STI Test Options in 2025: Free, Low Cost, At-Home, and More

The cost and accessibility of a doctor’s office should never hinder you from getting tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Some tests can be purchased using HSA/FSA funds. Here are valuable resources to help you prioritize your health.

Cost and access to testing facilities should never stand in the way of managing your health.

Fortunately, there are numerous free or low-cost, convenient options available for STI testing—many of which allow you to stay in the comfort of your own home. This accessibility makes regular testing significantly easier.

Below, we outline your choices for at-home and in-person testing, featuring some of the top free and low-cost testing locations across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. No matter where you are, you can prioritize your health with ease.

you’re not alone. Many people hesitate to seek sexual healthcare due to fears that a parent, partner, or someone else might discover their test or its results.

Rest assured, all information shared with your doctor or healthcare professional, including test results, is kept confidential. Any personal details requested by your healthcare provider are used solely to ensure you receive the best possible care and to inform you about your results.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mandates that laboratories and healthcare providers report positive STI results for the following infections in every state:

• gonorrhea
• chlamydia
• syphilis
• chancroid
• HIV

Your privacy is a priority, and seeking care is crucial for maintaining your health.

It depends. STI testing can be free or hundreds of dollars. How much you pay depends on:

• where you live
• where you undergo STI testing, such as a doctor’s office, health clinic, health department, or at home using a test kit
• your income (some facilities use a sliding scale)
• what tests you need
• what insurance you have, if any

Some insurance plans, including Medicare, and certain government programs may cover part or all of the cost of STI testing. In some areas, it’s possible to get free STI tests.

If you need a lower cost testing option, you may be able to find testing for about $40. As a general rule, local Planned Parenthoods, health clinics, local health departments, and mobile testing clinics are going to be cheaper than a visit to an OB-GYN or urgent care.

While at-home STI tests can be convenient, private, and more accessible for people without reliable transportation, they’re generally more costly.

The CDCTrusted Source has extensive recommendations for when to get tested based on disease and population. Health expert and author Sherry A. Ross, MD, states that “folks of all genders and sexual orientations should be tested once a year, after unprotected sex, or in between new partners — whichever comes first.”

It’s a good idea to get tested anytime you have sex without barrier methods with someone who has an STI or whose STI status you don’t know. The same goes if the condom or dental dam split or slipped off during anal, oral, or vaginal sex.

If you have had sex without a barrier method, experts recommend getting tested at least 2 weeks after the event, and again at about 3 months after potential exposure.

You and your partner(s) should each get tested before you go without a barrier or intentionally swap bodily fluids .

“You should also get tested if you suspect that your partner has been cheating on you,” added Kecia Gaither, MD, double board certified in OB-GYN and maternal-fetal medicine, and director of perinatal services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln.

A healthcare professional will administer certain types of STI testing depending on a few factors, such as:

• how you engage sexually
• if you or your partner have any symptoms
• whether you have a partner who has tested positive for an STI
• if you use barrier methods
• if you or your partner(s) have ever used injectable substances

Based on this information, a healthcare professional may give one or more of the following tests:

• Blood test: A blood sample is taken by finger prick or blood draw from your arm. If using an at-home test, a small lancet is provided to use on your finger to collect a small sample of blood that is then sent to an accredited lab for testing.
• Urine test: In a doctor’s office or health clinic, this requires peeing in a collection container. At-home tests requiring a urine sample will provide a container that you then send to a lab for testing.
• Genital swab: A cotton swab is used to collect discharge or a cell sampling, on the penis, vulva, urethra, cervix, and vagina.
• Oral swab: A swab is used to collect samples from the throat, mouth, lips, and tongue. HIV can also be tested by using a cheek swab.
• Anal swab: A swab is inserted into your anus to collect a sample of cells.
• Site-specific swab: If you have a sore, blister, bump, or lesion anywhere on your body, a swab is used to collect a discharge or cell sample of the affected area.

Generally, a healthcare professional will wait until they have the results from all the STI tests performed to call you. If you still haven’t heard back after a week, don’t assume the test(s) was negative. Call to learn your results.

If you opt for an at-home test, results may be available for you to view online in a couple of business days or up to 1 week, depending on the company you choose.

Generally, you’ll get your results from in-person STI testing back in about 5 to 10 days, depending on the clinic and which STI(s) you’re testing for. Some rapid HIV tests can provide results in under 30 minutes. If you choose an at-home test, results will typically be uploaded to an online portal in about a week.

You’ll get a separate result for every STI that you get tested for. That means you might get negative results across the board. Or you might test positive for one (or more) STIs, or what’s known as co-infection.

“Some STIs can make you more susceptible to other STIs,” Ross said.

