When I reached a certain age without the pitter-patter of tiny feet, I started to wonder about my fertility. Long waiting lists for office visits and costly tests at private clinics left me looking for alternative ways to learn about my fertility and sexual health. That’s when I came across at-home fertility kits from myLAB Box. Could these tests provide the answers I, and many others, am looking for?
In this myLAB Box review, I’ll walk you through myLAB Box and the variety of at-home tests it offers, focusing on women's health and family planning. I’ll delve into the benefits of a myLAB Box subscription and share my honest opinions about my experience with the company and its products. Keep reading to discover whether the tests myLAB Box offers are right for you!
What Is myLAB Box?
Launched in 2014, myLAB Box is an innovative, women-owned company committed to providing discreet and accessible at-home testing services. Initially, myLAB Box focused on sexual health, solely offering testing for sexually transmitted infections, but it has since expanded. Now, myLAB Box provides at-home kit tests across a wide range of wellness sectors, including fertility and family planning, drugs and toxicology, COVID-19, and nutrition and wellness.
How Does a myLAB Box Subscription Work?
Whether you want to monitor specific health conditions and biomarkers—like fertility hormone levels—or you just want to monitor your overall wellness, a myLAB Box membership is worth considering.
Signing Up
I was pleasantly surprised by how easily navigable the myLAB Box website was and how quick and simple it was to sign up for a membership. You start by selecting the health goal that resonates most with you. In my case, this was "Starting a Family." Some of the other options include “Anti-Aging,” “Beauty and Vibrancy,” and “Fitness and Weight Loss.”
Then, you're ready to get started! The website is HIPAA-compliant, and payment processing is secure, so you can create a myLAB Box account and order your home testing kit with the peace of mind of knowing your privacy is protected.
What’s Included?
Every myLAB Box membership includes the following:
- Monthly home testing kit: Each month, you’ll receive your chosen at-home test from myLAB Box. The range of wellness tests available is impressive—more on that later!
- Free physician consultation: Following each test, you’ll get a free physician consultation via telehealth to discuss your myLAB Box test results. If you test positive for an STI or UTI, your healthcare professional may issue a prescription that can be delivered directly to the local pharmacy of your choice.
- Free delivery: The membership fee includes shipping costs to and from your home and the lab for all of your myLAB Box test kits.
Cost and Deliveries
The first myLAB Box home test kit typically arrives within a week of signing up for a membership, and the discreet packaging means you don't have to worry about nosy neighbors.
A myLAB Box membership currently costs $99/month, offering savings on some individual tests and making it a cost-effective choice. Not all tests are included in a myLAB Box membership, but I found customer support helpful in clarifying which tests are included in monthly subscriptions.
A myLAB Box membership plan covers 12 months, giving you plenty of time to work toward your wellness goals. If you reach your goals, or change your mind about testing (or for any other reason!), myLAB Box lets you cancel your membership at any time, so you're not locked into a lengthy subscription if you meet your goals or resolve your health issues sooner than expected.
About the At-Home Tests
myLAB Box offers a broad range of at-home tests. I love that the tests are organized into five key categories, making it easy for me to select the test kits relevant to my needs (i.e., fertility and family planning).
Test Types
These are some of the many tests myLAB Box offers:
- Fertility and Family Planning: These myLAB Box tests focus on women’s and men’s health in general, and sexual health and fertility in particular. The tests measure sperm count and reproductive hormone levels.
- STD and STI: These at-home tests from myLAB Box include single STD tests, comprehensive STI test panels to screen for multiple infections (including hepatitis B), cervical cancer screening, and UTI test kits. They’re ideal for those interested in STI prevention and monitoring their sexual health without long waits at the doctor’s office.
- Wellness and Nutrition: These myLAB Box tests address various health concerns such as thyroid function, allergies, immunity, cholesterol levels, hepatitis C, inflammation, hemoglobin levels, and vitamin D levels. These tests are perfect for individuals concerned about weight gain, experiencing symptoms of diabetes, looking to keep an eye on their cholesterol levels, or just interested in monitoring their overall health.
- Drug and Toxicology: These myLAB Box at-home tests screen for heavy metals and various legal and illegal substances. Choose from a heavy metal test, 5-panel drug test, 10-panel drug test, or a comprehensive test that screens for 12 different substances.
- COVID-19: These at-home test kits from myLAB Box include nasal, saliva, and rapid antigen tests for COVID-19.
Sample Collection From myLAB Box
When it comes to sensitive testing, myLAB Box offers a wide selection of sexual health, family planning, and toxicology tests that you can take in the comfort and privacy of your own home. This is ideal for people like me, who have anxiety when it comes to medical settings or misplaced embarrassment about female and sexual health. It’s also beneficial for those who don’t have time for long waits at the doctor’s office.
Regardless of which myLAB Box at-home test kit you use, the sample-collection process is pretty simple and minimally invasive. Just follow the instructions carefully, and you’ll be all set. For some test kits, you'll need to provide a urine sample, saliva sample, oral swab, rectal swab, or vaginal swab. For other myLab Box tests, a quick finger prick and a small blood sample may be required.
