Total Box

If you fall into a high-risk category for infection or if you frequently engage in oral or anal sex, myLAB Box’s Total Box ($369-$399) is one of your best options. It’s also a good choice for anyone who hasn’t tested in a long time. This kit tests your samples for the following:

• Three-site chlamydia and gonorrhea
• Syphilis
• HIV I & II
• HSV2 (herpes type 2)
• Hepatitis C
• Trichomoniasis (trich)
• Mycoplasma genitalium (Mgen)
• HPV variants linked to cervical cancer (optional for women over 30 and adds $30 to the total)

Uber Box and Love Box for couples

The Uber Box ($199) is designed for people who need a comprehensive test kit but do not frequently engage in oral or anal sex. It includes all the tests that the Total Box does, except for Mgen and optional HPV screening. The chlamydia and gonorrhea tests are single-site only (a vaginal swab for women and a urine sample for men). Single-site testing is also the only type of testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea currently offered by LetsGetChecked and Everlywell.

myLab Box’s “Love Box - Couples’ Kit” ($378) is a 2-pack of Uber Boxes designed for couples. You can select kits for male and female couples, male and male couples, or female and female couples.

Safe Box

myLAB Box’s Safe Box ($169) could be a great option if you don’t fall into a high-risk category for STI transmission. It covers three of the most common STIs in the U.S. (trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) as well as HIV I & II.

This test can also be a smart choice for people under 30 because the other most common STI — human papillomavirus, or HPV — is mostly considered a serious risk for women over 30. HPV causes “virtually all” cervical cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.16

V-Box

This kit is designed to test for the most common causes of vaginal itching, burning, or unusual discharge. These include yeast infections and STIs like gonorrhea, trich, and bacterial vaginosis (BV). BV can change the pH inside the vagina to the point where the bacteria that are normally present cannot survive; this leads to chronic discharge and serious discomfort.17

The V-Box ($189) is fairly comprehensive, but it’s important to remember that you should seek a physical exam if you have painful or concerning symptoms. If you have any vaginal burning or pain during urination or bleeding between menstrual periods, you should reach out to a doctor or nurse.

Boomer Box

In the Boomer Box kit ($189), myLAB Box has tests for STIs that older adults are at risk of having: chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and hepatitis C.18 Instead of a test for trich (more common in younger people), you get a test for hepatitis C.19

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne infection in the U.S., and it can lead to serious complications in older adults — higher risk for chronic kidney disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, B-cell non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and more.20

PrEP Box

The PrEP Box ($225) is ideal for anyone beginning or continuing a course of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV, a once-daily prescription pill.21 myLAB Box includes in the primary kit all tests that are required to start a course of PrEP. Because you have to re-test every three months while on PrEP, a 3-month re-check version of this kit ($239) is also available. You could also subscribe to this test to get auto-delivery every three months for added convenience (and 10% off).

We recommend reaching out to your doctor before ordering to confirm that it’s fine for you to provide them with lab results this way.

Many of these single-STD myLAB Box tests are ideal for those who know what they may have been exposed to. Otherwise, it’s likely better to invest in a comprehensive screening yourself because it’s safer for you and quite often more cost-effective than purchasing multiple different single-test kits.

The other tests in this section can be great options for various populations. For instance, the Cervical Cancer Screening Test using HPV can be an important screening tool for women over 30.

It’s also important to note that only a few of these tests are available in New York due to state restrictions. The only available myLAB Box STD test kits for NY residents include both chlamydia and gonorrhea test kits, the trichomoniasis test, and the Mycoplasma genitalium test.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea

myLAB Box sells two different Chlamydia and Gonorrhea test kits — single-site ($79) and 3-site ($179).

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are two of the most common bacterial STIs, and they often occur together. They are frequently “silent” infections, producing no symptoms, but they can lead to mild-to-severe genital or pelvic complications, infertility, and eye infections in infants exposed to chlamydia during childbirth. Infections increase the risk of transmitting or contracting HIV. Most infections are readily treatable with antibiotics. However, reinfection is common, so all partners should test if one partner is positive.22

The single-site test only looks for genital cases, while the 3-site looks for oral, anal, and genital infections.

