You Can Now Get An STD Test In The Comfort Of Your Own Home

Here's a list of things some couples would probably rather do than go get tested for STDs in a public place together:

1. Gouge each other's eyes out.
2. Just take the Chlamydia meds that give you explosive diarrhea anyway, without knowing if you even have it for sure.
3. Climb Mount Everest with no equipment.
4. Read War and Peace cover to cover in a day.
5. Shave each other's nipples.
6. Basically, anything else that doesn't sound fun.

This obviously isn't to say people shouldn't get tested in public together or that people don't do it together. It's just that getting tested ~together~ in a public place isn't really at the top of most couples' to-do lists.

I mean, going into a test center WITH EACH OTHER, only to run into about 137 people you know — all of whom are asking what you're there for — just doesn't sound ideal. And it sometimes feels embarrassing enough just doing it by yourself.

BUT one in three Americans will get an STD at some point in their lives, and the CDC predicts that number will increase by three times if things continue the way they are. So obviously, getting tested is necessary.

What if I were to tell you there was an easier, less awkward way to go about the whole getting tested thing — for you alone AND for couples? Well, a new product called the myLAB Box is the very first at-home STD testing kit.

The way it works is easy: You order a kit online (prices range from $79 for a single test to $399 for a 10-panel screen), take the test by providing either a urine sample, a small blood sample or a Q-tip swab, mail in your box to one of myLAB's approved clinics and get your results online as soon as 24 hours later.

As for the whole medical part of things, they also give you a free doctor consultation over the phone, should you test positive for anything, along with any medical prescription you'll need, based on your test results.

Now, if you want to include your partner in the whole getting tested thing, the creators of myLAB Box have also created a brand spankin' new product just for you. The Love Box, just announced today, includes a two-in-one kit for couples that makes it easier than ever for you and BAE to get tested in the privacy of your own home.

Lora Ivanova, Co-Founder/CMO, myLAB Box, told Elite Daily about the importance of getting tested, even when you're in a relationship:

Even if you've been with your partner for years, that doesn't let you off the hook. Sure, being with the same person can protect you a bit more than being out in the wild dating world, but safety is never guaranteed. Some infections don't even show symptoms, so you can never be totally sure what each of you brought into the relationship. Regular testing is still necessary. And after all, safe is sexy!

She's right. You and your partner should be getting tested just as often as your unattached friends. "STDs don't pick their carriers based on virtues. People in monogamous and married relationships can test positive as well. STDs affect everyone," Ivanova says.

Now, with the myLAB Box and the Love Box, you can get tested safely by yourself OR with a partner, without awkwardly running into everyone you know out in the open.

So there. Now, you officially don't have any excuse not to get tested.