Most sexually active adults should get tested for STIs at least once a year, but the right schedule depends on your age, sex, number of partners, and the specific infection. Some people need testing every three months, while others only need certain screenings once in their lifetime. Here’s how to figure out what applies to you.
Annual Testing: The Baseline for Most People
If you’re sexually active, annual screening for common bacterial infections like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis is a reasonable starting point. The CDC recommends at least yearly chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for all sexually active women under 25. Women 25 and older should also be screened annually if they have risk factors like a new partner, more than one partner, a partner who has other partners, or inconsistent condom use outside a mutually monogamous relationship.
For heterosexual men at low risk (one partner, consistent condom use), there isn’t strong evidence supporting routine screening. That said, testing still makes sense if you have a new partner, symptoms, or any uncertainty about exposure.
Everyone between 15 and 65 should be tested for HIV at least once. Hepatitis C screening is recommended once for all adults 18 and older. These are one-time baseline tests unless you have ongoing risk factors that call for repeat screening.
Every 3 to 6 Months: Higher-Risk Situations
Some people benefit from testing much more frequently than once a year. The CDC recommends screening every three to six months for men who have sex with men, particularly those with multiple partners, those living with HIV, and those taking PrEP. This includes testing at all relevant sites of contact (throat, rectum, and urine), not just a single sample, because infections at different body sites can easily be missed otherwise.
If you’re taking oral PrEP, expect STI screening at least every six months for syphilis and gonorrhea, with more frequent checks (every three months) if you’ve had a bacterial STI before or have multiple partners. People on injectable PrEP follow a similar schedule, with bacterial STI screening every four months for men who have sex with men and every six months for heterosexually active people.
You don’t need to be on PrEP for this schedule to apply. Anyone with multiple concurrent partners, a recent STI diagnosis, or partners whose sexual history is unknown should consider testing every three to six months regardless of gender or orientation.
Testing During Pregnancy
Pregnancy triggers a more intensive screening schedule because untreated infections can seriously affect a developing baby. At the first prenatal visit, all pregnant women are screened for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B regardless of prior testing history. Chlamydia and gonorrhea screening also happens at the first visit for women under 25 or those with risk factors. Hepatitis C screening is recommended during every pregnancy.
Several of these tests are repeated later. Women at higher risk for syphilis should be retested around 28 weeks and again at delivery. HIV retesting in the third trimester (before 36 weeks) is recommended for women at increased risk. Chlamydia and gonorrhea retesting in the third trimester is also standard for anyone who remains at elevated risk. Routine screening for genital herpes, bacterial vaginosis, and trichomoniasis is not recommended for pregnant women without symptoms.
Window Periods: When Testing Actually Works
Getting tested too soon after exposure can produce a false negative. Every infection has a “window period,” the time between exposure and when a test can reliably detect it.
- Chlamydia and gonorrhea: A urine sample or swab can detect most infections after one week, with nearly all cases detectable by two weeks.
- Syphilis: A blood test picks up most infections after one month, but it can take up to three months to catch nearly all cases.
- HIV (blood test): The standard antigen/antibody blood test catches most infections within two weeks, with nearly all detected by six weeks. Oral swab tests take longer, with most detected at one month and nearly all by three months.
If you had a specific exposure you’re worried about, the practical approach is to test at two weeks for chlamydia and gonorrhea, then follow up with syphilis and HIV testing at six weeks or later. A final HIV or syphilis test at three months gives you the most definitive answer.
After a New Partner or Possible Exposure
Outside of your regular screening schedule, testing makes sense any time you start a new sexual relationship, have unprotected sex with someone whose status you don’t know, or learn that a current or former partner has tested positive for something. Many STIs produce no symptoms at all, especially chlamydia and gonorrhea, so the absence of symptoms is not a reliable indicator.
If you and a new partner want to share results before becoming sexually active together, both of you should test after any relevant window periods from your most recent previous partners. That usually means waiting at least two to three weeks for bacterial infections and six weeks for a reliable HIV blood test.
What to Ask For
A standard STI panel varies depending on the clinic. Some only test for chlamydia and gonorrhea unless you specifically request more. If you want a thorough picture, ask for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV at minimum. Hepatitis B and C can be added if you haven’t been screened before. Herpes blood testing is generally not part of routine screening and is typically only ordered when you have symptoms or a known exposure, because the tests have high rates of false positives in low-risk populations.
For men who have sex with men, make sure the testing includes throat and rectal swabs in addition to a urine sample. Gonorrhea and chlamydia infections in the throat and rectum are common and won’t show up on a urine test alone. If your provider doesn’t offer multi-site testing, a sexual health clinic or STI-specific clinic is a better option.