This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

Getting an STD test in Houston is more manageable than most people expect. The city has free clinics, sliding-scale health department centers, community health centers and free mail-order kits. This guide walks through every route, what each one costs, what happens during a visit and what to ask for.

It is written for anyone in Houston, whatever their gender, orientation or relationship status. Testing is a routine part of health care, and nobody here is judged for asking.

Key takeaways

Houston has several free or low-cost testing options, including Houston Health Department centers, a Harris County Public Health clinic, and community organizations.
Houston Health Department sexual health clinics encourage appointments as of September 1, 2026. Walk-ins are still seen as capacity permits, so calling first is wise.
Free mail-order testing for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia is available to anyone in Texas aged 13 and older through Test for Texas.
A visit usually involves a short conversation, then a urine sample, a swab or a blood draw. Ask which infections are included, because a single test does not cover everything.
The CDC lists specific window periods for HIV tests. A clinician can tell you whether and when to repeat a test.
Texas law lets minors of any age consent to testing and treatment for reportable infections. A physician may still choose to tell a parent.

In this guide

Why STD testing matters in Houston
Where to get an STD test in Houston
What STD testing costs in Houston
At-home and mobile testing
What to expect at a visit, and what gets tested
When to test: window periods and how often
Privacy, minors, pregnancy and partners
Sources

Why STD testing matters in Houston

Many sexually transmitted infections cause no symptoms for a long time. That is the main reason clinicians recommend testing based on your sexual health history, not only on how you feel. A test is the only way to find out what is going on in your body.

Houston is a large, busy city, and local numbers reflect that. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) STD Surveillance Report for 2022, Harris County recorded 31,406 chlamydia cases, a rate of 656.9 per 100,000 people. The Texas rate that year was 519.9 per 100,000.

For gonorrhea, the same DSHS report lists 12,935 Harris County cases in 2022, a rate of 270.6 per 100,000. The statewide rate was 207.0. For syphilis, the report lists 1,082 primary and secondary cases and 5,670 cases across all stages in Harris County.

The Houston Health Department's 2026 HIV epidemiologic supplement reports 1,343 new HIV diagnoses in the Houston and Harris County area in 2023, a rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people.

These figures are not a reason for worry. They are a reason testing is routine and widely available here. Bacterial infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are curable with treatment from a clinician. HIV and herpes are not curable, but both are treatable and manageable. Finding an infection early gives you and your clinician the most options.

The figures above come from different years and sources, so they should not be compared with each other. DSHS also notes that figures for prior years can change as reports are updated.

Where to get an STD test in Houston

You have several routes. Which one fits depends on cost, convenience and what you want tested. The list below covers the Houston locations with verified details. For a shorter local list, see the Houston testing clinics on our homepage.

Houston Health Department health centers

The Houston Health Department runs sexual health services at several locations. Its pages list STD walk-in services, HIV testing, syphilis testing, PrEP and nPEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) at these centers:

Northside Health Center, 8504 Schuller Rd., Houston, Texas 77093
Sharpstown Health Services, 6201 Bonhomme Rd., 3rd Floor, South Tower, Houston, Texas 77036
Sunnyside Health and Multi-Service Center, 4410 Reed Rd., Houston, Texas 77051-2718

The phone number listed for all three is 832-393-4220. Costs are on a sliding scale. The Houston Health Department states that these clinics moved to appointments encouraged from September 1, 2026. Walk-ins are still accepted as capacity permits, but a walk-in is not guaranteed. Calling ahead saves a trip.

For PrEP and nPEP, the Houston Health Department lists appointments at 832-395-9800. Staff can also help with co-pay and assistance programs.

Harris County Public Health Antoine Clinic

Harris County Public Health runs the Antoine Clinic at 5815 Antoine Dr, Houston, TX 77091. Phone: 832-927-7350. Its page lists testing for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, STI treatment and PrEP prescriptions. Rapid HIV testing is listed among its testing services, and walk-ins are welcome according to the county's End HIV testing page. Services are listed as free, and uninsured people are welcome.

