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.

Boston has more ways to get tested for sexually transmitted infections than most cities its size. There are free hospital-based clinics, a community health center built around LGBTQ+ care, neighborhood centers with sliding-scale fees, and walk-in hours on several evenings. This guide explains how those options fit together, what a visit involves, and what to ask for.

It covers std testing in Boston from first question to results. You will find clinic addresses, phone numbers and hours, what the published pages say about cost, what is usually tested, and how Massachusetts law treats privacy and minors. Everything local comes from the clinics, the Boston Public Health Commission, the City of Boston, the CDC and the Massachusetts Legislature, and each source is named where it is used.

Key takeaways

Several Boston clinics list free testing, including Boston Medical Center's STD clinic, Fenway Health, the Multicultural AIDS Coalition and the Boston Public Health Commission listing in the CDC directory.
Codman Square's X-Clinic and the Planned Parenthood and DotHouse listings use sliding-scale fees. Sliding scale means the fee is tied to what you can pay.
Walk-in hours exist at Fenway Health, Codman Square and the Multicultural AIDS Coalition. The Boston Medical Center clinic takes appointments by phone. Hours change, so call before you go.
Under Massachusetts law, a minor who reasonably believes they are at risk can consent to STI care without a parent. The City of Boston tells people 13 and older they can get a confidential test.
Ask which infections are included. A visit usually covers more than one test, and you can ask for specific ones.
Results for many tests take a few days. HIV tests have window periods set by the CDC, covered below.

Contents

Where to get tested in Boston
Boston clinics at a glance
What STD testing costs in Boston
What happens at a visit
What gets tested and what to ask for
Privacy, age and Massachusetts law
After the test: results, treatment and partners
Sources

Where to get tested in Boston

There are six common routes to an STI test in Boston. Each suits a different situation. The best choice is usually the one you can reach this week.

Public health and hospital-based STD clinics

These clinics focus on sexual health. The Boston STD Clinic at Boston Medical Center is the clearest example. Its page lists free routine testing for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and hepatitis C, along with PrEP, PEP and treatment. The Boston Public Health Commission also appears in the CDC's GetTested directory with HIV, hepatitis C, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis testing.

Community and LGBTQ+ health centers

Fenway Health runs a sexual health clinic with set walk-in hours. 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. The Multicultural AIDS Coalition in Roxbury lists free testing with walk-in and scheduled visits. Both are aimed at communities that have not always been well served by other clinics.

Neighborhood community health centers

Codman Square Health Center's X-Clinic in Dorchester offers walk-in "Express" visits for people without symptoms or a known exposure. It also offers telehealth and appointments. DotHouse Health, also in Dorchester, is listed in the CDC directory. These centers offer testing as part of regular care, with sliding-scale fees.

Planned Parenthood

The CDC's GetTested directory lists Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts at its Greater Boston Health Center on Commonwealth Avenue. It lists STI and HIV testing, rapid HIV testing, hepatitis C testing, PrEP and the HPV vaccine. It also says an appointment is required and that a sliding scale is offered.

Primary care and urgent care

A primary care clinician can order STI tests, and many urgent care centers can too. The Boston sources reviewed for this guide do not list specific urgent care sites or prices, so check directly with the office and your insurer. A primary care visit has one advantage: the clinician already knows your history and can arrange treatment and follow-up in one place.

At-home testing

At-home collection kits exist, but the Boston sources reviewed for this guide do not list a free local at-home program. This guide does not recommend any kit or company. If you are considering one, ask a clinician or the Boston Public Health Commission how results and follow-up care would work. A clinic visit also gives you access to treatment, prevention and counseling on the same day.

What the local numbers show

Testing is common here for a reason. Boston 25 News republished CDC county data for 2021 showing Suffolk County, which contains Boston, at 807.8 chlamydia cases per 100,000 people (6,230 cases), the highest in Massachusetts. The same source lists gonorrhea at 298.0 per 100,000 (2,298 cases). Suffolk County is larger than the city, so these are not Boston-only figures, and they come from a news report of CDC data rather than the CDC page itself. They show that testing is routine health care in this area, not something unusual.

To compare the options side by side, see the local testing list at free and low-cost clinics in Boston.

Boston clinics at a glance

The details below come from each clinic's own page or from the CDC's GetTested directory, as noted. Hours and policies change, so call before you travel. Where two published sources disagree, that is flagged.

Clinic	Address	Phone	Cost as published	Walk-in
Boston STD Clinic (Boston Medical Center)	725 Albany St., 9th Floor, Suite 9C, Boston, MA 02118	617-414-2803	Free routine testing; cost assistance for the uninsured	Not confirmed; appointments by phone
Fenway Health Sexual Health Clinic	1340 Boylston Street, 4th floor, Boston, MA 02215	617-267-0159	Insurance billed if you have it; free for uninsured patients through grant funding	Yes, on set days
X-Clinic at Codman Square Health Center	637 Washington St., Dorchester, MA 02124	617-822-8350	Sliding fee; accepts all insurance	Yes, Express visits
TrueCare@MAC (Multicultural AIDS Coalition)	9 Palmer Street, Roxbury, MA 02119	617-442-1622	Free	Yes; appointment optional
Boston Public Health Commission (CDC directory listing)	774 Albany St, Boston, MA 02118	617-534-3976	Free	Not confirmed
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Greater Boston Health Center	1055 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215	617-295-7235	Sliding scale; accepts insurance, Medicaid and Medicare	No; appointment required
DotHouse Health	1353 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02122	617-288-3230	Sliding scale; accepts Medicaid and Medicare	Not confirmed

Boston STD Clinic at Boston Medical Center

The clinic's page lists hours of Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The page also lists Tuesday with the 9 to 4 days, so confirm by phone. Appointments are made by phone or through MyChart for established patients. The page does not say whether walk-ins are accepted. It lists HIV testing, hepatitis C testing, PrEP, PEP and treatment. Boston Medical Center's clinic page has current details.

