Get Tested for STIs
If you’re sexually active, getting tested for STIs is an important part of staying healthy. ANYONE who has any kind of sex with a partner can get an STI. And since many STIs have no signs or symptoms in most people, the only way to know if you have an STI is to get tested.
Even if an infection is “silent,” with no noticeable symptoms, it can cause long-term health damage. For example, when a bacterial STI like chlamydia or gonorrhea is undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to other health issues, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and, potentially, infertility.
This is why getting tested—and treated, if needed—is so important. It protects your health and the health of your partner(s).
When Should I Get Tested, and for Which STIs?
Always see a health care provider right away for testing if you have any symptoms such as genital itching, sores, or discharge. These are common signs of a number of STIs, but they could also be a sign of other medical conditions. Testing is the only way to know what’s causing your symptoms (and it’s the first step to getting you the relief you need).
Most people who are sexually active should get screened for STIs even if they don’t have symptoms. Which STIs you should screen for and how often is different for everyone. Screening guidelines are based on things like your age, your gender, your biological sex, who you have sex with, what kinds of sex you have (oral, anal, or vaginal), and whether you’ve had an STI recently.
The best thing to do is ask your health care provider. Before they answer, they will probably ask you a lot of question about your sexual history. They’re not just being nosy. These answers help them decide what tests might be right for you (so be honest).
Figuring out exactly which tests to get and how often can be a little confusing. See the chart below for some testing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or visit the CDC website for more detailed information.
In the meantime, here are some basic pieces of advice we can all follow. Get tested when:
- you have symptoms
- you are about to have sex with a new partner (you can get tested together!)
- have multiple sexual partners at the same time
- a current or former sexual partner is diagnosed with an STI
What Tests are Recommended for You?
What should you get tested for? When? How often? Below are some testing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are more detailed recommendations at the CDC website. While these guidelines are general ones, you are an individual. The health care provider you visit may have different recommendations based on your individual health status and history.
CDC recommends yearly chlamydia testing of all sexually active women younger than 25 years, as well as older women with certain risk factors (those who have a new sex partner or multiple sex partners), and all pregnant women. Men should speak with their healthcare provider if they are at risk for chlamydia and if testing is recommended.
Where Can I Get Tested?
Most regular health care providers and gynecologists offer STI testing. While some providers might include STI screening as part of a yearly check-up, others don’t test at all unless you ask them to—so make sure to ask!
If you don’t have a regular healthcare provider, you can search for a clinic that offers testing near you. Just enter your zip code to find a local testing site.
You can also test for STIs at home. Test kits are available in most pharmacies, or you can order them from any number of online companies. There are also programs in some areas that offer free test kits for you to use at home.
Most home tests ask you to collect samples and send them to a lab. You should get your results in about a week. There are home tests for HIV and a new test for syphilis that give you results in 15-20 minutes.
What Happens During STI Testing?
Wherever you get tested, it should be quick and easy. If you get tested by a health care provider in a clinic or office setting, they may start with a visual exam of your genitals. Then they may take a blood sample; swab your vagina, penis, urethra, anus, or throat; or ask you to pee in a cup. Sometimes the provider can give you results at the same visit, but more often the sample is sent out to a lab, and you receive your results in a few days.
Here’s an idea of what to expect for some more common STIs.
How the test is done: Swab of genital area or urine sample
What you also need to know: If you have had oral or anal sex, let your healthcare provider know this also. These sites may be infected, but vaginal or urine samples may not be positive.
How the test is done: Blood test or swab from inside of mouth
What you also need to know: Confidential and anonymous testing options are available in many clinics. The most common HIV tests look for antibodies to the virus. The time between infection and the development of detectable antibodies is called the window period. The window period varies from person to person and also depends upon the type of HIV test.
When a person has no symptoms
How the test is done: Blood test (drawn from arm or a fingerstick)
What you also need to know: Be sure to ask for a type-specific IgG test (not an IgM test)
When a person has symptoms
How the test is done: Swab of affected area; if at first negative for herpes, follow later with blood test to make sure.
What you also need to know: Must be done as soon as possible; “viral culture” test not as accurate after 48 hours. Viral culture also has high rate of false negatives. There is less chance of a false negative result with Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT). NAATs are fast, accurate, and can tell if a person has HSV-1 or HSV-2.
How the test is done: Blood test, or sample taken from a sore.
What you also need to know: The CDC recommends all pregnant women be tested for syphilis.
How the test is done: Swab of infected area, physical exam or sample of discharge.
What you also need to know: “Trich” is harder to detect in men than in women.
Low-risk HPV (genital warts)
How the test is done: Visual diagnosis (for genital warts, caused by low-risk HPV)
What you also need to know: Warts can occur in both men and women.
High-risk HPV (cervical cancer)
How the test is done: Regular screening with Pap and/or HPV tests. See more here.
What you also need to know: Pap tests detect cervical cell changes, not HPV. HPV tests indicate infection with the virus itself. No test available for men for these types of HPV.
If you choose to test at home, you may be asked to swab your own genitals, collect a urine sample, or a prick your finger and put a drop of blood on a collection card. (Don’t worry the test kit will come with specific instructions.)
How Much Does STI Testing Cost?
Most health insurance plans will cover in-office STI testing, often with no co-pay, though there may be some exceptions. Many health care centers across the country—including health departments and Planned Parenthood clinics—offer free or low-cost testing. The CDC’s Get Tested website can help you find testing centers by zip code and lets you filter results for free and low-cost testing.
Home-based tests that you buy in the pharmacy or online are typically not covered by insurance, though it may be possible to use funds from an HSA plan, if you have one. There are also programs in some areas that will mail free test kits.
Is STI screening different than STI testing?
Not really. Public health experts use the term screening when they’re talking about preventative care for certain populations. Think of it like mammograms for breast cancer or colonoscopies for colon cancer. These are tests that people should get on a regular schedule to stay healthy. STIs screening is the same thing. In contrast, STI testing is for people with symptoms. That said, a lot of people will just use the phrase STI testing for any time that someone is checked for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, or other STIs whether they have symptoms or not.
Podcast: Understanding STI Testing
We have an abundance of accurate, relatively inexpensive tests for STIs but the trick is engaging patients and health professionals so the proper tests are given to the right individuals.
In this episode of ASHA’s Sex+Health podcast, listen to J. Dennis Fortenberry, MD, MS, professor of pediatrics and medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, discuss barriers to STI testing and what we can do to empower patients and providers alike.
Talk to a Partner about Getting Tested
See how easy it can be in this video from Planned Parenthood.