Trichomoniasis

A protozoal infection that is often asymptomatic, “trich” increases the risk for HIV transmission due to inflammation in the genitals. In women, this infection often causes symptoms of vaginitis (itching, discharge); in men, it can cause penile itching and pain after ejaculation. While the infection can clear on its own, a persistent infection left untreated can lead to infertility in men and women. Because of this, it’s wise to seek antibiotic treatment for a trich infection as soon as you receive a diagnosis.23

Both the male and female versions of the Trich Test Box ($89) require a swab and urine sample.

Syphilis

Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is less prevalent than other common STIs, but it is significantly prevalent among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM).24

Symptoms often pass unnoticed in the early stages of the disease, but this infection carries the risk of severe neurologic complications and even death in its advanced stages.25 Syphilis is treatable; if your Syphilis test comes back positive, it’s important to let your primary care provider know so that they can design a plan of treatment for you. This may involve repeated testing and antibiotic injections.

myLAB Box’s at-home Syphilis Test ($89) only requires a blood sample.

Genital herpes (HSV-2)

Genital herpes sores can appear in cases of HSV-2 or HSV-1. HSV-1 is commonly the cause of oral herpes, often contracted in childhood.26 myLAB Box’s Genital Herpes kit ($89) tests for HSV- 2 only. To explore additional options and how myLAB Box compares, we discuss all of this in our guide to at-home herpes tests.

Herpes is a viral infection that can be mostly silent, but symptoms include blister-like sores around the mouth, genitals, or anus. You can contract herpes (and transmit it) even when sores are not present. HSV-positive individuals are at higher risk of HIV transmission. Herpes can cause very serious illness in infants exposed during childbirth, which is why it’s important for pregnant individuals to be tested and re-tested for HSV during pregnancy and to begin antiviral therapy if necessary.26

This Genital Herpes Test from myLAB Box ($89) uses a blood sample for analysis. If you’re interested in tests for HSV-1, LetsGetChecked offers a test that checks for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 using a similar finger-prick blood sample. This alternative does cost more, however — $119 versus $89.

Mycoplasma genitalium

Approximately 1.7% of people 14-59 in the U.S. are infected with Mycoplasma genitalium (Mgen). It’s a very common STI that can remain asymptomatic or produce mild enough symptoms that many people don’t think about getting tested. However, an Mgen infection can cause urethritis in men and seems to dramatically increase the risk of women developing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and possibly infertility.27

It’s a slow-moving bacteria that can take up to several months to become detectable in lab cultures, further emphasizing the importance of regular Mycoplasma genitalium testing, even if you think you’re in the clear. Treatment involves a course of antibiotics.

The Mycoplasma Genitalium Home Test ($89) requires a urine specimen from men and a vaginal swab from women. Specimens are analyzed using a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), which has demonstrated up to 100% sensitivity in detecting Mycoplasma genitalium.28

HPV and cervical cancer screening tests

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is by far the most common STI.29 There are over 200 HPV variants, but only a couple of those variants are known to cause cervical cancer (HPV 16 and 18), while a dozen others may increase cancer risk.16 The CDC does not consider it helpful for women under 25 to test, but women over 30 should routinely screen for cervical cancer risk with HPV or Pap tests.29

If you’re assigned female at birth (AFAB), over 30 years old, and you test positive for one or more of the cancer-linked HPV variants, it’s important to contact your gynecologist and schedule an exam, especially if you haven’t had one in the last year. Your doctor will probably want to order a Pap test to check for abnormal cervical cells and may also want to increase your exam frequency.

