Cervical & Vulvo-vaginal STI Testing | No Doctor's Referral | Epicentre
PCR test · No blood draw

Cervical & vulvo-vaginal STI testing

Urine and swab samples. No doctor's referral. Results in 5 to 7 working days, sent privately to you.

No doctor's referral 100% confidential LGBTQIA+ inclusive Student discount
Find my package See all packages
Free delivery within 10km of branches · R300 nationwide · Visa, Mastercard, Instant EFT, Payflex
The Epicentre cervical sampling kit, a brown box with a pink label
From
R1,235 to R3,305
payflex or 4 interest-free payments
5 options
Pick what you need
From R309
Per Payflex instalment
For anyone with a cervix and/or vagina, regardless of gender. We use anatomy-based language and don't ask intrusive questions about identity.

Find the right package

Two quick questions and we'll point you to the size that fits, with what it covers and when your results come.

Question 1 of 2

What's bringing you in?

This helps you choose a test. It isn't a diagnosis. If you're unsure, WhatsApp us and one of our nurses will help.

Pick your package

Four sizes. Same lab. Same accuracy.

The only thing that changes between sizes is how many infections we screen for. Pick what matches your situation.

Small

Quick reassurance for the four most common STIs.

R1,235

or R309 × 4 with Payflex

4 infections
  • Chlamydia
  • Gonorrhoea
  • Trichomonas
  • Herpes (type 2)
Most popular

Medium

Common STIs plus HPV, mycoplasma and ureaplasma.

R1,580

or R395 × 4 with Payflex

9 infections
  • Everything in Small
  • HPV (detects presence)
  • Herpes (type 1)
  • Ureaplasma · Mycoplasma
  • E. coli O18

Large

Full STI screen plus BV and bacterial pathogens.

R1,925

or R481 × 4 with Payflex

17 infections
  • Everything in Medium
  • Mycoplasma hominis · Megasphaera
  • Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
  • Candida · Gardnerella

Extra-Large

Full panel plus complete vaginal microbiome map.

R3,305

or R826 × 4 with Payflex

34 infections
  • Everything in Large
  • Full BV pathogen profile
  • Lactobacillus species map
  • Group B Strep, Megasphaera

Not in these panels: HIV, hepatitis B and the syphilis blood test need a blood sample. Add all three at any branch for R524.

Or test for BV on its own: R1,609

Recurring discharge, itching or odour but no other STI concerns? The standalone bacterial vaginosis panel covers the full BV pathogen profile without the broader STI screen.

What arrives at your door

Every size comes in the same cervical sampling kit. Only the infections the lab tests for change. It arrives in a plain courier bag, with the return courier included. Want the box unlabelled too? Tick "Plain box, no label" at checkout.

A person holding the Epicentre cervical sampling kit, a brown box with a pink label
The cervical sampling kit: a swab and a urine sample, tested by PCR.
  • A sterile swab, a urine jar and a parafilm seal strip from the Epicentre sexual health home test kitSwab, urine jar and seal stripThe seal strip wraps the lid so nothing leaks on the way back.
  • The sealed specimen bag and instruction card inside an Epicentre sexual health kitInstructions, consent form and bagStep-by-step instructions, a consent form and pen, and a zip-lock bag for the return trip.
  • An opened Epicentre home test kit box with everything packed insideEverything in one boxCollect your sample at home, in private. No blood draw.
  • Opening the lid of an Epicentre home test kit, with the results timeline printed insideResults in 5 to 7 working daysEmailed to you privately once the lab has tested your sample.
  • Delivered to your doorFree delivery and return courier within 10km of our branches in Observatory (Cape Town), Hillcrest (Durban) and Parktown North (Johannesburg), in 1 to 2 business days. R300 anywhere else in South Africa, return pickup included, in 2 to 4 business days.
  • Collect from a pickup pointPick up your kit at a partner practice or pharmacy in Cape Town, Stellenbosch or Durban, then take your sample at home. See all collection points.
  • Collect from a branchPick up your kit at our Observatory, Hillcrest or Parktown North branch, then take your sample at home.
The two Epicentre sexual health kits side by side: a pink cervical sampling kit and a blue urethral sampling kit

Need the penis or prostate kit instead? It comes in a blue box. See penile and prostate STI testing.

