South Africa tests for four STIs. We test for up to 34
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. Those four are what national surveillance tracks, what the new national plan proposes home kits for, and what a rapid self-test kit covers. They are the right four to start with. They are not the only four that matter.
The short answer. South African STI testing is organised around four curable infections: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. Outside them sit Mycoplasma genitalium, ureaplasma, HPV, herpes typing, and the bacterial vaginosis markers and candida that cause the same symptoms without being sexually transmitted. Epicentre's PCR panels run from four pathogens up to 34 targets, so you can choose how wide the net is rather than having it chosen for you.
In short
- The four curable STIs are what national surveillance, the national plan and rapid self-test kits are all built around.
- Mycoplasma genitalium is a well-established infection in South Africa and is in none of them.
- Bacterial vaginosis and thrush are not STIs, but they cause the symptoms that send people for STI testing, and a four-infection panel cannot explain them.
- Epicentre runs PCR panels at four, nine, seventeen and thirty-four targets, self-collected, with home kits nationwide.
Why four, and which four
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are curable, common and harmful untreated. They are the four the health department tracks through periodic surveillance drives, the four the current national STI plan proposes free home test kits for, and the four a rapid self-test kit on a pharmacy shelf will cover.
That focus is defensible. If you can only afford to look for four things, those are the four. But a panel built around them is a net with a specific mesh size, and several things swim straight through it.
What falls outside the four
| In the usual four | Outside them | |
|---|---|---|
| Bacterial | Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis | Mycoplasma genitalium, ureaplasma |
| Parasitic | Trichomonas | |
| Viral | HPV, herpes typing | |
| Not an STI, but the cause of the same symptoms | Bacterial vaginosis markers, candida |
That last row matters more than it looks. Bacterial vaginosis and thrush are not sexually transmitted, but they produce the discharge and irritation that send people for STI testing in the first place. A four-infection panel that comes back clear has answered the question it was asked and left the symptom completely unexplained.
HPV is the other conspicuous absence. It is the cause of nearly all cervical cancer, it is extremely common, and it is not in the four. Where a result needs following up, our HPV strain panel types 28 strains individually: 19 high-risk and 9 low-risk, so you know which one you carry rather than only that you carry something.
Mycoplasma genitalium is the clearest example
It is a genuine sexually transmitted infection, it is well established in South Africa, and it is in none of the four.
1 to 4%
of women in the general population, rising above 10% among people attending STI services
5.9%
of South African pregnant women in a KwaZulu-Natal cohort
up to 35%
of men with symptomatic urethritis where chlamydia was not the cause
National surveillance in Johannesburg concluded it was an important pathogen among patients presenting with genital discharge, and molecular work across the northern provinces described a well-established epidemic. It is recognised in the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society's guideline as a cause of urethral discharge.
This is what "my symptoms came back" often turns out to be. If you were treated on the basis of a symptom, or tested for four infections and cleared, and the problem returned or never fully went, an organism outside the standard net is one of the things worth ruling out. That is a conversation to have with a doctor, and a wider panel gives them something to work with.
What Epicentre does about it
We built our sexual health panels around the gap rather than around the four. That means five decisions, and each one exists because of something in this article.
1. The net goes as wide as you want it
Our PCR panels run at four targets, nine, seventeen and thirty-four, and each step adds something the standard four leaves out.
| Panel | Targets | What it adds beyond the standard four |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 4 | Herpes simplex type 2. Otherwise the core infections. |
| Medium | 9 | Mycoplasma genitalium, ureaplasma, HPV, both herpes types. |
| Large | 17 | Everything above plus the vaginal flora and candida: Gardnerella, Atopobium, BVAB2, Mobiluncus, Megasphaera, Prevotella and lactobacilli. Two versions: vaginal swab or penile swab, each with a urine sample. |
| Extra Large | 34 | The widest single screen we run, adding syphilis, chancroid, seven candida species and the full flora panel. |
Note where Mycoplasma genitalium sits. It is in the Medium panel, our second-smallest, and in everything above it. The organism most likely to be missed by a standard four-infection test is not an add-on here; it is included from nine targets up.
2. Oral exposure has its own panel
Genital panels are collected from a swab and a urine sample, which is no use if the exposure was oral. We run a separate oral screen at nine targets, and a combined oral and respiratory screen at sixteen that adds the common chest and throat organisms. Ask for it by name rather than assuming a genital panel covers it, because it does not.
3. One sample, everything at once
PCR can look for many organisms in the same specimen. You do not give a sample for chlamydia and then another for HPV. One self-collected swab and one urine sample are tested for everything on the panel you chose.
4. Nothing has to prompt it, because nothing has to
You do not need a symptom, a doctor's referral or a reason you are willing to explain. Testing can be anonymous: a pseudonym is accepted, no identity document is required, cash is accepted, and nothing is reported to a medical aid unless you ask. Couples can test together and receive results at the same time, though neither can be given the other's.
5. You do not have to come in
Home kits are available for every PCR panel, in unbranded packaging, couriered free within 10km of a branch or pickup point and R300 anywhere in South Africa. Branches are in Observatory in Cape Town, Parktown North in Johannesburg and Hillcrest in Durban, with additional pickup points in Sea Point, Stellenbosch, Sandton and Durban Central.