Curiously, myLAB Box sells two varieties of HPV tests that appear to check for the same variants. Both the At-Home HPV Test ($89) and the Cervical Cancer Screening using HPV Test ($89) use a swab sample to check for 14 high-risk HPV types:

HIV I & II

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, a disease that cripples the immune system’s ability to combat even minor infections.30 HIV and other STIs often co-occur, which is one reason why broad-spectrum HIV testing for STIs is so important.13 Early detection is key to effective treatment, and modern medications have come a long way toward reducing the impact an HIV diagnosis has on a person’s life. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is also available for those at high risk of exposure.

myLAB Box’s HIV Test ($79) uses a blood sample to check for HIV I & II. The latter is most commonly found in West Africa, but it has been reported in the U.S.31

Hepatitis B (HBV)

Hepatitis B (HBV) is a viral infection that can easily become chronic due to the condition commonly being asymptomatic or presenting with mild symptoms. Chronic HBV can lead to liver disease and cancer in some people. If you’re a man who engages in sex with other men, or if you have a history of unprotected intercourse, it’s recommended you consider a test for hepatitis B. HBV can also be transmitted from needle-sharing or to a baby during pregnancy or delivery.32

The HBV test from myLAB Box ($99) requires a blood sample. And compared to competitors LetsGetChecked and Everlywell, this is the only hepatitis B test available as a standalone test. LetsGetChecked sells a bundle of hepatitis B and C tests, while Everlywell only tests for hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C (HCV)

Like hepatitis B, this viral infection can lead to liver disease and cancer if left untreated. Both types of hepatitis may be asymptomatic for years, with symptoms presenting decades after infection. The risk of infection is greater among those who engage in unprotected sex, and HIV-positive status also increases the risk of transmitting hepatitis C (HCV).33

As with the test for HBV, myLAB Box’s Hepatitis C test ($79) requires a blood sample.

Rapid UTI home test

If you have UTI symptoms (such as an increased urgency or frequency of urination) or if you frequently get UTIs, myLAB Box’s UTI Test Kit ($59) could be nice to have.34 It includes a telemedicine consultation to discuss your results and get a prescription for antibiotics if you need them.

Just bear in mind that this is a simple urine dipstick test, not a urine culture. If you have frequent UTIs, your doctor might prefer to order a urine culture and susceptibility test, which means that a lab determines which strains of bacteria are causing the infection and reports on the antibiotics that will be most effective against them.35 Without a urine culture, a prescriber is making an educated guess about which medication will be effective. Most of the time, the guess is good because some antibiotics are broadly effective against common UTIs (like E. coli infections).

Note: This test kit isn’t available in Montana, North Dakota, or Vermont.

The test kits in this category assess fertility directly (sperm counts, confirmation of ovulation) and indirectly (hormone test kits).

The first two kits below are useful for couples trying to conceive, and they don’t require any special medical guidance. Even if you aren’t trying to get pregnant, they can still offer valuable (or interesting) information. These kits have results you can easily interpret yourself.

However, the kits that provide a “snapshot” view of human hormone levels will give you results that your doctor or nurse will have to help you interpret. Human endocrinology is an area of medical specialty all to itself.

At-home ovulation confirmation test

Highly accurate, simple, and easy to use, the Ovulation Confirmation Test ($32) uses five urine strips that enable you to track changes in a progesterone metabolite, PdG, through a monthly cycle. These are Proov brand tests, which actually have some research behind their efficacy in confirming ovulation.36 (You can also purchase Proov tests directly from its website if you’d prefer; a 5-pack of these Proov Confirm tests on its website is $29. However, with the INNERBODY20 coupon code, myLAB Box saves you money.)

A free app directs you when to begin testing to confirm successful ovulation. If you and your partner are struggling to conceive, this test system is useful on a standalone basis to rule out ovulation concerns. When used in conjunction with an ovulation predictor (like the Mira Fertility Tracker or another similar device), you’ll also be able to identify your monthly window of fertility.

Male fertility test

This At-Home Male Fertility Test ($89) lets a man visualize his sperm count and motility for the best fertility assessment. Research estimates that the partner with male anatomy is a primary or contributing factor in around 50% of infertility cases, so this information could be invaluable to your family-planning journey.37

You collect your semen sample at home, and, using the testing device provided, you get your results at home, too. The fact that you can re-test means that you can monitor changes in your fertility over time.

The Male Fertility Test sold by myLAB Box is actually YO brand, and like the Ovulation Confirmation Test, it can be purchased for less on the brand’s website. The same test is available for $79.95 on YO’s website, but with the INNERBODY20 coupon code at myLAB Box, your price drops to $71, saving you $9 on the YO test.