Harris County Public Health lists these hours: Monday to Thursday, 8am to 7pm; Friday closed; every other Saturday, 8am to 2pm. The page itself flags that you should confirm hours before visiting, so a quick call is a good idea.

Legacy Community Health, Montrose

Legacy Community Health - Montrose is a federally qualified health center at 1415 California St., Houston, TX 77006. Phone: (832) 548-5100. Legacy lists HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C testing as free and available on a walk-in basis. A full STI panel is offered as appointments are available.

Legacy also lists PrEP, PEP and doxy-PEP at Montrose, plus express STI testing for uninsured patients without symptoms. Its page says services are open to all regardless of ability to pay. Full STI panel pricing is not stated, so ask the clinic directly.

Avenue 360 Health & Wellness

Avenue 360 lists free walk-in rapid HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis testing at two Houston locations, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm:

Avenue 360 Heights (Main Campus), 2150 West 18th Street, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77008
Avenue 360 Midtown, 2920 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77002

The phone number for both is (713) 426-0027. Avenue 360's testing page describes rapid syphilis testing, and it does not describe a full STI panel. Ask what is included when you call. Avenue 360's Spring Cypress walk-in rapid testing is currently suspended because of a temporary clinic closure.

The Montrose Center

The Montrose Center, an LGBTQ+ community center at 401 Branard Street, Houston, Texas 77006, offers free walk-in testing Monday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm. Phone: 713-529-0037. It lists rapid HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis testing. It does not list a full STI panel or PrEP, so if you need either, one of the other clinics above may be a better fit.

Planned Parenthood, urgent care and primary care

Other routes exist too. Planned Parenthood health centers, urgent care clinics and your own primary care clinician can all order STD tests. We could not verify current service lists, prices or hours for these providers, so check with each one directly. Ask whether they test for the infections you want checked, what the visit costs with or without insurance, and how soon results arrive.

A primary care clinician has the advantage of knowing your history. If you already have one, it is a reasonable first call. If you do not have insurance or prefer not to use it, the health department and community clinics above are built for that situation.

What STD testing costs in Houston

Cost is the most common reason people put off testing. In Houston, several routes remove it. The table below uses only costs stated on each provider's own page.

Provider	Cost as stated by the provider	Notes
Harris County Public Health Antoine Clinic	Free	Testing, treatment and PrEP prescriptions listed; uninsured welcome
Avenue 360 (Heights and Midtown)	Free rapid testing	Rapid HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis
The Montrose Center	Free walk-in testing	Rapid HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis
Legacy Community Health, Montrose	HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C testing free	Full STI panel pricing not stated; open to all regardless of ability to pay
Houston Health Department centers (Northside, Sharpstown, Sunnyside)	Sliding scale	Exact amounts not listed; ask when you call 832-393-4220

Sliding scale means the fee depends on your income and household. The Houston Health Department's pages do not list exact amounts, so ask for the fee when you book. Asking about cost before the visit is normal and expected.

If you have insurance, your plan may cover some screening. The USPSTF recommends HIV screening for people ages 15 to 65, and it recommends chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for sexually active women 24 and younger and for older women at increased risk. Coverage rules vary by plan, so check with your insurer or the clinic's billing staff. We do not have sourced price ranges for insured or private-pay visits in Houston, so we will not guess at them.

At-home and mobile testing

If getting to a clinic is hard, there are free options that come to you. These are listed on Texas and Harris County public health pages.

Test for Texas. DSHS lists a free mail-order self-collection kit for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. It is open to anyone in Texas aged 13 or older, with no insurance needed. Orders are placed at testfortexas.org.
Together TakeMeHome. This program offers a free pack of two HIV self-tests to U.S. residents aged 17 and older, once every 90 days. The Houston Health Department's HIV and STI page links to it.
Legacy at-home HIV test. Legacy Community Health lists a free at-home rapid HIV test, mailed after a phone screening, subject to availability.
Harris County Public Health Testing123. This is free mobile HIV and syphilis testing at a location you choose in Harris or Montrose County's neighbor, Montgomery County. Staff come to you. It is not a mail kit. Text (281) 962-8378 to arrange it.

