Where to Get Tested for STIs: Your Options and How to Book

What are my options for getting tested?

• Primary care or family medicine: Your regular clinician can order an STI panel at any routine or dedicated appointment. A good option if you have an established provider who knows your history.
• Sexual health or reproductive health clinics: Clinics like Planned Parenthood, local health department clinics, or dedicated sexual health centers specialize in STI testing, often offer sliding-scale or free services, and are practiced at providing confidential care 1Ref 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Getting Tested for STIs.CDC overview of STI testing options including healthcare provider, at-home self-tests, and self-collection kits; testing panel composition; herpes swab preferred over blood test for active sores; throat and rectal swabs for oral and anal exposures.
• Community health centers (FQHCs): Offer low-cost or income-based sliding-scale STI testing. You can find one at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov 3Ref 3Health Resources and Services Administration (2024).Find a Health Center.HRSA Find a Health Center tool locating federally qualified health centers that offer income-based sliding-scale STI testing regardless of insurance status.
• Urgent care: Many urgent care centers test for common STIs — chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV — without an appointment.
• Telehealth plus lab: A clinician sees you online, takes your history, and sends a lab order to a nearby Quest or LabCorp. Results return through a secure portal and a clinician reviews them with you. Gale offers this option.
• At-home test kits: FDA-authorized home collection kits can be a practical middle-ground, though they test a more limited range of infections and may not cover all exposure sites 1Ref 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Getting Tested for STIs.CDC overview of STI testing options including healthcare provider, at-home self-tests, and self-collection kits; testing panel composition; herpes swab preferred over blood test for active sores; throat and rectal swabs for oral and anal exposures.

What does STI testing actually involve?

STI testing is not a single test — it is a panel chosen based on your history and risk factors 1Ref 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Getting Tested for STIs.CDC overview of STI testing options including healthcare provider, at-home self-tests, and self-collection kits; testing panel composition; herpes swab preferred over blood test for active sores; throat and rectal swabs for oral and anal exposures. A clinician will ask about your sexual history, types of sexual contact, number of partners, and any current symptoms. Based on that conversation, they will order appropriate tests.

Common tests include a urine sample or genital swab for chlamydia and gonorrhea (NAAT is the most sensitive method 2Ref 2US Preventive Services Task Force; Davidson KW, Barry MJ, Mangione CM, et al. (2021).Screening for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.USPSTF Grade B recommendation for chlamydia and gonorrhea screening in sexually active women under 25 and older women at elevated risk; NAAT as the most sensitive testing method; ACA cost-sharing implications of the A/B grade recommendation), a blood draw for HIV (combination antigen/antibody test), and syphilis antibody testing. Depending on your history, hepatitis B and C testing may also be included. Throat and rectal swabs are recommended if you have had oral or anal sex, as a urine test alone can miss infections at those sites 1Ref 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Getting Tested for STIs.CDC overview of STI testing options including healthcare provider, at-home self-tests, and self-collection kits; testing panel composition; herpes swab preferred over blood test for active sores; throat and rectal swabs for oral and anal exposures.

Most results return within a few days to one week. Some rapid HIV tests give a result in about 20 minutes. Herpes blood testing is generally not recommended as a routine screen in the absence of symptoms — a swab of an active sore is far more informative 1Ref 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Getting Tested for STIs.CDC overview of STI testing options including healthcare provider, at-home self-tests, and self-collection kits; testing panel composition; herpes swab preferred over blood test for active sores; throat and rectal swabs for oral and anal exposures.

How confidential is STI testing?

STI testing is confidential. Results are not shared with employers or non-involved parties. Positive results for certain infections — chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV — are reported to public health departments by the lab or clinic, but this reporting does not involve public disclosure of your name. Many states also offer anonymous partner notification services through the health department if you choose that route. The CDC's GetTested locator specifically finds confidential and low-cost testing near you 4Ref 4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).GetTested — HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis Testing Locator.CDC GetTested locator for free, low-cost, and confidential HIV, STI, and hepatitis testing and vaccine sites across the United States, searchable by ZIP code.

How do I find free or low-cost testing?

Several pathways exist regardless of insurance status:

• CDC GetTested (gettested.cdc.gov): The CDC's official locator for free, low-cost, and confidential HIV, STI, and hepatitis testing by ZIP code, including vaccine sites 4Ref 4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).GetTested — HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis Testing Locator.CDC GetTested locator for free, low-cost, and confidential HIV, STI, and hepatitis testing and vaccine sites across the United States, searchable by ZIP code.
• HRSA Health Center Finder (findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov): Locates federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) that offer income-based sliding-scale fees 3Ref 3Health Resources and Services Administration (2024).Find a Health Center.HRSA Find a Health Center tool locating federally qualified health centers that offer income-based sliding-scale STI testing regardless of insurance status.
• ACA preventive services: Under the ACA, most non-grandfathered private insurance plans must cover chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for sexually active women under 25 and older women at elevated risk with no cost-sharing, pursuant to the USPSTF Grade B recommendation 2Ref 2US Preventive Services Task Force; Davidson KW, Barry MJ, Mangione CM, et al. (2021).Screening for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.USPSTF Grade B recommendation for chlamydia and gonorrhea screening in sexually active women under 25 and older women at elevated risk; NAAT as the most sensitive testing method; ACA cost-sharing implications of the A/B grade recommendation.
• Local health departments and Planned Parenthood: Free or low-cost testing is available at many locations regardless of income or insurance.

If you have symptoms now, or if PEP for HIV exposure is a concern, see a clinician today rather than waiting for a scheduled appointment.