On medical aid, plainly. We do not bill medical schemes for these tests. What we do give you is the correct paperwork, carrying our practice number and the test codes, so that you can claim back yourself. Claiming generally needs a referring doctor's details, which is why the request form asks for them and marks that section as only needed if you intend to claim.
And if something comes back positive. Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are curable. Herpes, HPV and HIV are managed, and managed well. Epicentre is a laboratory: we test and we report, and we do not diagnose, prescribe or treat. What we do is connect you with independent partner doctors who can, with no obligation to use them. Your partner should also be tested, and a specific result makes that conversation considerably easier than a vague one.
The panels
Every panel below is PCR, self-collected, and available as a home kit. Results in 5 to 7 working days.
Large panel, 17 pathogens
R1,925The panel most people choose. It comes in two versions, one using a vaginal swab and one a penile swab, each given with a urine sample, and it is the first that covers the vaginal flora and candida alongside the sexually transmitted organisms.
Sample: self-collected swab and urine sample, with no speculum.
Covers: the four, plus the organisms and conditions that sit outside them.
Smaller and larger panels
4, 9 and 34 targetsThe Small panel covers four targets and the Medium nine, for a focused question or a tighter budget. The Extra Large runs to 34 targets, which is the widest single sexual health screen we offer.
Where the steps matter: Mycoplasma genitalium and HPV appear at Medium. The vaginal flora and candida appear at Large. Syphilis and chancroid appear at Extra Large.
Blood-based screens, standalone HIV testing, hepatitis and herpes typing and a UTI panel are also on the sexual health page. Blood tests are walk-in only, with no home kit. Prices are 2026 cash rates including VAT and may change; in-store pricing applies.
Choose how wide the net goes
Four questions and the quiz will tell you which panel fits what you actually want to know. No doctor's referral, no appointment, no identity document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which STIs does a standard South African test cover?
Testing here is largely organised around four curable infections: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. Those are the four tracked in national surveillance, the four the current national plan proposes home kits for, and the four a rapid self-test kit will usually cover. Outside them sit Mycoplasma genitalium, ureaplasma, HPV, herpes typing, and the bacterial vaginosis markers and candida that cause similar symptoms without being sexually transmitted.
What is Mycoplasma genitalium and why is it not usually tested for?
It is a sexually transmitted bacterium that is well established in South Africa but sits outside the four infections most testing is organised around. Reported prevalence is roughly 1% to 4% among women in the general population, above 10% among people attending STI services, 5.9% in one South African cohort of pregnant women, and up to 35% among men with symptomatic urethritis where chlamydia was not the cause. It is a recognised cause of urethral discharge in the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society guideline, and one of the organisms worth considering when symptoms persist after treatment.
How many pathogens does Epicentre test for?
Our PCR sexual health panels run at four targets, nine, seventeen and thirty-four, all from a single self-collected sample. Mycoplasma genitalium and HPV are included from the Medium panel of nine upwards. The vaginal flora and candida appear at the Large panel of seventeen, which comes in two versions, one using a vaginal swab and one a penile swab. Syphilis and chancroid are in the Extra Large panel of thirty-four. A separate oral screen covers nine targets, and an oral and respiratory screen covers sixteen. Every PCR panel is available as a home kit, with results in 5 to 7 working days.
Does Epicentre test for oral STIs?
Yes, with a separate panel. Genital panels are collected from a swab and a urine sample and do not cover oral exposure. We run an oral sexual health screen at nine targets and a combined oral and respiratory screen at sixteen, which adds the common throat and chest organisms. Ask for it by name rather than assuming a genital panel covers it.
Does Epicentre bill medical aid?
No. We do not bill medical schemes for these tests. We give you the correct paperwork, carrying our practice number and the test codes, so that you can claim back yourself. Claiming generally requires a referring doctor's details.
Why test for bacterial vaginosis and candida if they are not STIs?
Because they cause the discharge and irritation that send people for STI testing in the first place. A panel covering only sexually transmitted infections can come back clear and leave the symptom entirely unexplained. Including the markers for them means a clear STI result is an answer rather than a dead end.
Can I test at home?
Yes, for every PCR panel. Kits arrive in unbranded packaging, couriered free within 10km of a branch or pickup point and R300 anywhere in South Africa. Blood-based tests cannot be done from a home kit and need a walk-in visit. Branches are in Observatory in Cape Town, Parktown North in Johannesburg and Hillcrest in Durban, with pickup points in Sea Point, Stellenbosch, Sandton and Durban Central.
References
- Muller EE, et al. Molecular epidemiological analysis of Mycoplasma genitalium shows a well-established epidemic in South Africa. PMID 32389900
- Naicker M, et al. Lack of resistance to macrolides in Mycoplasma genitalium detected in South African pregnant women. Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases 2021. Read it
- The prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium and association with HIV infection in symptomatic patients, Johannesburg, 2007-2014. Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2019. Read it
- Peters RPH, et al. Southern African HIV Clinicians Society 2022 guideline for the management of sexually transmitted infections. Read it
- Could STI home tests be coming to SA's free medicine pick-up points? Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, 2023. Read it
This article is general health information and not medical advice. Epicentre is a diagnostic laboratory: we provide testing and reporting, and we do not diagnose, prescribe or treat. If you have symptoms and cannot wait, a public clinic will see and treat you today at no cost. Please discuss any result that needs attention with a doctor.
