Getting Test Results
When your test results are ready, you will get an email telling you to sign in to your account. The email will never include your test results.
Once you sign in, you will see your ‘Tests and Results’ page. If your tests are
negative, you can view the results here. If there was a
problem with any of your samples and tests could not be performed, you will see a message on this page. If any of your test results are
positive or inconclusive, you will see a message to call the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). Positive results are not stored in GetCheckedOnline and will never be shown on your Tests and Results page.
If you have ever tested positive for syphilis or hepatitis C, it is likely that future tests will be positive even if you have already been treated for syphilis or hepatitis C. This is because antibodies to syphilis / hepatitis C are still present in your blood.
Results will show on your Tests and Results page for
30 days and will then be deleted from your account. After 30 days, you can see all of your past tests and test dates on your Testing History page, but you will not see any results. If you waited longer than 30 days to view your results, you will need to call the BCCDC STI Clinic to get them.
If you test through GetCheckedOnline,
you will not be able to get a printed copy of your results from the BCCDC STI Clinic. It is our policy that clients needing a printed copy of their test results must show identification when they test and when they pick up their results.
What if my results are negative?
A negative result means that no infection was detected by the test. STI tests cannot detect an infection until a certain amount of time has passed and the infection has built up in the body enough to be detectable – this is called the “window period”. If you test too soon after exposure to an STI (during the “window period”), you may not get an accurate result. If you tested too soon, we recommend that you test again.
What if there was a problem with my sample?
In some cases, you may see the message ‘There was a problem with your sample’. This does not mean that the result is positive. It means that the lab could not perform the test and there is no result. You will need to phone the BCCDC STI Clinic so that a nurse can explain what happened and what you need to do next.
What if my results are positive?
In BC, positive test results are shared with public health to ensure that you and your partners are offered treatment and support. A nurse at the BCCDC STI Clinic will contact you by phone or by email. The nurse will never say what you tested for, or what your results are, in the phone message or the email.
The nurse will explain your results and where you can go for treatment or additional testing, and can help you plan for any follow-up. The nurse will also ask about your sexual partners and talk with you about how best to let your partners know to get tested and treated.
Any positive results for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis C are stored in secure databases in the provincial laboratory system and as part of your electronic health care record.
If you test positive for hepatitis C through GetCheckedOnline, and you don't have a previous history of hepatitis C, you will need to visit a health care provider to test for ongoing infection (RNA test).
What if I don’t get an email or phone call in 14 days?
If you have not received an email or phone call after 14 days, there may be a problem with your test or we have not been able to reach you. Sign in to your GetCheckedOnline account and there should be instructions on your Tests and Results page telling you what to do next. If you do not see results or a message, please contact the BC Centre for Disease Control STI clinic during
business hours to speak with a clinic nurse.
Why else might a public health nurse contact me?
We may contact you even if you don’t have a positive test result. Sometimes we will need to talk with you if there was a problem at the lab with your sample or with the test. Sometimes we will need to talk with you when a test result is not clear, which can happen if you test during the ‘window period’ of an STI. A nurse from the BCCDC will contact you to talk about the test and will usually recommend that you repeat it.
