Student Health Guide: Test Smart, Pay Less
10% off all health tests with Varsity Vibe. STI screening, wellness panels, hormone checks and more. No doctor's referral. Walk in or order a home kit to your res.
University life brings independence, stress, late nights, new relationships and health risks that most students never think about until something feels wrong. The problem is that many of the conditions students are most vulnerable to – STIs, iron deficiency, thyroid issues, vitamin D deficiency – either have no symptoms or have symptoms that get dismissed as "just being a student."
This guide covers what to test for, what it costs with your student discount and how to do it without anyone knowing.
STI Testing: The One You Keep Putting Off
Most STIs have zero symptoms. Chlamydia is asymptomatic in 70% of cases. Gonorrhoea is asymptomatic in up to 50%. HPV has no symptoms until it causes cell changes years later. The only way to know is to test.
HIV Screening
HIV ELISA blood test. The most basic screen. Results in 2 – 5 working days.
Sexual Health Express
5-in-1 blood screen: HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, chlamydia, herpes. No swab needed: just a blood draw.
Medium STI Package
9-target PCR screen. Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, mycoplasma, ureaplasma, trichomoniasis. Home kit available.
Home kits = total privacy. Order online, collect your sample in your room, post it back with the prepaid label. Discreet packaging: no logos, no "medical" stickers. Results via email. Nobody at your res, your university, or your family will know unless you tell them.
Always Tired? It Might Not Be "Just Varsity"
Fatigue is the most normalised symptom in university life. But "I'm always tired" is also the most common reason students discover an actual medical condition when they finally get tested. The usual culprits:
Iron & Anaemia Panel
Iron profile, ferritin (iron stores), FBC (full blood count), transferrin. Iron deficiency is the number one cause of fatigue in young people, especially those who menstruate.
Complete Thyroid Panel
TSH, Free T4, Free T3, anti-TPO, anti-thyroglobulin. Thyroid problems cause fatigue, weight gain, brain fog and anxiety, all easily mistaken for burnout.
Diabetes Screening
Glucose tolerance test. Epicentre's most affordable test. If you are experiencing unexplained thirst, frequent urination, or fatigue, this rules out diabetes quickly.
Brain fog and concentration issues? Before you assume it is ADHD or burnout, consider that low iron, low B12, low vitamin D, and thyroid dysfunction all cause the same symptoms, and are fixable once identified. A blood test takes 10 minutes. Medication for a condition you do not have takes much longer to undo.
Your 10% Student Discount
Varsity Vibe Student Discount
10% off all walk-in and home kit packages (5% off gut health). Valid for full-time, part-time, and online students at any SA university or college.
Register at varsityvibe.co.za → generate code → apply at checkout or show at branch.
Get Your Discount Code →Where to Get Tested
Walk-In Branches
Durban: 2 Knelsby Avenue, Hillcrest. 031 880 2150.
Cape Town: 24 Lower Main Road, Observatory. 021 201 1658.
Johannesburg: 02 7th Avenue, Parktown North. 082 065 2172.
Mon – Fri, 08:30 – 16:00. No appointment needed.
Home Test Kits
Delivered to your door (or res) in discreet packaging. Prepaid return label included. Available for STI PCR, HPV, BV, UTI and gut health tests. Order online at epicentre.org.za/home-test-kits.
Stellenbosch Pickup Points
Collect a kit from Stelkor pharmacy (Piet Retief St, Kampus, or Simonsrust) or other partner locations. Free collection from your res, home, or office. View Stellenbosch options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do students get a discount?
Do I need a doctor's referral?
Can I test privately without my parents knowing?
What is the cheapest STI test?
Why am I always tired?
Can I order a home kit to my res?
How much does a full wellness check cost?
Where are Epicentre branches?
Your Health, Your Rules
No doctor's referral. No lectures. 10% student discount. Results via email.
Epicentre Walk-In Labs does not provide medical diagnoses. For medical diagnoses and advice, please consult your healthcare practitioner. Practice #1117394.
