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 tested is a routine part of health care. In Philadelphia, you can get STD testing through the city, community health centers and Planned Parenthood. You can also order free kits to your home.

This guide covers each route, what a visit looks like, what is tested and what to ask for. It uses both "STD" and "STI" because clinics and public health agencies use both terms for the same group of conditions.

For a quick list of places to start, see the local testing list.

Key takeaways

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health runs a free, walk-in STI clinic at Health Center 1, 1930 S. Broad St., 2nd floor. Anyone over 13 can get testing and treatment there.
Community sites such as Mazzoni Center, Bebashi and Courage Medicine, plus Philadelphia FIGHT and Planned Parenthood clinics, offer other options. Some are walk-in and some require an appointment.
Philadelphia residents can order free HIV or STI test kits online through Philly, Keep On Loving, a health department program.
Cost varies by site. Some are free, Planned Parenthood lists a sliding scale, and several sites do not publish a price. Call before you go.
Many infections cause no symptoms, so testing is how a clinician finds them. Bacterial STIs are curable with treatment from a clinician. HIV, herpes and HPV are treatable or manageable.
Pennsylvania minors may consent to STI testing and treatment, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

In this guide

Where to get tested in Philadelphia
What testing costs
What to expect at a visit
What gets tested and what to ask for
When to test and how window periods work
Privacy, minors, partners and the law
Treatment, prevention and next steps
Sources

Where to get tested in Philadelphia

Several kinds of places offer testing. The right one depends on your schedule, your insurance, and whether you want to walk in or book ahead. Hours and services can change, so confirm with the clinic before you travel.

The city's STI clinic at Health Center 1

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health runs an STD clinic at Health Center 1. It is the most direct route for a free, walk-in visit.

Address: 1930 S. Broad St., Fl. 2, Philadelphia, PA 19145
Phone: (215) 685-6570 or (215) 685-6575
Cost: free, according to the City of Philadelphia
Walk-in: yes, first-come, first-served, with no appointments
Hours: 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. On very busy days it may close earlier.
Who can go: anyone over 13

The City lists testing and treatment for STIs, HIV testing, PrEP and PEP, and the HPV vaccine at this clinic. It also offers hepatitis A and B, HPV and mpox vaccines. The city describes Health Center 1 as urgent care for STD testing and treatment only, so it is not a place for general primary care.

Because it is walk-in only, arriving early in the day is a practical way to shorten a wait. The city's page also said the Health Center 5 satellite clinic was temporarily unavailable as of September 12, 2025. If you were planning to go there, call 311 or the STD Control Program at (215) 685-6740 first.

Community and LGBTQ+ health centers

The City of Philadelphia lists several community organizations as testing sites. These suit people who prefer a community-based setting or want HIV prevention services in the same visit.

Mazzoni Center. The City lists Mazzoni Center at 1201 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, phone (215) 985-9206. The City says it offers HIV rapid and lab testing, STI and hepatitis C testing, PrEP and PEP. Listed hours are Monday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The City page does not state a price. 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 to confirm which location offers what you need.

Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers. The Jonathan Lax Treatment Center is at 1233 Locust St., 4th Fl., Philadelphia, PA 19107, phone (215) 790-1788. The CDC GetTested listing says an appointment is required. It lists a free HIV test, a free STI test and a free mpox vaccine, and says insurance, Medicaid and Medicare are accepted. Hours are not published there, so call to ask.

Bebashi, Transition to Hope. Bebashi has a West location at 4101 Woodland Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19104, and a North location at 1237 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, PA 19123. The City page lists the North address as 1235 Spring Garden St., so confirm it when you call. The phone number is (215) 769-3561. Bebashi's website lists health care screening hours at West of Monday through Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. At North, screening runs Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The City lists Bebashi as a testing site for HIV, STI and hepatitis C testing, PrEP and PEP. Bebashi's own page does not name testing services, cost or walk-in policy, so confirm those by phone.

Courage Medicine. Courage Medicine is at 3751 Island Ave., Suite 201, Philadelphia, PA 19153, phone 267-217-3217. Its website also lists locations at 7198 Castor Ave. #200 and 3045 Kensington Ave. The City page lists Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Island Ave. site, and says mobile unit hours vary. Courage's own page does not state hours, cost or walk-in policy, so check with the organization.

Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania has two Philadelphia health centers listed on CDC GetTested. Both list appointments as required, and both list insurance, Medicaid and a sliding scale.

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

Hours are not published on the CDC listings, so call or check with the organization before you book.

Primary care and urgent care

Your own primary care clinician can order STI tests, and so can many urgent care centers. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) encourage clinicians to take a sexual history and offer screening as part of routine care. That said, a primary care visit does not always include STI tests unless you ask.

The information available for this guide do not list specific urgent care or primary care sites, prices or hours. Ask the office whether they test for the infections you are concerned about, what the visit costs with your insurance, and how results are shared. If you are insured, it is also worth asking whether the visit appears on a statement sent to the policyholder.

Free at-home test kits

Philadelphia residents can order free HIV or STI test kits, condoms and lube online through Philly, Keep On Loving, a program of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. The order page is phillykeeponloving.com/order. The page does not list eligibility rules. In a June 2024 release, the City said free at-home HIV test kits are mailed discreetly to Philadelphia residents.

A home kit is one way to test without a clinic visit. A reactive or positive result still needs follow-up testing and care from a clinician, so ask the program what happens next before you order.

Finding other sites with the CDC locator

If none of the sites above works for your location or schedule, the CDC's GetTested locator lets you search for HIV, STI and hepatitis testing sites by ZIP code. Its listings note when hours may change, so call to verify.

What testing costs

Cost is the most common reason people delay testing, so here is what is known and what is not.

Where	Cost as published	Visit type
Health Center 1 (city STI clinic)	Free, per the City of Philadelphia	Walk-in
Philadelphia FIGHT (Jonathan Lax Treatment Center)	Free HIV and STI tests, per CDC GetTested. Insurance, Medicaid and Medicare accepted.	Appointment required
Mazzoni Center	City page does not state a price. CDC GetTested lists free HIV and STI tests at the Bainbridge St. listing.	Walk-in listed
Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania	Sliding scale, insurance and Medicaid, per CDC GetTested	Appointment required
Bebashi	Not published	Not published
Courage Medicine	Not published	Not published on its own page. The City lists it as walk-in.
Philly, Keep On Loving home kits	Free for Philadelphia residents, per the program	Order online

No published dollar ranges were available for primary care or urgent care in Philadelphia, so this guide does not give one. What you pay depends on your plan, your deductible and the tests ordered.

Insurance and PrEP coverage

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 consumers. Planned Parenthood's CDC listing also notes PrEP for uninsured patients at the Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center. The Pennsylvania state PrEP assistance program details were not available for this guide, so ask a clinic about options if you are uninsured.

Questions that help you avoid surprise bills

Is the visit free, sliding scale or billed to insurance?
Are the lab tests billed separately from the visit?
If I use insurance, who receives the statement?
Is treatment included if a test comes back positive?

What to expect at a visit

Knowing the steps can make the visit feel less unfamiliar. The details differ by site, but most STI visits follow a similar pattern.

Before you go

Call or check the clinic's page for hours, whether you need an appointment, and what to bring.
Bring a photo ID and your insurance card if you have one, unless the clinic tells you otherwise.
Write down the date of any recent partner changes and any symptoms, in case it helps you remember.
Plan for time. A walk-in clinic can take a while on busy days.

The conversation

A clinician or counselor usually starts by asking about your sexual health history. This can include the kinds of sex you have, the number of recent partners, condom use, and whether you have symptoms. The CDC encourages clinicians to ask these questions in a respectful, nonjudgmental way, and to use the answers to choose which tests make sense. You can answer in your own words, and you can tell the clinician about any part of your history you want taken into account. Gender and orientation do not change your right to care. Tell the clinician which body parts are involved in sex, since that decides where samples are taken.

The tests

Depending on what the clinician recommends, testing may involve:

A urine sample for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Swabs from the throat, rectum or genitals, taken by a clinician or sometimes collected by you. The CDC recommends testing at the sites of sexual contact for some people.
A blood draw or fingerstick for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis and sometimes herpes.
A swab of a sore or rash, if you have one.

The STD Control Program says gonorrhea and chlamydia urine screening is available in all Philadelphia public high schools.

