Pelvic & Sexual Health

STI Testing in NYC: Where to Get Tested and What to Expect

By the Find Her Doctor editorial team · Updated November 1, 2026 · 5 min read

In New York City, you can get STI testing at the NYC Health Department's Sexual Health Clinics, which offer low- to no-cost care to anyone 12 and older without parental consent, and also at your gynecologist, a primary care clinician, community health centers, and urgent care. Most testing is a urine sample or a vaginal swab you can often collect yourself, plus a blood draw for HIV and syphilis.

Many STIs cause no symptoms at all, so testing is the only way to know. And no, nobody at the clinic is judging you. They do this all day.

Which tests do you actually need?

The CDC's screening recommendations for women:

A heads-up that saves a lot of confusion: "test me for everything" means different things at different places. Many people assume herpes is included; it usually isn't, unless you have a sore. Ask the clinician to tell you exactly which tests they're running.

What the tests are like

• Chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis: a urine sample or a vaginal swab. Self-collected swabs work as well as clinician-collected ones, and many clinics hand you a swab and point you to the bathroom. If you have oral or anal sex, ask for throat and rectal swabs, because a urine test won't find infections there. You'll need to say which kinds of sex you have; it's a routine question.
• HIV, syphilis and hepatitis: a blood test. Rapid HIV tests with a finger stick or mouth swab are also available.
• Herpes: a swab of an active sore is the best test. Blood tests for herpes have limitations, which is why they aren't used for routine screening.

Where to go in NYC

NYC Health Department Sexual Health Clinics

The city's clinics are one of the most accessible options in New York:

• Locations include Chelsea and Central Harlem in Manhattan, Fort Greene in Brooklyn, Jamaica and Corona in Queens, and Morrisania in the Bronx. Sites have closed temporarily in the past, so check before you go.
• Express clinics at Chelsea and Fort Greene offer testing-only visits for people without symptoms.
• Who can go: anyone 12 or older, regardless of immigration or insurance status. No parental consent needed.
• Cost: low or no cost. Insurance may be billed if you have it; if you don't, or don't want it billed, a sliding scale applies, and you can still be seen if you can't pay.
• Walk-in: most services are walk-in on weekday daytime hours, and some sites stop taking walk-ins in the early afternoon. Clinics can fill up, so go early, ideally right when they open.
• Other services: HIV PEP and PrEP, doxy-PEP, vaccines including HPV and hepatitis B, emergency contraception and birth control.
• Telehealth: the clinics also run a telemedicine hotline for HIV, STI and contraception questions.

Check the Health Department's Sexual Health Clinics page or call 311 for current hours and locations.

A possible HIV exposure

HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) has to start within 72 hours, and sooner is better. NYC runs a 24/7 PEP hotline: 844-3-PEPNYC (844-373-7692). You can also go to any emergency department. Don't wait until Monday.

Your gynecologist or primary care clinician

Testing at a regular visit lets your clinician fit it into the rest of your care: cervical screening, birth control, vaccines. Most insurance plans, including New York Medicaid, cover recommended STI screening. Find a gynecologist near you or a women's health nurse practitioner, for example in Brooklyn.

Other options

• Community health centers that see patients regardless of ability to pay
• NYC Health + Hospitals facilities
• Family planning clinics
• Urgent care, convenient but may not offer every test or reliable follow-up
• At-home kits, useful but may not cover every body site or test you need. Follow up with a clinician if anything is positive.

Teens

New York law lets minors consent to their own STI testing and treatment, so a parent doesn't have to be involved. One catch: if you use a parent's insurance, an insurance statement could reveal the visit. Ask the clinic how billing works before you're tested. The city Sexual Health Clinics are a good option for confidential care. See also a teen's first gynecologist visit.

If a test comes back positive

Take a breath. This is common, and most of it is very treatable.

• Chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and syphilis are curable with the right antibiotics.
• HIV, herpes and hepatitis B can't be cured but can be well controlled with treatment.
• Partners need to know so they can be tested and treated. The health department can help notify partners anonymously, which many people find easier than the conversation. New York also allows expedited partner therapy for certain infections: your clinician gives you medicine or a prescription to pass to a partner.
• Hold off on sex until you and your partners finish treatment and any waiting period your clinician recommends.
• Get retested, often about three months after treatment for chlamydia or gonorrhea, because reinfection is common.

More on two common viral STIs: HPV vs herpes.

How often to test

• At least yearly if you're sexually active and under 25
• With each new partner, or when you or a partner have other partners
• Every 3 to 6 months if you have multiple partners, use PrEP, or recently had an STI
• During pregnancy, as part of prenatal care
• Any time you have symptoms or a partner tests positive

What to bring: your insurance card if you have one, a list of medications, and the dates of any recent exposures. Some infections take time to show up on tests, so if an exposure was very recent, ask whether you should come back for a repeat test.

When to see a doctor

Get tested promptly, and don't wait for a routine visit, if you have:

• Unusual vaginal discharge, odor, or itching
• Sores, blisters, bumps or warts on the genitals, mouth or anus
• Burning when you pee
• Pelvic pain, pain with sex, or bleeding after sex or between periods
• Fever or rash after a new partner
• A partner who tells you they have an STI

Go to an emergency department for severe pelvic pain, high fever, or a possible HIV exposure when clinics are closed. You can also search the directory for a provider in any borough.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• CDC — Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021 (Screening Recommendations)
• NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene — Sexual Health Clinics
• New York State Public Health Law — Minor consent for STI diagnosis and treatment
• USPSTF — Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Screening; Syphilis Screening

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. It does not replace an evaluation by a licensed clinician who knows your history. If you think you have a medical emergency, call 911.