If you are sexually active, getting tested for STDs is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. Make sure you have an open and honest conversation about your sexual history and STD testing with your doctor and ask whether you should be tested for STDs. If you are not comfortable talking with your regular health care provider about STDs, there are many clinics that provide confidential and free or low-cost testing. Below is a brief overview of STD testing recommendations.

Frequently Asked Questions



Getting Tested for Sexually Transmitted Diseases
From free clinics to at-home testing, there are plenty of places to get tested if you can't or don't want to head to your physician. No one wants to hear that they have an STD. But getting tested and knowing is better than letting it worsen. Talking about sex with a doctor is not fun.


Which STD Tests Should I Get?
It's not about where you get tested. It's about what you get tested for. Most sexually transmitted diseases STDs are reportable diseases. Therefore, the truth is that no matter where you choose to go to get tested for STDs, your STDs will probably be reported to the government. It doesn't matter whether you get tested at one of your local free STD testing clinics or at your doctor's office.



With STD rates rising higher than ever before, this is a totally valid and legitimate concern. So what do you do? Getting tested would be a very smart decision, but you may be surprised to learn that you can actually test too early. If you feel like you could have contracted an STD, your instinct may be to get tested immediately , but this can be a huge mistake. Like many things in life, timing is everything.