The CDC also maintains a national locator at gettested.cdc.gov, where you can look up testing sites by ZIP code.

One point about self-collection: a kit tests only the infections it names. A mailed kit that covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia does not cover herpes, trichomoniasis or HPV. Self-tests for HIV also have their own window periods, covered below. If a result is positive, a clinician confirms it and talks through treatment.

What to expect at a visit, and what gets tested

Before you go

Call ahead for the Houston Health Department centers, since appointments are encouraged. Bring a photo ID if you have one, and any insurance card. Clinics that serve uninsured people do not require insurance, but ask what paperwork they want for a sliding-scale fee.

Wear something comfortable. If a swab or exam is possible, you may be asked to undress partly. You can ask for a chaperone or a clinician of a gender you prefer, and you can stop or ask questions at any point.

The conversation

A nurse or clinician usually starts with a few questions. These may cover recent partners, the kinds of sex you have, whether you use condoms or other protection, any symptoms, and any past infections. The questions are there to decide which tests make sense for you. They are not a judgment. Honest answers lead to better testing.

How samples are collected

Urine sample. Often used for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Swabs. Taken from the vagina, throat or rectum depending on the kind of sex you have. Many people can collect a vaginal swab themselves. The CDC recommends testing at each site of sexual contact.
Blood draw or finger stick. Used for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis. Rapid HIV tests use a finger stick or an oral swab and can return results in a short visit.
Sample from a sore. If a clinician sees a sore or blister, they may swab it to test for herpes.

What is tested by default

There is no single test for all STDs. What you get depends on the clinic and on your history. Many people assume a standard blood draw covers everything, and it does not. Ask directly: Which infections will you test me for today?

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend screening based on age, anatomy and sexual practices. In summary:

Chlamydia and gonorrhea: yearly screening for sexually active women under 25, and for older women with risk factors such as a new partner or a partner with other partners. Sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men are screened at least yearly at the sites of contact.
Syphilis: the CDC recommends at least yearly screening for men who have sex with men and for people with HIV who are sexually active. Pregnant people are screened under Texas law, covered below.
HIV: the CDC recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64 be tested at least once, with more frequent testing for people at higher likelihood of exposure.
Hepatitis C: the CDC recommends that all adults be screened at least once. Hepatitis B and C are not always grouped under STD testing, so ask about them.
Herpes: the CDC does not recommend routine herpes blood testing for people without symptoms. If you have a sore, a swab test is more useful.
HPV: there is no routine HPV test for people without a cervix. For people with a cervix, the USPSTF recommends cervical cancer screening starting at age 21.
Trichomoniasis: usually tested when you have symptoms or specific risk, so ask if this concerns you.

What to ask for

It is fine to say exactly what you want. Here are some questions that clinics hear every day:

Which infections are in the panel, and which are not?
Do you test the throat and rectum, if that applies to me?
Can I add hepatitis B or C?
How will I get results, and how long will it take?
What happens if a result is positive, including treatment and partner notification?
Do you offer PrEP, PEP or doxy-PEP?

Results and treatment

Rapid HIV and syphilis tests may give results during the visit. Lab-based tests take longer, and the clinic will tell you how they share results, whether by phone, a portal or an in-person visit. Ask what number to call if you have not heard back.

If an infection is found, treatment is prescribed by a clinician. Bacterial infections and trichomoniasis are curable with the right treatment. HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable, but they can be treated and managed, and a clinician can explain what that looks like. Do not use leftover medication or medication from a friend.