Female hormone tests

The five myLAB Box tests that check female hormones include:

• Female Fertility Test ($149)
• Ovarian Reserve Test ($99)
• Women’s Health Test ($249)
• Perimenopause Test ($99)
• Postmenopause Test ($99)

Each kit is a bit different, focusing on certain hormones and not others, depending on the type of test. For example, after menopause, the ovaries no longer produce the same levels of estrogen and progesterone they once did, so the Postmenopause Test focuses on the levels of those two hormones.38 The chart below breaks down which hormones are tested in each test, along with how the sample is collected.

The Women’s Health Test also checks your thyroid health by looking at levels of thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4). This is likely due to the fact that women are more likely than men to have thyroid diseases.39

The other hormones in the Women’s Health Test are DHEA and cortisol — the former is a testosterone and estrogen precursor,40 while the latter affects and regulates nearly every organ system in the body.41

Fully understanding your results will likely require guidance from your doctor. There are many health conditions and outside factors that affect levels of these hormones, and everyone’s baseline can be different.

Men’s health and testosterone tests

The Men’s Health Test ($199) uses a saliva sample to check your levels of cortisol, DHEA, estradiol, and testosterone. The standalone Testosterone Test ($79) also requires a saliva sample but only examines levels of that one hormone.

Similar to the kits that provide a snapshot of hormone levels important to female fertility, these kits zoom in on the hormones governing male strength, libido, development, and more.42 Each kit guides you to help you interpret your results, but the same caveat of the female hormone kits also applies here: many factors can affect levels of these hormones. Your doctor is your best guide when it comes to understanding the relationship between hormones and health, so we recommend consulting a professional if you’re concerned about your results.

Several myLAB Box tests (like the Women’s and Men’s Health kits) have duplicate listings in this category on the website, but we’ll just explore the ones unique to this section.

Cholesterol and heart health tests

myLAB Box has a few kits available for cardiovascular health, including a Cholesterol Test ($89) and a Heart Health Test ($99).

The Cholesterol Test uses a blood sample to measure your triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL (“good” cholesterol), and LDL (“bad” cholesterol). Meanwhile, the Heart Health Test requires a blood sample to check your cholesterol, hsCRP, and HbA1c levels to evaluate your risk of heart disease.

Heavy metals screening

If you’ve lived or worked in an area where you have reason to believe you were exposed to significant levels of arsenic, bromine, lithium, cadmium, iodine, magnesium, selenium, mercury, or zinc, then you may be interested in the Heavy Metals Screening test ($199).

However, it’s worth mentioning that researchers recommend heavy metal testing be performed only by doctors under certain, specific circumstances.43 If you use this at-home test and receive concerning results, consult your primary care physician for further confirmation testing or treatment.

Adrenal stress test

The Adrenal Stress Test ($149) checks your saliva for cortisol and DHEA. High or low levels of these hormones can point to various potential health concerns. For instance, low DHEA and cortisol could be caused by adrenal gland disorders, including Addison’s Disease or adrenal insufficiency.44

Thyroid health screening kit

This finger prick Thyroid Health Screening Test ($125) measures free T4, free T3, TSH, and the presence of antibodies against thyroid peroxidase (which can signal an autoimmune problem compromising thyroid function).

Thyroid function governs metabolism, and thyroid impairment (hypothyroidism) can cause weight gain, loss of energy, and brain fog. An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) is associated with sudden weight loss and elevated or irregular heart rate, among other symptoms.45 If your results indicate a possible problem, it’s recommended you consult your doctor for further discussion and diagnosis.

While we included this myLAB Box test in our guide to the best at-home thyroid tests, it wasn’t one of our top recommendations at this time. Overall, LetsGetChecked was our choice for most people.

Food sensitivity testing kit

If you suspect that certain categories of food (or even very specific items, like tomatoes or bell peppers) trigger bloating, headaches, GI upset, or fatigue, you may be interested in a Food Sensitivity test ($149). This test screens for IgG antibodies against 96 specific foodstuffs to potentially help you determine the items you might be sensitive to.

