Does the Strep Test Hurt

If you have a sore throat, a doctor or nurse may wipe the back of your throat to test for strep bacteria. It won’t hurt and it only takes a couple of seconds.

How is a strep throat test done?

Your doctor may perform a rapid antigen test on a swab sample from your throat. This test can detect strep bacteria in minutes by looking for substances (antigens) in the throat. If the test is negative but your doctor still suspects strep, he or she might do a throat culture.

How accurate is strep test?

According to sources, the rapid strep test has a 98% specificity rate. This means that 98 of 100 positive tests correctly indicate the presence of Group A Streptococcus bacteria.