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STD Testing Near Me in the USA: Where to Go and When
The CDC’s testing advice in plain words: who should test, how often and what to do after a risk.
Start with the CDC’s GetTested search or a provider’s office. CDC advice is that everyone aged 13 to 64 gets an HIV test at least once, sexually active women under 25 test for gonorrhoea and chlamydia each year, and HIV PEP must start within 72 hours of a possible exposure. General information, not medical advice.
Who should get tested, and how often?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gives different advice by group. STD and STI mean the same thing here; the CDC’s testing page says STI.
| Who | Test for | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone aged 13 to 64 | HIV | At least once |
| Sexually active women under 25 | Gonorrhoea and chlamydia | Every year |
| Women 25 and over | Gonorrhoea and chlamydia | Every year if at higher risk, such as a new partner, more than one, or a partner with an STI |
| Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men | Syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HIV | Every year, more often with multiple or anonymous partners. HIV every year or every 3 to 6 months |
The CDC also says all adults over 18 should be screened for hepatitis C. Depending on the sex you have, you can ask for throat and rectal tests too. Elsewhere? See STI testing in the UK or in Ireland.
How do you find a test near you?
Pick a route
The CDC lists three: a provider’s office, an at-home self-test, or a self-collection kit you mail in.
Search GetTested
The CDC’s GetTested search lists ‘many clinics that provide confidential and free or low-cost testing’.
Ask before you go
Check what the visit covers and what it costs. The CDC gives no price, so ask the clinic.
Ask when to retest
A negative result soon after sex can need repeating. The next section has the CDC’s HIV timings; for other infections, the clinic will advise.
The CDC’s numbers
How soon after sex will a test pick up HIV?
- Antibody test
- Usually detects HIV 23 to 90 days after exposure.
- Finger-stick test
- A rapid antigen/antibody test: 18 to 90 days.
- Lab antigen/antibody test
- 18 to 45 days after exposure.
- NAT
- A nucleic acid test: 10 to 33 days after exposure.
If a first HIV result is negative, the CDC says to retest after the window. Ask the clinic which test it is using.
Time matters
What if you think you were exposed?
Two clocks run after a risk. Talk to a healthcare provider as soon as you can.
Within 72 hours
- HIV PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). The CDC says it must start within 72 hours (3 days) of a recent possible exposure and is taken daily for 28 days.
- The levonorgestrel emergency pill. The HHS Office on Women’s Health says to take it within three days (72 hours), and that it is sold without a prescription to anyone of any age.
Within 5 days
- The ulipristal pill (ella), which needs a prescription: within five days (120 hours), says the Office on Women’s Health.
- A copper IUD, which the CDC says can be placed within 5 days.
Before the next meet
How do you lower the risk next time?
Agree protection in the chat, before the night.
The CDC lists condoms used ‘the right way every time you have sex’ and vaccines for hepatitis B and HPV.
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is taken ahead of a possible HIV exposure. The CDC says the pills reach maximum protection after about 7 days of daily use for some kinds of sex and about 21 days for others. It also comes as an injection.
Doxy-PEP is narrower. The CDC describes doxycycline taken within 72 hours after sex for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and transgender women who had a bacterial STI in the past 12 months. It is not general advice, so ask a clinician.
Read consent and casual sex and meeting for sex safely before you meet, then read about casual dating in the USA.
STD testing: your questions
Where can I get an STD test near me?
Start with the CDC’s GetTested search, which points to clinics offering confidential testing. The CDC also names a provider’s office and at-home or mailed self-collection kits. Call first to ask what the visit covers and what it costs.
How often should I get tested?
Under CDC advice everyone aged 13 to 64 gets an HIV test at least once, and sexually active women under 25 are tested for gonorrhoea and chlamydia every year. Other groups are advised to test yearly or more often, so check the table above.
How much does an STD test cost?
It depends on where you go. The CDC says its GetTested search lists many clinics that provide confidential and free or low-cost testing, but gives no price. Ask each clinic what a visit includes and what it charges before you book.
How long after sex can I test for HIV?
It depends on the test. The CDC gives 10 to 33 days for a NAT, 18 to 45 days for a lab antigen/antibody test, 18 to 90 days for a finger-stick test and 23 to 90 days for an antibody test. A negative result may need repeating.
Sources and dates
General information as at 3 November 2026, not medical advice. Ask a clinician what fits you.
- CDC: Getting Tested for STIs (reviewed March 2026), STI Screening Recommendations (March 2024) and STI prevention (April 2024).
- CDC on HIV testing and PrEP (both September 2026), HIV PEP (December 2024), doxy-PEP (December 2024) and contraception guidance (November 2024).
- HHS Office on Women’s Health, emergency contraception (updated January 2023, an older source).
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