Planned Parenthood STD Testing: Cost and What to Expect

Planned Parenthood offers STD testing, with in-person and telehealth appointments. Its own guide puts the cost at $0 to $250, and what you actually pay depends on your health center and your situation. This page covers what moves the price, how to get a firm quote, and what a visit usually involves.

How much does STD testing cost at Planned Parenthood?

Planned Parenthood says STD testing costs anywhere from $0 to $250, depending on which STDs you’re tested for and whether you have symptoms or need an exam. It lists what shapes the price at its health centers:

• The service you need, which for testing means which tests.
• Your health insurance, if any, and what your plan covers.
• The funding your health center receives.
• State or local programs that can help cover the cost of your visit.
• How much money you make. Many Planned Parenthood health centers give free or low-cost STD tests depending on income.

Planned Parenthood says its staff will talk with you about costs at your visit.

Ask for the total in writing or by message, with and without insurance, before you book. That one request prevents most billing surprises.

Does insurance cover STD testing at Planned Parenthood?

It can. Healthcare.gov lists HIV screening for people aged 15 to 65 (and other ages at increased risk), syphilis screening for adults at higher risk, hepatitis B screening for people at high risk, hepatitis C screening for adults 18 to 79, and STI prevention counseling for adults at higher risk. It says these are generally covered at no cost when provided by an in-network medical provider, and that $0 is not guaranteed in all cases.

Ask the center two things: is it in your plan’s network, and will the specific tests you want be billed as preventive screening?

What STD tests will they offer me?

The tests depend on who you are and what you have been exposed to, so there is no single menu. The CDC’s screening recommendations give a sense of how it works:

• HIV: everyone aged 13 to 64 at least once, and at least annually for sexually active men who have sex with men if HIV status is unknown or negative.
• Chlamydia and gonorrhea: sexually active women under 25, and at least annually at the sites of contact for sexually active men who have sex with men.
• Syphilis: people at increased risk, and all pregnant people at the first prenatal visit.

If you want something specific, such as a throat or rectal swab, say so when you book. CDC gonorrhea guidance points to testing the anatomic sites of exposure, and not every setting collects every sample.

What happens at the visit?

The CDC’s guide for clinicians says a sexual history should be taken as part of routine health care. It asks about oral, anal and genital sex, because different tests are used for different body parts. The samples collected depend on the tests you need, so ask the center which ones it takes.

If a rapid HIV test is used, the CDC says results are ready in 30 minutes or less. Other tests go to a lab, so ask how and when you will hear.

What are the alternatives if cost is a concern?

• The CDC’s Get Tested site (gettested.cdc.gov) helps you find fast, free or low-cost, confidential testing near you, including self-collection options.
• Title X clinics. The HHS Office of Population Affairs says they offer free or low-cost STI testing, and you can search by city, state or zip code.
• Your own clinician, if you have one and insurance.

See free STD testing near me for how to use these.

What if I might have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours?

Skip the appointment queue. HIV.gov says PEP must be started within 72 hours of a possible exposure or it won’t work, and says to contact a health care provider immediately or go to an emergency room or urgent care clinic right away. Test afterward.