Intermountain partners with Testmate on STI tests

Intermountain Health has partnered with Testmate Health, investing to expand access to rapid, low-cost STI tests in at-risk communities beyond traditional labs.

STIs often go undetected, with an estimated 80 per cent of chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections missed each year. Testmate’s single-use, reader-free molecular tests for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae deliver results in under 30 minutes from urine or swab samples. Molecular tests detect bacterial genetic material, offering lab-style accuracy without central lab equipment.

“Our partnership and investment in Testmate reflects our commitment to solutions that make care faster, more accessible, and equitable,” said Karen Brownwell, vice-president of lab services at Intermountain Health. “When these STI tests become FDA-approved in the US, Testmate’s innovative approach to molecular diagnostics will allow us to deliver lab-quality results outside traditional lab settings, directly impacting communities that have historically lacked access to timely testing.”

“This partnership and investment empowers people to take control of their sexual and reproductive health without barriers, stigma, or waiting,” said Dr Siew-Veena Sahi, CEO and founder of Testmate Health. “By partnering with Intermountain Health, we could scale access to diagnostics in a way that changes outcomes for patients and communities alike.”

By combining Testmate’s physician-built diagnostics with Intermountain’s infrastructure and clinical expertise, the programme will dramatically increase early detection, improve treatment, reduce loss to follow-up and lower healthcare costs.