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.

Free STD testing in Philadelphia is real, and you have more than one way to get it. The city runs a walk-in clinic. Community health organizations offer testing too. Some of them charge nothing, and some adjust the cost to your income.

This guide walks you through the process in order. You will see what to gather, how to pick a site, how to check hours before you go, and what to expect afterward. Where a cost or an hour is not published, we say so plainly and point you to the right place to ask.

The short version

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health runs an STI clinic at Health Center 1. The city lists it as free and walk-in.
Philadelphia FIGHT's Jonathan Lax Treatment Center lists free HIV and STI tests, by appointment.
Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania lists a sliding scale at two Philadelphia health centers, by appointment.
Mazzoni Center, Bebashi and Courage Medicine are listed by the city as community testing sites. Their costs are not stated on the city page, so confirm before you go.
Philadelphia residents can order free HIV or STI test kits through the city's Philly, Keep On Loving program.

You can also browse the local testing list on this site to compare places side by side.

What you need before you start

You do not need much. Most people can get started with the items below.

A phone. You will use it to call a clinic or check its page for current hours.
A way to get there. Walk-in clinics are first-come, first-served, so plan some flexibility in your day.
A list of your questions and symptoms, if any. Jot down when you noticed anything and which parts of your body are affected. It helps the clinician decide which tests to run.
Your insurance card, if you have one. Some sites accept insurance, Medicaid or Medicare. The city's walk-in STI clinic is listed as free. A few sites list insurance as optional or as one payment route, so ask what applies to you.
A photo ID, if you have one. The pages we reviewed do not say whether ID is required. Ask when you call, and do not let a missing ID stop you from asking.
A list of recent partners' general details, if you are comfortable. You do not need names. The clinician may ask about the types of sex you have had so they can choose the right swabs or samples.

Step 1: Decide which kind of visit fits you

Free STD testing in Philadelphia comes in three shapes. Picking the right one saves time.

Walk-in. You show up during open hours and wait your turn. This suits you if you cannot schedule ahead or want testing as soon as possible.
Appointment. You call first and get a time. This suits you if you want a shorter wait or if the site requires it.
Home kit. You order online and complete the collection yourself. This suits you if travel is hard or you want privacy.

If you have symptoms, a recent exposure you are worried about, or a partner who told you they tested positive, a clinic visit lets a clinician examine you and talk through treatment. A clinician can also tell you what a test can and cannot show.

Step 2: Start with the city's free walk-in clinic

The City of Philadelphia lists the STI clinic at Health Center 1 as free and walk-in.

Address: 1930 S. Broad St., Fl. 2, Philadelphia, PA 19145
Phone: (215) 685-6570 or (215) 685-6575
Hours listed by the city: Monday and Wednesday 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the first Wednesday of each month, the clinic opens at 1 p.m.
Who can go: The city says anyone over 13 can get testing and treatment.
How it works: Walk-in only, first-come, first-served.

The city notes that on very busy days clinics may close earlier. Arrive with time to spare, especially late in the day.

According to the city, services at this clinic include STD testing, HIV testing, PrEP, PEP, HPV vaccine and treatment. It also offers hepatitis A and B, HPV and mpox vaccines. Health Center 1 offers PrEP counseling to people who test negative for HIV, according to a City of Philadelphia release from June 2024.

The Philadelphia STD Control Program page also mentions other walk-in locations, including a Health Center 5 satellite. The city's page said the Health Center 5 clinic was temporarily unavailable as of September 12, 2025. Call before you travel to any location other than Health Center 1. You can reach the STD Control Program at (215) 685-6740, or call 311 with questions about city health centers.

Step 3: Know the other free and low-cost options

If the city clinic's hours do not fit your schedule, these sites are alternatives. Each entry says what the source actually published, and where a cost is missing, it says so.

Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers (Jonathan Lax Treatment Center)

Address: 1233 Locust St, 4th Fl, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 790-1788
Cost: The CDC GetTested listing shows a free HIV test and a free STI test. It also lists a free mpox vaccine, and says insurance, Medicaid and Medicare are accepted.
Appointment: The listing says an appointment is required.
Hours: Not published on the listing. CDC GetTested says hours may change, so verify with the organization.

Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania

Two Philadelphia health centers appear on CDC GetTested with a sliding scale. A sliding scale means the price depends on your income and household size.

Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center: 1144 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Phone (215) 351-5560. The listing names HIV (rapid and blood draw), herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis tests.
Castor Avenue Health Center: 8210 Castor Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19152. Phone (215) 745-5966. The listing names HIV (rapid and blood draw), hepatitis B and C, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis tests.

Both listings say an appointment is required, and both list insurance, Medicaid and a sliding scale. Hours are not published there, so call to confirm. Ask what your visit would cost before you book.

Mazzoni Center

The City of Philadelphia lists Mazzoni Center, 1201 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, as a community testing site. The phone is (215) 985-9206. The city page lists these hours: Monday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Services listed include HIV rapid and lab testing, STI and hepatitis C testing, PrEP and PEP.

The city page does not state the cost at this site. A separate CDC GetTested listing for Mazzoni Center at 1348 Bainbridge St, Philadelphia, PA 19147, phone (215) 563-0652, shows that no appointment is required and lists free HIV and STI tests. Because two addresses appear in two sources, call before you go and ask which location offers testing that day.

Bebashi - Transition to Hope

The City of Philadelphia lists Bebashi as a community testing site for HIV rapid and lab testing, STI and hepatitis C testing, PrEP and PEP. Bebashi's own page does not name testing, cost or walk-in policy, so confirm those details by phone at (215) 769-3561.

Bebashi West: 4101 Woodland Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19104. Health care screening hours on Bebashi's site are Monday through Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Bebashi North: 1237 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, PA 19123. The city page lists 1235 Spring Garden St. Bebashi's site lists screening Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and says the office is closed Tuesday and Thursday, while the city page lists different hours there. Because the sources disagree, call first.

Courage Medicine

The City of Philadelphia lists Courage Medicine for STI, hepatitis C, HIV and PrEP services. The phone is 267-217-3217. The city page gives Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 3751 Island Ave, Suite 201, Philadelphia, PA 19153. Courage's own site also lists 7198 Castor Ave #200 and 3045 Kensington Ave. Mobile unit hours vary. Courage's page does not state cost, hours or walk-in policy, so ask when you call.

Step 4: Consider a free home test kit

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health runs Philly, Keep On Loving. According to that program's site, Philadelphia residents can order free HIV or STI test kits, condoms and lube online. The order page is phillykeeponloving.com/order. The page does not list eligibility details, so read the order page for the current rules.

A City of Philadelphia release from June 26, 2024 says free at-home HIV test kits are mailed discreetly to Philadelphia residents. People who live outside the city are pointed to getmyhivtest.com. An older Penn State Office of Rural Health post from January 2021 says the statewide Pennsylvania HIV self-test program excludes Philadelphia County. That post may be outdated, but it explains why Philadelphians are directed to the city's program.

A home kit can be a good first step. If a result is positive or unclear, a clinician can confirm it and talk with you about treatment.

Step 5: Check hours and details before you leave

Hours and policies change. Walk-in schedules shift around holidays, staffing and busy days. Use this quick routine.

Open the clinic's own page. The City of Philadelphia page on walk-in STD testing and treatment is the best source for the city clinic and the community sites it lists.
Look at the CDC's GetTested tool. At gettested.cdc.gov you can look up a clinic, see its listed services and see whether it says an appointment is required. CDC notes that hours may change.
Call. Ask: Are you open today? Is there a cost for the tests I want? Do I need an appointment? What should I bring?
Ask about timing. Ask when the lines are shortest.

Phone numbers for the sites above are in this guide. For city health center questions, you can also call 311.

Step 6: At the visit, say what you need

Be as direct as you like. Clinicians who work in sexual health hear every kind of question, and nothing you say is unusual.

Tell them about any symptoms, even small ones.
Tell them which kinds of sex you have had, so they can choose the right samples. Depending on your history, that can include a urine sample or swabs of the throat, genitals or rectum.
Ask which infections they are testing for. A single visit does not always include every test by default.
Ask whether hepatitis, HPV or mpox vaccines or PrEP counseling are options for you.
Ask how and when you will get results.

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) describe testing choices based on a person's sexual history and exposure, which is why the details you share matter.

