Full Guide about STI Testing & Treatment in the USA [2025]

The USA is gradually becoming a hub for sexually transmitted infections, with the CDC (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention) estimating that one in five people in the country has STIs. In 2023, there were more than 2.4 million STI cases reported in the country, and the number seems to be increasing as more years go by. This is a clear sign that getting regular STI test is essential, as it helps you detect the infection early, get treated, and protect your partners.

This post explores the various places you can get professional STI tests and treatment in the USA, and informs you on how to tell your partners anonymously.

STI Test and Treatment in the USA

Recognizing the high rate of STD in the country, the USA has provided several centers for how to get STI check. While there are physical medical centers where you can go for how to get tested for STD, there are also home test kits available over the counter in some pharmacies.

Let’s dive into the various STI testing and treatment solutions in the USA:

Home Test Kits

You can get them over the counter in designated pharmacies like CVS. Or go to the website of medical companies like TBD Health and Let’s Get Checked that sell both men’s and women’s STD test kits. After ordering the test kits, some of these companies mail the kits for you to use at home, and mail back so that they can assess your sample. Other companies don’t work within the complete idea of a home test. They would rather write an order for you to go to a local lab near you to get tested.

While state health departments often offer their STI test kits for free, other providers like CVS and Let’s Get Checked sell theirs for $99.

Together TakeMeHome

Together TakeMeHome is a program that specializes in offering free HIV self-tests. They mail the test kits to your home for independent testing.

This program is in collaboration with several reputable institutions, such as Emory University, Building Healthy Online Communities, NASTAD, OraSure, Signal, and the CDC. They ensure that the test kits are completely free, and you can order up to 2 free self-tests every 90 days. Just go to the Together TakeMeHome website and order for free.

U.S Health Departments

The USA, across its counties and states, has different health department centers that offer free STD testing. Amongst them are the STD testing in Los Angeles and STD testing in New York City. The populace is offered comprehensive testing (including Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, HIV, Herpes, etc.) at a free or very low price (through a sliding-scale fee based on your income or household size).

The centers are opened across various parts of the counties. Simply go to the one closest to you.

Check for the nearest Los Angeles Department of Public Health center to you.

Check for the nearest NYC Health Department center to you.

For other parts of the US, simply search “clinic for sexually transmitted disease near me” in Google, and you will see the options available within your axis.

Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is a comprehensive center to get all-around STI test, including Chlamydia, Genital warts, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis B, Herpes, Public lice, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis, HPV, and general STD services.

They have centers available in every state in the USA. How to check for sexually transmitted diseases is simple. Just go to the Planned Parenthood Find a Health Center page and make an appointment online or call 1-800-230-PLAN. Choose the specific service you want, your location, and appointment type (whether online or in-person).

How much you pay for STD testing at Planned Parenthood depends on the specific STD you want to test for, your income, and whether or not you have health insurance. Generally, it costs between $0-250.

‼️NOTE: The centers listed above offer STD testing and treatment. After testing, the medical expert will recommend the type of treatment ideal for you and the price. If you use home test kits and the result is positive, it’s advisable that you go to a medical expert with the test result to begin treatment. Some healthcare centers might choose to do the test again to be sure.

Contact Tracing & Notify Partners in the USA

In the USA, contact tracing for STIs is considered an essential public health strategy to control the spread of infections across the population. Knowing who is already infected & notifying them on time will get them quick treatment and prevent them from spreading the disease unknowingly.

Thus, it’s recommended that anyone who’s diagnosed with an STI trace the people who he/she has been sexually involved since the time of the STI exposure. They should be notified so that they can seek testing and treatment.

The partners to contact vary depending on the type of infection. For example, in cases like Chlamydia or Gonorrhea, sexual partners within the last 6 months need to be contacted and notified about their possible exposure to the infection. While cases like syphilis, HIV, and herpes may require contact and notification of partners for a longer period.

We understand that informing partners about a possible STI exposure can be uncomfortable, and you may not know the right words to say. To support individuals and health professionals in this process, there are many reliable STI notification services to anonymously inform partners. Some of them are:

Anonsms TellYourPartner

An online anonymous STI notification service that guarantees 100% privacy and global messaging without any regional restrictions. Anonsms TellYourPartner comes with a text template that saves you the stress of worrying about how to start.

STDcheck.com

A US-based STD notification service that lets you inform your partner of a possible infection exposure through phone number or email. It also has a text template, so you don’t need to worry about what to type.

PVSQ

There’s a professional team that handles the notification. They collect your partner’s phone number to inform them about their possible exposure to the infection you’re diagnosed with.

Other Resources & Support

For more information about where to get STI test and treatment in the USA, what causes STIs, the types, and how often should you get tested for STDs, refer to these professional resources:

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The US leading organization that’s focused on protecting the public’s health.
• Next steps after testing positive for gonorrhea or chlamydia.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) resources for patients, researchers, and health care providers.
• US Department of Health and Human Services: Centered on enhancing the health and wellbeing of all Americans.
• Healthy People 2030 – STI Objectives (ODPHP): Their goal is to reduce STI and their complications, and improve access to quality care.
• National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI): Contains comprehensive medical literature and STI resources.