Tested Positive for an STD: What to Do Next

By Richard D. Porter, Patient Advocate Updated October 26, 2026

Quick answer

Contact a clinician soon to get treatment. Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis can be cured with the right medicine from a healthcare provider, and trichomoniasis can be treated with medicine too. Take all of it, avoid sex until you and your partners are treated, tell recent partners so they can be tested, and plan to retest about three months later. HIV and herpes can't be cured but can be managed, and a first positive HIV result needs a follow-up test to confirm it.

The test you need

Test: Retest for the infection you were treated for (chlamydia, gonorrhea or trichomoniasis)
Sample: Urine or a swab, as your clinician orders. Syphilis is followed with blood tests.
When: About 3 months after treatment (CDC)

A positive result is hard to read on a screen or hear over the phone. It helps to know that for the most common bacterial infections the next steps are clear, and they are mostly short.

I tested positive for an STD. What happens now?

The first step is to contact a clinician. That can be your own doctor, a health department clinic, an urgent care clinic or a family planning center. Chlamydia and gonorrhea can be cured with the right medicine from a healthcare provider, and CDC stresses taking all of it exactly as directed. Syphilis is also curable with the right antibiotics, though treatment might not undo damage the infection has already caused. Trichomoniasis is treated with pills prescribed by a healthcare provider.

Don’t take leftover medicine or someone else’s. The right medicine depends on which infection it is and on factors like pregnancy and allergies.

What if my positive result is for HIV or herpes?

Neither can be cured, but both can be managed. CDC says there is no cure for HIV, but HIV treatment can reduce the amount of virus in your body, and a person with an undetectable viral load will not transmit HIV through sex. A first positive HIV antibody test needs a follow-up test to confirm it. If you tested at home, CDC says to go to a healthcare provider for follow-up testing.

For herpes, CDC says there is no cure, and the infection is manageable with medicine. A clinician can explain what a positive blood test does and doesn’t tell you. For example, a herpes blood test can’t say when you got the infection or who gave it to you.

Can a positive STD test be wrong?

Sometimes, which is why a clinician may repeat a test or confirm it a different way. A positive HIV antibody test needs a confirming test. A chlamydia test repeated too soon after treatment can come back positive because of leftover bacteria that are no longer alive. A positive result from a mailed kit or online service is still worth taking to a clinician.

Do I need to tell my partners?

Yes. CDC advises that your partner needs medical care as soon as possible, and suggests being honest and straightforward. Sex partners from the 60 days before your symptoms started or your diagnosis should be evaluated, and your most recent partner should be evaluated and treated even if that was longer ago. CDC describes expedited partner therapy, where a partner gets treatment without a separate exam, for chlamydia and gonorrhea, and links to a state-by-state page on its legal status. Our page on telling a partner covers wording and anonymous options.

When can I have sex again?

Wait until you and your partners have all finished treatment. For chlamydia, CDC says to wait seven days after you take your medicine, or until you finish all of it if you were given a course. For gonorrhea, wait seven days after you finish all of your medicine. Having sex before your partner is treated can pass the infection back to you.

Do I need to retest after treatment?

For chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, CDC advises retesting about three months after treatment, even if you believe your partners were treated. Most repeat infections come from reinfection, not from treatment that failed. Syphilis follows its own schedule, and your clinician will arrange follow-up blood tests. If you are pregnant, ask about a sooner retest, because chlamydia is checked about four weeks after treatment in pregnancy.

How do I get treated without a regular doctor?

CDC says low-cost and free options exist, and most are little to no cost. Its GetTested site helps you find confidential testing sites by location. When you call, say you have a positive result and ask whether they treat the same day and what it costs.

What about syphilis and trichomoniasis?

For syphilis, CDC says follow-up testing by your healthcare provider is necessary to make sure treatment worked, so keep those appointments even if you feel fine. For trichomoniasis, CDC says to get retested about three months after treatment and that your sex partners should receive treatment at the same time, to avoid reinfection.

Get care now if

You have severe pain in your lower belly or pelvis, especially with a fever
You have sudden pain or swelling in a testicle
You are pregnant and your result was positive. Call your prenatal provider promptly
You may have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours. Go to urgent care or an emergency room now and ask about PEP (care first, test later)
Your symptoms are getting worse or come back after treatment

Call 911 for a medical emergency. Otherwise, an urgent care clinic, sexual health clinic or your doctor can see you.

When to test

NowContact a clinician for treatment. If your result came from a home kit or an online service, CDC says to see a health care provider for follow-up testing. A first positive HIV result needs a follow-up test to confirm.
Until you and your partners are treatedAvoid sex. For chlamydia, CDC says to wait 7 days after taking your medicine (or until you finish all of it if you were given a course). For gonorrhea, wait 7 days after finishing all of your medicine.
About 3 months after treatmentCDC advises retesting after treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, even if your partners were treated, because getting the infection again is common.
As your clinician advisesSyphilis needs follow-up testing to make sure treatment worked. HIV and herpes need ongoing care rather than a retest.

Common questions

Is a positive STD test always right?

Usually, but not always. For example, an HIV antibody test that comes back positive needs a follow-up test to confirm it, and a chlamydia test done too soon after treatment can still pick up leftover, non-living bacteria. A clinician can tell you whether your result needs a second test.

Do I need to tell everyone I've slept with?

CDC advises telling your recent partners so they can get tested and treated. For chlamydia and gonorrhea that means partners from the 60 days before your symptoms started or before your diagnosis, and your most recent partner even if it was longer ago. If you can't face a direct conversation, your clinic or health department can notify partners without using your name.

Will treatment make my test negative straight away?

Not always. A chlamydia test repeated less than 4 weeks after treatment is not recommended because it can still be positive. Herpes antibody tests stay positive because the antibodies persist, and some syphilis blood tests stay positive for life even after successful treatment. See the page on how long you test positive after treatment.

Can I be tested and treated for free or cheaply?

Often, yes. CDC says many clinics provide confidential testing that is free or low-cost, and its GetTested site helps you find one. Costs depend on where you go and whether you have insurance.

Next: Retest for the infection you were treated for (chlamydia, gonorrhea or trichomoniasis).

Urine or a swab, as your clinician orders. Syphilis is followed with blood tests.. About 3 months after treatment (CDC)

Sources

This guide is general information written by a patient advocate using public health sources. It is not a diagnosis. Only a clinician or a lab test can tell you whether you have an infection. Read how we write and check our guides.