The CDC's 2024 guidance on doxy-PEP says a clinician can discuss it with gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and transgender women who have had a bacterial STI in the past year. It is a prescription decision made with a clinician. Legacy Community Health lists doxy-PEP at its Montrose location.

When to test: window periods and how often

A window period is the time between an exposure and the point when a test can reliably detect an infection. A test taken inside the window can miss an infection that is already present.

For HIV, the CDC lists these windows after a possible exposure:

Nucleic acid tests (NAT): about 10 to 33 days.
Antigen/antibody lab tests on blood from a vein: about 18 to 45 days.
Rapid antigen/antibody tests on blood from a finger stick: about 18 to 90 days.
Antibody tests, including most self-tests: about 23 to 90 days.

For other infections, window periods differ and depend on the test. We do not list exact numbers here, because the CDC treats them case by case. A clinician can tell you when a test would be informative and when to repeat it. If you had a recent exposure, say so at the start of your visit.

If you may have had an HIV exposure in the last 72 hours, tell a clinician right away. PEP is a prescription treatment that works best when started quickly. The Houston Health Department lists nPEP appointments at 832-395-9800, and Legacy lists PEP at Montrose.

How often to test depends on your life, not on a fixed rule. The CDC suggests testing at least once a year for many sexually active adults, and more often, for example every 3 to 6 months, for people with new or multiple partners or a higher likelihood of exposure. You can also test after a new partner, when a partner tells you about an infection, or when symptoms appear. A clinician can help set a schedule that suits you.

Privacy, minors, pregnancy and partners

Minors and teens

Under Texas Family Code Section 32.003, a minor of any age may consent to diagnosis and treatment of a reportable infectious disease. That covers reportable STIs and HIV. Parent or guardian consent is not required. DSHS's publication on HIV and Texas law says the same about HIV.

The same section of the Family Code lets a physician, dentist or psychologist tell a parent or guardian about treatment, with or without the minor's consent. It is permitted, not required. So a clinic cannot promise that a parent will never be told. Ask the clinic how it handles this before your visit.

The Houston Health Department also notes that a Texas law effective September 1, 2025 (SB 1188) gives parents and guardians full access to a minor's electronic health record, such as a patient portal, for ages 0 to 17. If privacy matters, ask how results are shared.

Test for Texas is open to people aged 13 and older, and Together TakeMeHome to people aged 17 and older.

Pregnancy

Texas Health and Safety Code Section 81.090 sets out syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B testing during pregnancy. Syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B are tested at the first prenatal visit. Syphilis and HIV are tested again in the third trimester, not earlier than the 28th week. Syphilis and hepatitis B are tested on admission for delivery. If there is no third-trimester result on record, syphilis and rapid HIV testing happen at delivery. A pregnant person may object to the HIV tests but not to the syphilis tests.

According to the CDC's 2023 surveillance tables, Texas recorded 930 congenital syphilis cases that year, a rate of 238.6 per 100,000 live births. Prenatal testing exists to protect both parent and baby, and syphilis during pregnancy is treatable by a clinician.

Partners

If you test positive for a bacterial infection, your clinician may encourage your partners to be tested and treated. Texas has no EPT statute, but per the CDC, Texas Medical Board rules let a physician prescribe STD medication for the partners of an established patient without seeing them first. Texas rules let advanced practice nurses do so as well, and pharmacists may fill those prescriptions. Ask your clinician whether this applies to your situation.

Reporting

Under the Texas Notifiable Conditions list for 2026, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV are reportable to public health. Clinics and labs send the reports, which are used for tracking and follow-up. Reporting is routine and is handled by the health department.

Your next step

If you have been putting this off, pick one route and start there. A call to the Houston Health Department at 832-393-4220, a visit to a free walk-in clinic, or a free mail-order kit from Test for Texas can all get you started. The local testing list on our homepage shows where to go, and gettested.cdc.gov offers a national locator. Check hours and appointment rules with the clinic before you go.

STD Testing in Houston: Where to Get Tested, What It Costs and What to Expect