Unlike nearly all other tests in myLAB Box’s catalog, however, the scientific merits of this type of test are unsettled. Specifically, the problem is that these tests search for IgG antibodies, which some experts note hasn’t been scientifically proven to determine sensitivities.46 While many people claim this type of testing has benefited them and helped them eliminate foods that caused them discomfort, many experts recommend proceeding with caution. Other health professionals consider it a helpful way to start valuable discussions with a doctor or nutritionist.

If you wish to try an elimination diet, it’s best to involve your doctor to ensure you don’t eliminate any essential nutrients.

If you decide to purchase the food sensitivity test, note that this is not a test for true food allergies; those tests check for a separate class of antibodies (IgE). Also, keep in mind that the test will only provide potentially valuable information about foods currently in your diet. For example, if you’ve been gluten-free for two years, you likely won’t have any identifiable antibodies in your system.

To learn more about the options for food sensitivity tests, we have a full guide dedicated to this type of testing.

Indoor and outdoor allergies test

This Indoor and Outdoor Allergies Test ($199) assesses your immune response to various trees, grasses, weeds, molds, animal danders, and pests. Unlike the Food Sensitivity Test, this test measures IgE antibodies, which are used to determine (and potentially diagnose) allergies.47

If your results indicate a strong reaction to an allergen, it might be a good idea to consult an allergist or immunologist.

Vitamin D and inflammation tests

These two blood tests — the Vitamin D Test ($89) and Inflammation Test ($99) — both check your vitamin D levels, while the latter also checks your hsCRP. (an inflammation biomarker) The reason inflammation and vitamin D are tested together (as with Everlywell’s Vitamin D and Inflammation Test) is likely due to research linking them together. Studies suggest that vitamin D deficiencies can increase the risk of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease.48

Colorectal cancer screening kit

This fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is designed to determine if you have occult (hidden) blood present in your stool. Using the Colorectal Cancer Screening Test ($79), a positive result for occult blood is not a positive test for cancer. It could be due to other inflammatory conditions, which means that consulting with your doctor for further testing to determine the cause is ideal.49

Colon cancer almost always starts with a benign polyp or soft tumor. Over time, some polyps can develop into malignancies. Surgeons can remove pre-cancerous polyps if they detect them in time, but therein lies the problem: because most people are reluctant to schedule a colonoscopy, a majority of people discover their diagnosis only after they have cancer.50

The American Cancer Society recommends that people between 45-75 have a FIT or other stool-based test every year. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer or a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, it’s recommended you start testing sooner.50

Immunity test

This Immunity Antibody Test ($329) checks your blood sample for antibody protection against 11 common infectious diseases (like polio, tetanus, diphtheria, mumps, and measles). These diseases all have available vaccines, so if you test negative for antibodies against any of the conditions, you could talk to your doctor about getting a vaccination or booster to fill the gap in your protection.

Targeted testing bundles

myLAB Box has a set of five unique test bundles that measure specific combinations of hormones associated with things like skin vitality, stress and sleep, anti-aging, fitness, and metabolism. The hormones measured in each test are as follows:

• Anti-Aging Test ($225): Checks estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, T3, T4, TSH, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels.
• Fitness Test ($225): Examines testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, TSH, hsCRP, and vitamin D levels.
• Sleep and Stress Test ($199): Evaluates levels of melatonin and cortisol.
• Skin Vitality Test ($209): Checks your estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, cortisol, TSH, and vitamin D levels.
• Metabolism Screening ($99): Measures your cortisol, testosterone, and TSH.

Drug and toxicology tests

Toxicology is an important category for at-home screening. You can test yourself (or your kids) for detectable levels of up to 12 different drugs, including several opiates, buprenorphine, THC, cocaine, methadone, oxycodone, amphetamines, PCP, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, ecstasy, and Ultram.

myLAB Box offers three different drug screening kits — a 5-panel ($59), 10-panel ($69), and a Comprehensive Panel ($99).

You may need to test before beginning employment, for instance, or when joining a sports team. And it’s important to know if a medication you’re currently taking will cause a positive test. All tests require one urine sample.

