Are at-home tests right for you? What to know as popularity grows – National [Video]

The doctor is in — the mailbox, that is.

You can now do self-administered tests for everything from thyroid function to HIV in the privacy of your own home — and that list continues to grow, as the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first at-home cervical cancer test.

While the tests can make it easier for people to access health care and can be helpful for those who have extreme anxiety about sensitive or invasive medical exams, experts warn that most of the tests cannot replace an actual in-person visit.

Here’s what doctors say you can test for at home, and when you should make the trek to your physician’s office.

There are two kinds at “at-home tests.”

In one type, the patient collects the sample and sends it off to a lab; the new cervical cancer test is like this.

The other gives an instant result — think COVID-19 and pregnancy tests.

HIV home-testing kits can improve rates of diagnosing sexually transmitted infections …