How it works

Three steps. No GP needed.

Order online, walk in, or have a home kit delivered. The clinical process is the same.

1

Pick your package

Add the size you need to your basket above. Pay online or in branch. Payflex available.

2

Self-collect your sample

A swab and a urine sample, collected at home in about five minutes. No blood draw. See how

3

Get results in 5 to 7 working days

Emailed to you privately, encrypted to the address you register with. Your report is in plain language.

How to take your sample

It takes about five minutes. The same steps, with pictures, are on the instruction sheet in your box.

Before you start: don’t pee for at least 1 hour before you collect, and wash your hands before and after.

The vaginal swab

  1. Take the swab out of its tube. Don’t touch the soft tip.
  2. Insert the swab into your vagina.
  3. Gently rotate it clockwise for 10 to 30 seconds.
  4. Put it back in the tube and close the lid firmly. Wash your hands.

The urine sample

  1. Wash your hands and open the jar, ideally next to the toilet.
  2. Wipe from front to back with toilet paper.
  3. Start peeing into the toilet, then fill the jar halfway from the middle of the stream.
  4. Close the lid firmly, then stretch the parafilm strip tightly around the lid so it can’t leak.

Sending it back

  1. Sign the formRead the information sheet, sign the consent form and put it back in the box.
  2. Pack your samplesPut the swab and the jar in the zip-lock bag, and the bag in the box.
  3. Send us a photoWhatsApp a photo of the open box to 072 843 7564. We’ll check everything is there.
  4. Seal it and we’ll collectSeal the box with the sticker. We book The Courier Guy to collect it from you, and you can track it online.

Where to collect your kit

Prefer not to have it delivered? Choose Pick up at checkout and pick a location. Take your sample at home, then we collect it from you, just as with a delivered kit.

  • All kits Epicentre branches, including gut health kits
  • Sexual health kits Partner practices and pharmacies: sexual health, HPV, UTI and BV kits

Cape Town

Stellenbosch

Durban

Johannesburg

Partner practices and pharmacies keep their own opening hours, so check with them before you go. Gut health kits are only at our branches or by courier.

See the kit

No sound needed. These short clips play on their own as you scroll, and you can pause them at any time.

Opening the cervical sampling kitEverything you need is in the box, with the instructions on top.
Two kits, one labPink for a cervix or vagina, blue for a penis or prostate. Pick by anatomy, not gender.

Care that doesn't make assumptions

Anatomy-based, gender-affirming, judgement-free. Built that way from day one.

For LGBTQIA+ patients

How we approach inclusive sexual health care

  • Anonymous testing is always an option. Walk in, no name, no ID. Especially relevant if you don't want a paper trail tied to your identity.
  • We test for what's relevant to your anatomy and behaviour, not your gender marker. Trans men with a cervix, non-binary people, intersex patients: this test is for you too.
  • We don't ask intrusive questions. No mandatory gender disclosure, no probing about partners, no judgement about your sex life.
  • Pronouns respected. Tell us once and that's how we'll address you, in person, in results, in follow-up. The receptionist won't deadname you.
  • Onward referrals go to GPs in our trans-friendly network. If you need treatment after a positive result, we won't send you to a doctor who'll make you uncomfortable.

Why HPV testing matters

Why she tests for HPVA patient on why she tests regularly.
What is HPV?What HPV is, in 30 seconds.
  • HPV usually has no symptoms. Testing is the only way to know if you have it.
  • Most HPV infections clear on their own. Some high-risk types can lead to cervical cell changes, so finding them early matters.
  • HPV is in our Medium, Large and Extra-Large packages. If you only want HPV, the HPV home test is R890.
See HPV testing

Shared with her consent. Her views are her own and aren't medical advice. A positive HPV result isn't a cancer diagnosis: your report explains what it means, and we'll point you to a doctor for follow-up.