Results

Some tests, such as rapid HIV tests, give a result during the visit. Others go to a lab and take longer. Ask how and when you will be contacted, and whether the clinic can reach you by phone, text or a patient portal. If a result needs treatment, a clinician will explain the next step.

What gets tested and what to ask for

No single test covers every infection, and not every visit includes every test. A clinician chooses tests based on your history, symptoms and the guidelines. It is reasonable to ask directly.

What national guidelines recommend

Chlamydia and gonorrhea. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend yearly screening for sexually active women under 25 and for older women with risk factors. The CDC also recommends at least yearly screening for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, at the sites where they have sex. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) makes similar recommendations for women.
HIV. The CDC recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64 be tested for HIV at least once. The USPSTF recommends screening for ages 15 to 65. The CDC says people with more risk may benefit from testing more often, for example every three to six months for some men who have sex with men.
Syphilis. The USPSTF recommends screening for people at increased risk and for all pregnant people. The CDC also recommends syphilis screening for some groups based on risk.
Hepatitis C. The CDC recommends that all adults 18 and older be tested at least once, and that pregnant people be tested during each pregnancy.
Hepatitis B. The CDC recommends that adults be screened at least once in their lifetime.

Infections that are not always in the default panel

Herpes. The CDC does not recommend routine herpes blood testing for people without symptoms. If you have a sore, a swab of the sore is the most direct way a clinician can test. Ask about blood tests and what the results can and cannot tell you before deciding.

HPV. There is no routine HPV test for men. For people with a cervix, cervical screening looks for cell changes and HPV. The HPV vaccine is offered at Health Center 1, and Planned Parenthood's CDC listings include HPV vaccine services.

Trichomoniasis. It is tested when symptoms are present or when a clinician thinks it is warranted, so ask if you have symptoms or concerns.

Mpox. Health Center 1 lists mpox vaccines. Ask a clinician about vaccine and testing questions.

Plain phrases you can use

"I would like a full STI screening. What does that include here?"
"Can you test my throat and rectum as well as urine?"
"Is HIV testing part of this visit?"
"Can you test for syphilis and hepatitis C?"
"I have a sore. Can you swab it?"

When to test and how window periods work

A window period is the time between an exposure and the point when a test can reliably detect an infection. A test taken inside that window can miss an infection that is present. A clinician can tell you which test fits your situation and whether to repeat it.

The CDC gives these windows for HIV, depending on the test type:

Nucleic acid tests (NAT) can detect HIV about 10 to 33 days after exposure.
Antigen/antibody tests done on blood from a vein can detect HIV about 18 to 45 days after exposure.
Antigen/antibody tests done on a fingerstick can take longer, about 18 to 90 days.
Antibody tests, including home self-tests, can take about 23 to 90 days.

For other infections, windows vary by test, and the CDC guidelines do not give a single number for every situation. A clinician can tell you when to test and whether a repeat test is useful. Many people are also advised to retest some months after treatment for certain infections, which the clinician will explain.

Moments when people often choose to test

Before or after a new partner, or when partners change.
After a condom breaks or sex happens without protection.
When a partner tells you they tested positive for something.
When you notice a sore, discharge, burning, pain or a rash.
As part of a routine yearly visit, or when starting or continuing PrEP.
When you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

Many infections do not cause symptoms, so having no symptoms does not tell you anything on its own. Only a clinician and a test can do that.

Local numbers in context

The CDC's 2023 STI surveillance report lists Pennsylvania's rate of chlamydia at 421.2 per 100,000 people (54,600 cases), gonorrhea at 144.7 per 100,000 (18,758 cases), and primary and secondary syphilis at 9.1 per 100,000 (1,179 cases). Philadelphia-specific rates were not available for this guide. These figures show that STIs are common across the state and that testing is a normal part of care.

Privacy, minors, partners and the law

Minors and consent

The Guttmacher Institute reports that Pennsylvania minors may consent to STI testing and treatment, with no age qualifier listed and no parental notification provision shown. Pennsylvania's Minors' Consent Act (Act 186 of 1970) is the law usually cited. A Drexel University College of Medicine page quotes it as allowing minors to consent to services to determine the presence of or to treat venereal disease. Individual clinics may have their own policies. The city STI clinic at Health Center 1 serves anyone over 13. For other sites, ask about their policy when you call.