COVID-19 & flu tests

If you have mild respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 testing is not readily available in your area, buying a mail-in COVID-19 test kit could be a good alternative — this lets you stay home and protect others while waiting for results.

However, if you have easy access to local testing, the chances are that you can get safely tested in person, and your insurance will cover the entire cost of the test. The value of these tests depends upon your location (how far you have to travel to get tested) and your need to maintain discretion.

The three available COVID-19 tests include a Rapid Antigen Test ($22), a Nasal Test ($109), and a Saliva Test ($119).

On the myLAB Box website homepage, both Amazon and Walmart are listed as retail partners. The Walmart website currently only has the mycoplasma genitalium, postmenopause, and men’s health tests at the time of this review, and they’re all the exact same price as on the myLAB Box website.

The myLAB Box Amazon store has a bit of a wider selection than Walmart, though not by too much. The only options on Amazon are some of the STD tests; for all of the other ones, you’ll have to purchase directly from myLAB Box itself.

If you go by base prices only, then some of the Amazon kits may cost a bit less. However, if you use our promo code INNERBODY20 for 20% off, then it’s always less expensive to shop directly from the myLAB Box website (the promo code can’t be applied to Amazon purchases).

Additionally, it’s important to note that certain options available on Amazon are only for one sex, not both male and female as offered on the myLAB Box website. If applicable, this is clarified in the test name column.

The home testing space has a handful of high-quality, reliable companies that compare favorably to myLAB Box, and there are advantages and disadvantages to each of them.

Choosing the company that’s right for you will have a lot to do with exactly what you need to test and other personal preferences. If myLAB Box sounds like results will return too slowly, then LetsGetChecked might work better for you. Or, if myLAB Box runs a bit expensive, then investigating Everylwell’s tests could be ideal.

Everlywell

Everlywell has a more limited number of tests than myLAB Box, but the prices of its tests are often lower than the competition (even if only by a few dollars). And its results are much more user-friendly, with thorough explanations and a multitude of resources.

The company has recently expanded into offering telehealth consultations, as has LetsGetChecked, which could provide people without insurance coverage a more affordable way to combine lab-grade testing and doctor’s visits.

Everlywell sells several tests that check the same biomarkers as myLAB Box, including kits for STDs, indoor and outdoor allergies, and food sensitivities. You may also receive prescription treatments for certain positive results.

You can learn more about Everlywell by visiting our full review.

LetsGetChecked

LetsGetChecked delivers a similar number of STD testing bundles as myLAB Box, but its bundling essentially stops there, with individual tests occupying the rest of the catalog.

However, LetsGetChecked offers some of the fastest shipping and lab processing times in the business. Our testers regularly received their kits within 48 hours of ordering and had results back within 72 hours (and as soon as 24 hours) after return shipping.

It could be due to the speed of the process, but LetsGetChecked is often more expensive than myLAB Box or Everlywell. The company used to include free treatments for certain positive results, similar to its competitors, but has since begun charging for that.

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that LetsGetChecked uses all wet blood samples (and the collection process can be frustrating if you clot quickly). myLAB Box, in comparison, uses dried blood spots, which require less blood and seem to be just as good at maintaining the stability of blood proteins.51

For more about LetsGetChecked, check out our full review of the company.

In-lab alternatives

Owned and operated by the same company (Analyte Health), HealthLabs and STDcheck offer a hybrid at-home testing model that allows you to purchase your test and review your results online after submitting a blood or urine sample in person. These companies partner with thousands of lab facilities (Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics) across the country, so chances are there’s a center near you.

HealthLabs is the side that offers non-sexual health testing for things like thyroid hormone levels, while STDcheck focuses on sexual health. The services both have an effective customer service system, but that breaks down when you need information that only your local lab centers can provide. With so many labs, the quality of your experience can be a matter of chance.

It’s also important to note that HealthLabs and STDcheck charge $95 for a post-test doctor’s consultation, even if you test positive for a disease or test outside the normal range for certain hormones or toxins. This is a big departure from the free follow-ups from Everlywell and myLAB Box.

You can visit our review of STDcheck for more information.