How often should you test at home? Your guide to regular health checks

Most of us only think about a health test when something feels wrong. But many of the things a home test checks change over time. Vitamin D drops every winter. Iron stores drain slowly. Hormones rise and fall. A sexual health result covers you up to the day you test, not the next partner. Checking regularly is how you catch a change early, or keep enjoying the peace of mind of an all-clear.

Here's which checks are worth repeating, how often UK guidance suggests, and how home testing makes it easy to keep up.

Why regular home testing makes sense

Getting a GP appointment can take time. CQC figures show that around 5 million people a month in England waited more than two weeks for a GP appointment, and around 1.4 million waited more than four weeks (March 2024). That's a long time to wait just to find out whether anything is wrong.

A home test gives you a result in minutes, at a time that suits you:

• All clear? You have peace of mind today, not in a few weeks.
• Something to follow up? You book your GP knowing you need to, with a result in hand to explain why. That's a better use of your time, and the GP's.
• Testing regularly? You can see the trend, which tells you far more than any single result.

Vitamin D: every winter, and 3 months after starting supplements

In the UK we make most of our vitamin D from summer sun, so levels tend to fall between October and March. The NHS advises everyone to consider 10 micrograms a day over those months. A winter check with the U-Test Vitamin D Deficiency Test Kit shows where you stand in about 10 minutes. If you start a supplement, recheck after about 3 months to see it working; UK guidance uses the same gap, because levels take months to settle.

Iron: every few months if your risk carries on

Heavy periods, a low-iron diet, pregnancy and regular blood donation can all drain iron stores, often without obvious signs at first. After treatment, UK guidance suggests a blood test every 3 months for the first year. If your risk continues, the U-Test Iron Deficiency Test Kit lets you check your stores at home in 5 minutes, whenever tiredness creeps back or every few months.

Thyroid: once a year with symptoms or a family history

Thyroid changes often creep up slowly, with tiredness, weight changes and feeling cold that are easy to blame on something else. NICE recommends checking borderline results once a year if you have symptoms, and repeating a raised TSH after 3 months. The U-Test Thyroid Health Test Kit screens TSH in 10 minutes, so a yearly check is simple to keep up. If you take thyroid medicine, your GP's blood tests guide your dose.

Testosterone: test twice, in the morning

Testosterone is highest in the morning and changes from day to day, so UK guidance uses two morning results rather than one. With the U-Test Testosterone Levels Test Kit, test in the morning, and if the reading is low, test again on another morning a few weeks later. Two low readings give your GP exactly what they look for. Two normal ones give you peace of mind.

PSA: make it a regular check from 50

PSA changes over time, and spotting a rise early is the point. Men over 50, or over 45 if you're Black or your father or brother had prostate cancer, can make a PSA check part of their routine. GPs often repeat lab PSA tests to track the trend, typically about once a year.

The U-Test Prostate PSA Test Kit gives a result in 10 minutes at home. A home kit gives a threshold reading rather than an exact number, so if yours is raised, book your GP for a lab PSA blood test. And see your GP about any new urinary symptoms, whatever your last result.

Sperm count: retest after about 3 months

Sperm take around 3 months to be made, so the changes you make now show up in a later test. NICE recommends repeating an abnormal semen test, ideally 3 months later. The U-Test Male Fertility Test Kit lets you check privately at home, then retest to see the difference that stopping smoking or cutting down alcohol makes.

FSH: track the pattern, not one result

In the years before menopause, FSH goes up and down, so a pattern over several tests tells you far more than one. NICE guidance uses two FSH blood tests taken 4 to 6 weeks apart for the same reason. The U-Test Female FSH Health Test Kit takes 3 minutes. Test, repeat a few weeks later, and keep a diary of periods and symptoms to take to your GP.

STIs: after every new partner, and at least once a year

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea often have no symptoms, so regular testing is how most infections are found. Test after every new partner, at least once a year if you're sexually active, and straight away if a partner tells you they have an STI. The NHS recommends sexually active women under 25 test for chlamydia every year and after each new partner, and anyone treated for chlamydia retests about 3 months later.

Our chlamydia and gonorrhoea self tests give you a private result at home in minutes, without booking a clinic slot. If a result is positive, a sexual health clinic or GP can treat you.

Bowel: regular checks, and your NHS kit every 2 years

Polyps can bleed on and off, so a test can miss them one day and pick them up another. That's why the NHS sends a free bowel screening kit every 2 years to everyone aged 50 to 74; always do yours. Under 50, or between NHS rounds, the U-Test Bowel Health Test Kit is a simple way to check at home in minutes.

Tests you only need once

Not everything needs repeating. Your DNA doesn't change, so one DNA test is enough. Pregnancy, UTI and vaginal pH tests are for when you have a reason to test.

Your home testing routine

Note the date and result each time. A record over time is the most useful thing you can take to a GP. In England, adults aged 40 to 74 are also offered a free NHS Health Check every 5 years.