At a glance
- If you're sexually active, STI testing is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
- Talk openly and honestly with your health care provider about which tests are right for you.
- There are many ways to get tested.
Why get tested
STIs often have no symptoms, so you may not know you have one. Even without symptoms, an infection can cause serious health problems and spread to others. Knowing lets you and your partner(s) get treated.
Who should be tested
What to test for, and how often, depends on where you live, your age, your sexual history and current practices, and any symptoms. Your provider can help you decide. General guidelines:
| Who | Test |
|---|---|
| Everyone aged 13 to 64 | HIV, at least once |
| Most sexually active adults | syphilis, depending on where they live |
| Pregnant women | syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, starting early in pregnancy; some need repeat tests, and tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea |
| Sexually active women under 25 | gonorrhea and chlamydia, every year |
| Some women 25 and older — with new or multiple partners, or a partner with an STI | gonorrhea and chlamydia, every year |
| Sexually active gay and bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men | syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea at least yearly — more often (every 3 to 6 months) with multiple or anonymous partners; HIV at least yearly, and perhaps every 3 to 6 months |
| Anyone who shares injection drug equipment | HIV, at least once a year |
| People who have had oral or anal sex | ask about throat and rectal testing |
How to get tested
A test may need blood, urine, or a swab from the vagina, throat or rectum. There are three ways:
- At a provider's office. Your provider may suggest tests even without symptoms, since many infections have none.
- Self-testing at home. You collect a swab or a drop of blood from a finger prick, and a device gives results within minutes. FDA-approved self-tests exist for HIV and syphilis, and a vaginal-swab self-test for gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis.
- Self-collection. You collect a vaginal swab, urine or blood with a test kit and mail it to a lab; results take a few days. FDA-approved options cover HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Talk to your provider
Discuss your sexual history and testing openly with your provider — even if you got results from a self-test or kit. If you'd rather not talk with your regular provider, many clinics offer confidential, free or low-cost testing: find one near you, including self-collection options, at Get Tested.
More: next steps after testing positive for gonorrhea or chlamydia · tips for talking with your provider and partner.
Sources
Based on "Getting Tested for STIs," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.cdc.gov
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