Test Results
Once the lab receives your sample, you can usually expect your lab results within a week. Your myLAB Box test results will be posted to a secure online portal for easy, private access.
The reports are easy to understand—no complicated medical jargon. However, if you need help understanding your test results, I found the website's Live Chat feature useful. That said, if you test positive for certain conditions or infections, you may need to show your positive test results to your primary care physician to decide the next steps.
If you test positive for a UTI or STD, you’ll receive a free consultation with a healthcare professional, who will discuss your positive test results with you. Then, they’ll either send a prescription to your pharmacy of choice or guide you toward the right treatment.
I was pleased to discover that myLAB Box only works with the best laboratories and health experts and uses CAP and CLIA-certified labs to process samples. This means the labs adhere to strict quality control and privacy procedures for results as accurate and secure as those from a doctor's office.
Unfortunately, insurance doesn't cover myLAB Box home testing kits, but you can pay with FSA and HSA cards, and no extra costs or co-pays are required.
At-Home Women’s Health and Fertility Testing
After a recent milestone birthday and the not-so-subtle reminders that I’m not getting any younger, it was time to take stock of my reproductive health and wellness.
The Female Fertility At-Home Test Kit from myLAB Box is extensive, with individual tests and panels. The At-Home Ovulation Confirmation Test contains five test strips that let you know if you're ovulating in just five minutes.
I also tried the At-Home Ovarian Reserve Test from myLAB Box, which measured my FSH levels. FSH, or follicle-stimulating hormone, is a hormone that helps stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs. Low levels of FSH may indicate a reduced potential to produce eggs or an issue with the pituitary gland.
The following are some of the fertility and family planning test kits myLAB Box offers:
- Female Fertility Test: This home testing kit measures the levels of several reproductive hormones, including AMH (anti-müllerian hormone), estradiol, FSH, LH (luteinizing hormone), and prolactin.
- Perimenopause Test: This home testing kit measures the levels of certain hormones involved in menopause, such as FSH, progesterone, and estradiol. If you’re experiencing hot flashes or common perimenopausal symptoms, these tests can help you determine whether you’re going through perimenopause.
- Postmenopause Test: These home testing kits check to ensure progesterone and estradiol levels are within the normal range following menopause. Abnormal levels can cause bone loss, sleep disturbances, and metabolism changes.
- Women's Health: This comprehensive test kit panel checks 11 key women’s health hormones, including cortisol, thyroxine, LH, FSH, and progesterone, to help determine potential imbalances.
- V-Box: This test checks for five common causes of abnormal vaginal discharge, including yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis (BV), trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
myLAB Box also offers a Cervical Screening Test, whichevery woman over 30 should take regularly, particularly if they find a trip to the gynecologist to be an ordeal. I love that myLAB Box tests allow me to screen for 14 types of human papillomavirus (HPV)—a virus that can cause several types of cancer—from the comfort and convenience of home.
Shipping and Returns
Shipping
Both first-class shipping of the test kits to your home is free for orders of $150 and over. However, if you'd like your test sooner, upgrade to 2-day shipping for $25 or overnight shipping for $55. Each kit includes a prepaid envelope for sending your samples to the lab.
I appreciated that myLAB Box sent my tests in discreet packaging. The outer packaging did not have a product or business name, and the return envelope was generic and only showed the fulfillment center’s address.
Returns
Orders from myLAB Box can be canceled for a full refund before the test kit has been shipped. If the test kit has already been shipped, a refund will be issued minus a $29 fee for shipping and handling.
Once a sample has been submitted for testing, you're not eligible for a full or partial refund. A sample from a returned kit won’t be processed for testing, and results won't be provided.
myLAB Box states that a missing, damaged, or incomplete test kit is eligible for a free replacement upon request within 60 days of purchase.
myLAB Box: Is It Worth It?
Overall, I was impressed with the variety of home testing kits offered by myLAB Box, which covers everything from STI testing to thyroid-stimulating hormone measurement. With over 50 tests to choose from—including comprehensive panels for STDs, women's health, and men's health—myLAB Box can help support your health and wellness goals.
myLAB Box stands out with its range of at-home tests for women's health and fertility. Women’s health and fertility testing is sensitive and can feel invasive, so I appreciate that screenings like hormone testing and vaginal health testing can be done in the comfort and privacy of my own home.
It's a major plus that myLAB Box provides a free consultation for positive test results for STDs or STIs.
MyLAB Box test kits have helped me on my family planning journey, allowing me to monitor relevant biomarkers easily. I love that a myLAB Box membership includes monthly tests, free physician consults, and shipping costs.
To wrap up, I was very pleased with my experience with myLAB Box. Everything from signing up for a membership to accessing my results was simple and convenient. I strongly recommend myLAB Box to anyone interested in starting a family, losing weight, or monitoring their overall health.