Untreated gonorrhea and chlamydia, for example, can increase the risk of contracting HIV if you have sex with someone who is HIV positive without a condom or other barrier method.

If you tested negative for all STIs, you don’t need treatment, but continue to use barrier methods during any sexual activity.

There are a number of direct-to-consumer health test companies that offer STI tests you can take in the privacy of your own home.

These kits require you to collect your own sample (blood, urine, or swab, depending on the test). Once you’re finished handling your collection, you’ll package and ship it to the lab for testing using the provided labels. After the lab analyzes your sample, you’ll get results back in about a week.

These kits are a great option if you don’t have access to an in-person facility.

One thing to note is that these kits can be less accurate than in-clinic testing and results may be inconclusive. This is because they rely on you to collect your own sample, which can be difficult to do. If you collect the sample incorrectly, it can negatively affect the results.

To increase the chances of accuracy, look for kits that are CLIA certified and CAP accredited. This means they meet quality standards for laboratory testing and are considered reliable. If you’re unsure about your results or you suspect they’re inaccurate, it’s important to talk with a healthcare professional to get additional testing.

Learn more about the different types of kits available, including how much they cost, how the sample is collected, and how the treatment is administered.

In-person testing is available in every state and can lead to quick treatment. Here are some starting points for finding a test location near you.

Thanks to federal and state funding, most city and county health departments are able to offer free or lower cost STI testing. They also test for most STIs, including HIV, herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and more.

You can find information about your local health department on the CDC. Enter your ZIP code. Answer the few prompts, including if you need free or low cost testing, and find a center near you.

Planned Parenthood clinics receive some government funds and base their fees on a sliding scale, meaning what you pay depends on your personal income, demographic factors, and assistance eligibility.

If you have a lower income household, it’s very possible that you won’t have to pay anything.

Find the Planned Parenthood closest to you by entering your ZIP code, city, or state.

Some local nonprofit organizations run health clinics that provide STI testing.

Some local nonprofit organizations run health clinics that provide STI testing.

What STI tests are available will vary from city to city and clinic to clinic, but most will test (at the very least) for:

• gonorrhea
• chlamydia
• HIV

Because these clinics usually receive money from federal grants, donations, and fundraisers, testing is completely free or available at a much lower cost.

To find one near you, try Googling “sexual health clinic near me” or “[insert your city here] STI testing clinic.”

Mobile clinics travel through rural and urban areas to offer high quality healthcare at a lower cost. STI testing and treatment is one of the many services they typically offer.

Research from 2020 estimates there are approximately 2,000 mobile clinicsTrusted Source
traveling throughout the United States at any given time. To find one near you, search Mobile Health Map.

Since nearly half of new STI diagnosesTrusted Source occur in people ages 15 to 24 years, most colleges and universities provide free or lower cost STI testing to their students. The most common STITrusted Source on college campuses is chlamydia.

Call your school’s health center to learn what STIs they’re able to test for.

Most medium and large cities have local LGBTQIA+ centers that either:

• offer STI testing for folks in the LGBTQIA+ community
• have a directory of local LGBTQIA+-friendly healthcare professionals offering STI testing

To find your local LGBTQIA+ center, check out this CenterLink LGBT Community Center Member Directory. Enter your location, find the community center nearest you, and call them for information about STI testing.

You can find an LGBTQIA+-friendly testing center through one of the following means:

• Google “STI clinic near me + LGBTQIA” (or a similar search term).
• Search the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association directory.
• Go to the nearest Planned Parenthood, which offers more affordable care and LGBTQIA+ services in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

This is a great option if you want to get tested right away. Most local walk-in clinics offer STI testing.

Online STI clinic finders can help you find a lower cost or free testing location near you. Here are some of the most common:

• Safer STD Testing
• National Association of County and City Health Officials
• GetTested: National HIV, STD, and Hepatitis Testing
• STDcheck.com
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
• Office of Population Affairs Family Planning Clinic Finder
• FreeClinics.com
• OutCare

At the end of this article, we have included an extensive list of locations offering access to free or low cost testing in each state. The list is organized by United States region: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West.

Regular testing for STIs shouldn’t be limited to having money or being in a certain location.

Search for Planned Parenthood centers near you, or check out your nearest health department for testing options.

If you have questions like, “What should I do next if I test positive for an STI?” or “How long does treatment take?” the healthcare professional doing the testing is your best bet.

For more general information about STIs, check out information from the CDCTrusted Source
or Safer STD Testing.

For helpful resources about testing positive, check out:

• “Something Positive for Positive People” podcast
• @SexELDucation on Instagram
• STDcheck.com blog

Last but not least, remember that you can ask your doctor or other healthcare professional for additional support. For example, if you need help sharing your positive test results with your sexual partner(s), your healthcare professional can notify them anonymously.