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.

Most guides to STD testing in Boston, MA assume you can get to a clinic in the city. Many people in Massachusetts cannot. You might live in a smaller town, work far from Boston, or be away at school.

This guide shows you how to build a testing plan using statewide and national tools. It also explains which Massachusetts protections follow you wherever you go.

One note on what is published. The Boston Public Health Commission and the clinics it works with describe services in Boston and its neighborhoods. They do not publish a list of clinics in other Massachusetts communities. So this article teaches you how to find and check those clinics yourself. It does not name places it cannot verify.

What you need before you start

A phone, or a computer, for a few short calls and a directory search.
Your insurance card, if you have insurance. If you do not, that is fine. Several clinics below offer free or sliding scale testing.
A rough list of the tests you want to ask about, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis C.
A short note about when you last had sex or a possible exposure. A clinician uses this to choose the right tests and timing.
A way to get to the clinic and, if needed, a way to receive a call about results.
About 20 minutes to make calls.

Step 1: Start with the national directory

The CDC runs a directory called GetTested. You enter a ZIP code and it lists nearby organizations that offer STI, HIV and hepatitis testing. Several Boston-area clinics appear there, including the Boston Public Health Commission, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and DotHouse Health.

Search by your own ZIP code rather than a Boston one. Then note two or three options, not just the closest one.

Treat the directory as a starting point. The CDC page itself says hours and services can change. A listing is not a promise that a clinic is open today or taking new patients.

Step 2: Call the Mayor's Health Line if you want a person to point the way

The City of Boston runs the Mayor's Health Line at 617-534-5050. The City says it offers free, confidential, multilingual health information and referral. If you are unsure where to begin, this is a reasonable first call.

The Boston Public Health Commission Infectious Disease Bureau is at 617-534-5395. The published materials describe these services for Boston residents. If you live elsewhere, ask the staff what they can share about finding care near you.

Step 3: Contact your local board of health

Massachusetts has local boards of health, and they are part of how the state tracks infectious disease. Under M.G.L. c. 111, s. 111, venereal disease cases are reported to local boards of health, directly or through the state Department of Public Health.

That reporting is confidential. M.G.L. c. 111, s. 119 makes those reports and records non-public. They can be disclosed only on a judicial order or to officials whose duties entitle them to see them.

Your town's board of health may not run a clinic. You can still ask whether it knows of testing options nearby. Check with the board directly, since this article cannot say what each town offers.

Step 4: Compare clinics on four questions

Once you have a short list, call each place and ask the same four things:

Which tests do you offer? Ask about chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis C by name. Also ask whether you can add tests for other sites of possible exposure, such as the throat or rectum.
What will it cost me? Ask about insurance billing, sliding scale fees and what happens if you have no insurance.
Do I need an appointment? Ask about walk-in hours and how long a visit usually takes.
How will I get results? Ask whether results come by phone, portal or in person, and how long that takes.

If a clinic's page does not list a price or an hour, say so to yourself and ask. Do not assume.

Step 5: Know what Boston-area clinics publish, in case travel is possible

If you can reach Boston, the neighborhood clinics below publish their details. The local testing list has the full set, and the longer guide to where to get tested and what it costs covers each in more depth.

X-Clinic at Codman Square Health Center, 637 Washington St., Dorchester, 617-822-8350. It lists a sliding fee schedule and accepts all insurance. Its page says it offers testing and treatment regardless of citizenship status. Its two published schedules differ, so call to confirm hours.
TrueCare@MAC testing (Multicultural AIDS Coalition), 9 Palmer Street, Roxbury, 617-442-1622. It lists free testing, with or without an appointment.
DotHouse Health, 1353 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, 617-288-3230. The CDC directory lists sliding scale fees. Sources differ on whether an appointment is required, so call first.
Boston STD Clinic at Boston Medical Center, 725 Albany St., 9th Floor, Suite 9C, 617-414-2803. Its page lists free routine testing for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and hepatitis C. It does not say whether walk-ins are accepted, so call.

Fenway Health Sexual Health Clinic, 1340 Boylston Street, 617-267-0159, lists walk-in hours and says uninsured patients can be seen free through grant funding. Its page says it is open to gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, transgender and gender diverse people, and their partners.

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Greater Boston Health Center, 1055 Commonwealth Ave, 617-295-7235, is listed by the CDC directory as appointment-only with a sliding scale.

Step 6: Understand your consent and privacy rights

Massachusetts law protects young people who seek care. M.G.L. c. 112, s. 12F says a minor who reasonably believes they are at risk of exposure from sexual activity may consent to care to diagnose or treat the disease. They can also consent to HIV prevention if sexually active. A parent's consent is not required.

The City of Boston tells people 13 or older that they can get a confidential STI test without parental permission. That age comes from the City's guidance. The statute as read does not state a minimum age.

The same law says records are confidential between the minor and the clinician. The exception is when the minor's life or limb is seriously endangered, in which case the provider must notify a parent or guardian.

Step 7: Ask about partner treatment and prevention

If a clinician diagnoses chlamydia, Massachusetts allows expedited partner therapy. Under M.G.L. c. 111, s. 121B and the state's regulation, a clinician can prescribe treatment for a patient's partners. The CDC's page on Massachusetts lists only chlamydia under that regulation. Ask your clinician whether it applies to you.

You can also ask about prevention. Several clinics listed above offer PrEP, and some list PEP. Fenway Health lists doxy-PEP, which the CDC addressed in its 2024 guidance. Whether any of these fit your situation is a decision for you and a clinician.

Tips and common mistakes

Calling only once. Hours change. Call the day before you go.
Relying on one listing. Directories and clinic pages sometimes disagree. When they do, trust the clinic's phone line.
Assuming insurance is the only route. Several clinics above list free or sliding scale testing.
Skipping the results question. Fenway Health lists results in 3 to 5 business days. Other clinics may differ, so ask each one.
Forgetting the timing question. The CDC notes that how soon a test can detect an infection depends on the infection and the test. Ask the clinician how timing applies to your situation.
Waiting for symptoms. Many STIs cause no symptoms, according to the CDC. A clinician can advise on which tests suit you.

What to expect afterward

Many people find the visit short and straightforward. You may give a urine sample, a swab or a blood draw, depending on the tests. Results may arrive within a few days, though timing varies by clinic and test.

If a result is positive, a clinician can explain next steps. 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.

If a result is negative, a clinician can tell you what it means for your situation and when to test again. No test is perfect, so follow-up advice matters.

Why local rates are worth knowing

CDC county data for 2021, reported by Boston 25 News, listed Suffolk County at 807.8 chlamydia cases per 100,000 people. That was the highest in Massachusetts. The gonorrhea rate was 298.0 per 100,000. Suffolk County is larger than the city of Boston, so these are not city-only figures.

These numbers describe a county, not you. They are one reason routine testing is a common, ordinary part of health care.

Massachusetts STD Testing Resources Beyond Boston