Who qualifies and what about age and privacy

The City of Philadelphia says anyone over 13 can get testing and treatment at the Health Center 1 STI clinic. Guttmacher Institute's summary of state policy says Pennsylvania minors may consent to STI testing and treatment. It lists no age qualifier and shows no parental-notification provision. A Drexel University College of Medicine page describes the Pennsylvania Minors' Consent Act as letting minors consent to services to determine the presence of, or to treat, venereal disease. If you are under 18 and want to know how a specific clinic handles privacy, ask when you call.

Pennsylvania rules require health care practitioners and facilities to report HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis to health authorities within 5 work days of identifying them, according to 28 Pa. Code 27.21a. Reporting is part of how health departments track and respond to infections. It is a public health process handled by the clinic.

The Philadelphia STD Control Program also offers partner services, which are referral, testing and treatment for the sex partners of people with an STI. You can ask a clinician about this if it applies to you.

Tips and common mistakes to avoid

Arriving at closing time at a walk-in clinic. The city notes clinics may close earlier on busy days. Go earlier in the day when you can.
Assuming every site is free. Mazzoni Center, Bebashi and Courage Medicine appear on the city's list of community testing sites, but the city page does not state their costs. Ask first.
Skipping the appointment where one is required. The FIGHT and Planned Parenthood listings say an appointment is required.
Relying on one source for hours. Where the city page and the clinic's page differ, as they do for Bebashi North, call before you travel.
Asking for "the full panel" and assuming it covers everything. Ask which infections are included. Different sites list different tests.
Waiting on shame or worry. Many people with an STI have no symptoms, according to the CDC. Testing is routine health care, and every gender and orientation is welcome at these sites.
Skipping follow-up. If a clinician offers a repeat test or a partner visit, ask why. It is often part of the standard plan.
Guessing about timing. Some infections do not show up on a test right after an exposure. Ask the clinician or check the CDC's pages for each infection to learn how timing applies to the test you are taking.

What to expect afterward

Results may come back the same day for rapid HIV tests, which the listings at several sites mention. Other tests are often sent to a lab, and the clinic will tell you how it shares those results. Ask for the method, such as a call or a patient portal, before you leave.

A negative result usually means the test did not detect that infection in your sample. A clinician can tell you whether the timing of your test matters for that result. A positive result is something a clinician can confirm and explain, and most of what comes next is straightforward.

Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are curable with treatment from a clinician, according to the CDC.
HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable, but they are treatable or manageable. A clinician can describe the options.

Treatment is chosen and prescribed by a clinician. Do not start or stop any medicine on your own. If you are asked to return for a follow-up visit, it is a normal part of care.

Why testing matters in Pennsylvania

CDC STI Surveillance 2023 data show Pennsylvania reported a chlamydia rate of 421.2 per 100,000 people, with 54,600 cases. The gonorrhea rate was 144.7 per 100,000 (18,758 cases). The primary and secondary syphilis rate was 9.1 per 100,000 (1,179 cases). These are statewide figures. This guide does not have a published Philadelphia-only figure, so check the Philadelphia Department of Public Health for city numbers.

The takeaway is simple. STIs are common, testing is routine, and you have free and low-cost routes in Philadelphia.

If you also want prevention options

Several of the sites above list PrEP, which is HIV prevention medicine a clinician prescribes, and PEP, which is used after a possible exposure. Ask about both at your visit. Philly, Keep On Loving also offers TelePrEP by phone and online. The page we reviewed did not state cost or eligibility, so call the Health Information Helpline at 215-985-2437 for details.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported in December 2024 that federal rules require most insurers to cover HIV PrEP medication with no out-of-pocket cost for insured people. If you have insurance, ask your plan or a clinic how that applies to you.

The CDC issued guidance on doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy-PEP) in 2024. A clinician can tell you whether it applies to you. We did not find a Philadelphia-specific doxy-PEP program in our research, so ask a clinician at your visit.

Your next step

Pick one option from this guide and make the call or open the page today. If you want a walk-in visit with no cost listed, start with the city's Health Center 1 clinic. If you prefer an appointment, call FIGHT or Planned Parenthood. If you prefer to test at home, use the city's Philly, Keep On Loving order page. You can also look up more sites at gettested.cdc.gov or compare them in the local testing list.

Free STD Testing in Philadelphia: Every Free and Sliding-Scale Option