Read what they say in the videos

Why she tests for HPV: My parcel from Epicentre has been delivered, and it includes an HPV at-home testing kit. It's very important to me that I do this, because a couple of years ago I tested positive for HPV after I had a very uncomfortable pap smear, and they found that I had cancerous cells. So it's very important that I stay on top of this, and I get tested regularly to see that everything is under control. On screen: Test discreetly and accurately using our home test kits. Purchase your kit online.

What is HPV? HPV is dangerous. It's one of the leading causes of cervical cancer, and it is asymptomatic. On screen: HPV is common. Most infections clear on their own, and testing helps you catch it early. It's important that you take control of your health. And the benefit of doing the at-home test kit is it's discreet, it's private, it's quick to get to you, and the courier picks it up. On screen: Get tested. Purchase your home kit.

25
Years serving
South Africans
100k+
Confidential tests
completed
4.5★
3 branches
Google rating
SANAS
Accredited lab,
GCP & GCLP certified
Common questions

Quick answers

Tap a question to expand.

No referral. Order online or walk in during opening hours. We've been open to the public without referrals since 2001. A GP only enters the picture if a result needs follow-up treatment, and we'll refer you onwards then.
Completely. Results go only to you, by encrypted email. We do not share with employers, insurers or anyone else without your written consent. Data is protected under POPIA. Anonymous testing is available at branch: no name, no ID required.
Yes. Your kit arrives sealed in a plain courier bag from The Courier Guy, with nothing on the outside to say what's inside. The kit box inside is labelled. If you'd rather it wasn't, tick "Plain box, no label" at checkout and we'll send it unmarked. The items inside are labelled for the lab, so only you see what the test is.
Yes. The test is for anyone with a cervix and/or vagina, regardless of gender identity. The sample type is what matters clinically. We use anatomy-based language in intake and results, respect your pronouns, and won't ask intrusive questions about your identity. Onward referrals (if needed) go to clinicians in our trans-friendly network.
PCR picks up most bacterial STIs from 3 to 5 days after exposure. Syphilis and HIV are blood tests at a branch: syphilis shows from 3 to 6 weeks and HIV from 2 to 4 weeks. HPV detection windows vary. If you're unsure when to test, message us on WhatsApp and one of our nurses will advise.
Not always. An infection can sit in your throat or rectum without showing up in a genital swab or urine sample. Ask us for a throat or anal swab and we'll add it to any package at no extra cost.
Order online for delivery: free within 10km of our branches in Observatory (Cape Town), Hillcrest (Durban) and Parktown North (Johannesburg), or R300 anywhere else in South Africa, return pickup included. Pick up your kit from a branch or from a partner practice or pharmacy in Cape Town, Stellenbosch or Durban, then take your sample at home.
You get a clear, plain-language report. We don't treat, but we'll point you to the right next step: your own doctor or clinic, or an independent doctor we work with, online or in person. No judgement.
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HPV screening

Standalone PCR test for HPV strains. For routine cervical screening or follow-up to an abnormal smear.

From R890
See HPV testing →

Urinary tract testing

PCR panel for recurring or complicated UTIs. Identifies the exact organism so treatment can be targeted.

R1,609
See UTI testing →

Gut health panels

PCR stool testing for gut microbiome and pathogenic organisms. Gut and vaginal microbiome health are linked.

From R2,500
See gut testing →
Reviewed by the Epicentre clinical team. Practice number 1117394. SANAS-accredited, GCP and GCLP certified. Founded 2001.
Last reviewed: October 2026

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Add a package to your basket, book a branch visit, or message us if you're not sure where to start.

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R1,580 Medium · Most popular