STI testing costs anywhere from $0 to $400, depending on where you go, how many infections you test for, and whether you have insurance. A single test for one infection can run as low as $30, while a comprehensive panel covering seven or eight infections can reach $250 or more out of pocket. The good news: most people with health insurance qualify for free screening under federal preventive care rules.
What Insurance Covers
Under the Affordable Care Act, most health plans must cover a set of preventive screening tests at no cost to you, including STI screening. This applies to Marketplace plans, employer-sponsored plans, and most other non-grandfathered policies. When you visit an in-network provider, you typically won’t pay a copayment or coinsurance for covered screenings, even if you haven’t met your deductible.
That said, coverage isn’t guaranteed in every situation. If your provider is out of network, or if the visit is coded as diagnostic rather than preventive (for example, you came in with symptoms rather than for routine screening), you could end up with a bill. Before your appointment, confirm with your insurance that STI screening is covered and that the lab your provider uses is in network.
Cost Without Insurance by Setting
If you’re paying out of pocket, your costs depend heavily on where you get tested. Here’s how the major options compare.
Community Clinics and Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood estimates testing costs between $0 and $250, depending on which infections you’re screened for and whether you need a physical exam. Many community health centers use a sliding fee scale based on your income. Federally funded health centers are required to offer a full discount if your household income falls at or below the federal poverty level, which is $15,060 for a single person in 2024. Partial discounts apply for incomes up to twice the poverty level ($30,120 for one person), with at least three discount tiers in between. Some clinics charge a small nominal fee even at the lowest income levels, but it’s significantly less than a standard visit.
County and Public Health Clinics
Local health departments often offer the lowest prices. San Diego County’s sexual health clinics, for example, charge a flat $40 per visit that covers a risk assessment, physical exam if needed, comprehensive STI and HIV lab work, treatment, and follow-up visits within 30 days. HIV-only testing is free. These clinics typically operate on a cash-pay basis and don’t bill insurance, which also means your results stay off your insurance record if privacy is a concern.
Urgent Care Centers
Urgent care is convenient but costs more. Testing for a single STI at an urgent care center typically runs $30 to $185 without insurance. A comprehensive panel testing for multiple infections ranges from $125 to $400. These prices usually include the visit fee and lab work, but ask upfront because some centers bill them separately.
Direct-to-Consumer Labs
Companies like Quest Health let you order lab tests yourself without a doctor’s visit. Their basic STD screening panel costs $149, while an expanded panel runs $282. There’s also a physician service fee starting at $6, since a licensed provider must technically oversee the order. You visit a local lab for a blood draw or urine sample, and results come back online. This route makes sense if you want specific tests, prefer to skip a clinic visit, and don’t mind paying more for convenience.
At-Home Test Kit Pricing
Home test kits let you collect your own samples (usually a finger prick for blood and a swab or urine sample) and mail them to a lab. Prices vary by how many infections the kit covers.
- Basic panels (2 infections): Start around $69 to $99. These typically cover chlamydia and gonorrhea, the two most common bacterial STIs.
- Mid-range panels (4 to 5 infections): Run $149 and usually add HIV, syphilis, and trichomoniasis to the basic tests.
- Comprehensive panels (7 to 8 infections): Cost $249 to $253 and include less commonly screened infections like mycoplasma and ureaplasma.
Everlywell kits range from $69 to $253, while LetsGetChecked offers panels from $99 to $249. Both brands include prepaid shipping and online results, often within a few days. Some also connect you with a provider for treatment if you test positive. Home kits are a solid option if you want privacy and don’t have symptoms, but they can’t replace an in-person exam if you have sores, discharge, or other visible symptoms that need evaluation.
Individual Tests vs. Full Panels
You don’t always need a full panel. If you’re only concerned about one exposure, a single chlamydia or gonorrhea test is the cheapest option, often under $50 at a clinic. But bundled panels are more cost-effective per test when you want broader screening. A basic panel covering four infections for $149 works out to roughly $37 per test, while ordering those same four tests individually could cost $50 to $100 each.
The tests your provider recommends depend on your risk factors. Routine screening for sexually active adults under 25 typically includes chlamydia and gonorrhea. People with new or multiple partners may benefit from a broader panel that adds HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis. If cost is a barrier, prioritize the infections most relevant to your situation rather than skipping testing entirely.
How to Find the Lowest Cost
Your cheapest path depends on your insurance status and income. If you have insurance, use it: preventive STI screening should cost nothing at an in-network provider. If you’re uninsured and your income is low, a federally qualified health center or county clinic is almost certainly your best option, with fees as low as $0 to $40. If you’re uninsured but don’t qualify for sliding scale discounts, compare prices between urgent care, direct-to-consumer labs, and home kits. Urgent care tends to be pricier but gives you a provider who can prescribe treatment on the spot if needed.
Many cities also run periodic free testing events, especially during STI awareness campaigns in April and around World AIDS Day in December. Your local health department’s website is the best place to find these, along with a list of free or low-cost testing sites in your area. The CDC’s GetTested tool (gettested.cdc.gov) lets you search by ZIP code for nearby options.