Reporting to the health department

Under 28 Pa. Code 27.21a, health care practitioners and facilities must report HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis to the health department within five work days after identifying them. Chlamydia is reportable when confirmed by lab evidence. This is a public health reporting rule. It lets the health department track disease and provide services. Ask the clinic how your information is handled, including who can see your results and whether insurance statements mention the visit.

Partner services and expedited partner therapy

The Philadelphia STD Control Program offers partner services, which means referral, testing and treatment for the sex partners of a person with an STI. You can reach the program at (215) 685-6740.

Pennsylvania's Expedited Partner Therapy Act (Act 147 of 2022) allows a practitioner to prescribe or provide antibiotics for certain STIs to a patient's partner without first examining the partner, following CDC guidance, according to the CDC. CDC lists the effective date as February 1, 2023. Which infections are covered in Philadelphia was not available for this guide, so ask the clinician whether it applies to your situation.

Pregnancy and syphilis testing

Under 28 Pa. Code 27.89, a physician attending a pregnant woman must tell her that a blood sample will be taken for a syphilis test at the first examination or within 15 days, unless she objects. A second test in the third trimester and testing at delivery are required only in counties designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Whether Philadelphia is on the current designated list was not confirmed, so ask your prenatal clinician what testing is planned. The City of Philadelphia has also posted an amendment to Board of Health regulations on syphilis blood tests for pregnant persons. Your clinician can explain how it applies.

Treatment, prevention and next steps

If a test finds an infection

A positive result is information a clinician can act on. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are curable with treatment from a clinician. HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable, but they are treatable or manageable. For HIV, the CDC says treatment can keep the virus at very low levels and protect long-term health. Treatment is prescribed by a clinician. Do not share or use leftover medicine.

Health Center 1 provides treatment on site, and the community sites listed above offer treatment as well, according to the City page and clinic listings. Ask whether treatment is available the same day, and whether there is a cost.

PrEP and PEP

PrEP is medicine that helps prevent HIV in people who do not have it. PEP is medicine started after a possible HIV exposure. The CDC says PEP should begin within 72 hours of an exposure, so contact a clinic or emergency department quickly if this applies to you. Health Center 1 offers PrEP counseling to people who test negative for HIV, and the City describes PrEP as a pill or an injection. Mazzoni Center, Bebashi, Courage Medicine and the Philly, Keep On Loving TelePrEP program (Health Information Helpline 215-985-2437) also provide PrEP or related services, according to the City and the program. Cost and eligibility for TelePrEP were not published on the page reviewed, so ask the helpline.

Doxy-PEP

In 2024, the CDC issued guidance on doxycycline taken after sex (doxy-PEP) to lower the chance of some bacterial STIs. The CDC recommends that clinicians discuss it with gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and with transgender women, who had a bacterial STI in the past 12 months. Only a clinician can decide whether it fits you and prescribe it. Whether specific Philadelphia clinics offer doxy-PEP was not available for this guide, so ask when you call.

Vaccines

Vaccines can prevent several infections. Health Center 1 offers hepatitis A and B, HPV and mpox vaccines, and Philadelphia FIGHT's CDC listing includes a free mpox vaccine. Planned Parenthood's listings include HPV vaccine services. Ask which are available at your visit.

Condoms and other barriers

The CDC says condoms, used correctly, lower the chance of many STIs. Philly, Keep On Loving also offers free condoms and lube by mail to Philadelphia residents. Barriers do not remove all risk for infections spread by skin contact, so regular testing remains useful.

Your next step

Pick a route: the free walk-in city clinic, a community site, Planned Parenthood, your own clinician, or a free home kit.
Call to confirm hours, cost and whether you need an appointment.
Tell the clinician your history and ask which tests are included.
Ask how and when you will get results, and what happens if treatment is needed.
Ask your clinician how often to test again, and whether PrEP, vaccines or partner services apply to you.

If you are unsure where to start, call 311 for city health center questions or the STD Control Program at (215) 685-6740. You can also use the CDC's GetTested locator or the local testing list to find a site.

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