One note on addresses: the Boston Public Health Commission listing is at 774 Albany St, on the same street as Boston Medical Center but a different provider. Do not mix the two up when you plan your trip.

Fenway Health Sexual Health Clinic

Fenway's walk-in hours are first-come, first-served. They are Tuesday 1 to 7 p.m., Wednesday 3 to 7 p.m., Thursday 3 to 7 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. is by appointment only. Check-in closes 30 minutes before the end time. The main line is 617-267-0900. Fenway's page lists STI, HIV and hepatitis C testing, PrEP, PEP, doxy-PEP and treatment. It says results take 3 to 5 business days. Its page for STD testing services explains who the clinic serves and how billing works.

X-Clinic at Codman Square Health Center

Codman's Express visits are for people with no symptoms and no known exposure. They are walk-in during operating hours. Telehealth and appointments are also offered. Codman lists rapid HIV testing, PrEP, PEP and treatment, and says it provides testing and treatment regardless of citizenship status. Teen testing is confidential. For help with coverage, Codman lists 617-822-8162.

Codman's own pages list two different weekly schedules. One shows Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and evening hours on Tuesday and Thursday. The other shows a split Thursday evening session and different start and end times. Because the two disagree, call 617-822-8350 to confirm hours before you go. Details are on the X-Clinic page.

TrueCare@MAC at the Multicultural AIDS Coalition

The Multicultural AIDS Coalition lists general hours of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with testing from 10:30 to 4. Wednesday is 12 to 7 p.m., with testing from 12:30 to 6. Saturday is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with testing from 11:30 to 3. Sunday is not listed. You can book ahead or come without an appointment. Use the address on the Multicultural AIDS Coalition site. Another organization's page lists an older address, so do not rely on that one.

Boston Public Health Commission

The CDC's GetTested listing for the Boston Public Health Commission shows HIV (blood draw), hepatitis C, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis testing, plus case management. Hours are not listed there, and the CDC page says they may change. Call 617-534-3976 to confirm. For general questions, the Mayor's Health Line at 617-534-5050 offers free, confidential, multilingual health information and referral, according to the City of Boston. The commission's Infectious Disease Bureau is reachable at 617-534-5395.

Planned Parenthood and DotHouse Health

Both are described here from their CDC GetTested listings, not from their own web pages. The listing for Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts shows an appointment requirement and a sliding scale, with PrEP navigation. The listing for DotHouse Health shows Medicaid, Medicare and sliding-scale fees, plus PrEP navigation and case management. Languages listed are English, Portuguese and Spanish. The CDC listing says an appointment is required, while another Boston resource list mentions walk-in testing through urgent care. Call 617-288-3230 to find out which applies.

What STD testing costs in Boston

Cost is the most common reason people put off testing, and in Boston it is often less of a barrier than expected. The published information falls into three groups.

Free testing

Boston Medical Center's STD clinic page describes free routine testing for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and hepatitis C. It also mentions cost assistance for people without insurance. The Multicultural AIDS Coalition and the Boston Public Health Commission listing both show free testing. Check what each visit includes, because "free" usually refers to the routine tests listed on the page.

Insurance billed, with free care if you are uninsured

Fenway Health's page says the clinic bills insurance if you have it. It also says Quest Labs bills insurance directly and that patients are responsible for Quest charges. Uninsured patients can be seen free through grant funding. Fenway's page does not mention a sliding scale. If you have insurance and want to avoid a surprise bill, ask Fenway how the lab charges would apply to you before the visit.

Sliding-scale fees

Codman Square's X-Clinic accepts all insurance and uses a sliding fee schedule. Planned Parenthood and DotHouse Health are listed in the CDC directory with sliding scales as well. These pages do not publish dollar amounts, so ask for the fee when you call.

Primary care, urgent care and at-home kits

The sources reviewed for this guide do not publish prices for primary care or urgent care STI tests in Boston. They also do not list a free local at-home program. For these routes, your cost depends on your insurance plan and the provider. Call the office, ask what would be billed, and ask if a lower-cost option exists.

Questions that help you avoid a surprise bill

Is the visit itself free, and are lab charges handled separately?
Which tests are included in the routine panel?
If I have insurance, will it be billed, and will a statement go to the policyholder's address?
Is there a sliding scale or financial help if I am uninsured?

The question about statements matters for privacy. If you are on a parent's or partner's plan, an insurance statement can show what was billed. Ask the clinic what its billing process is, or ask about a free or sliding-scale option that does not use your insurance.

What happens at a visit

A first STI visit is usually shorter and more routine than people expect. Here is the typical flow, based on how the CDC describes clinical STI care.

Before you go

Call or check the clinic page for hours, whether you need an appointment, and what to bring. If you have insurance, bring the card. If you do not, say so when you call. Several Boston clinics have funding for uninsured patients. If you are not comfortable speaking English, Boston's Mayor's Health Line (617-534-5050) offers multilingual information, and DotHouse lists Portuguese and Spanish.

Check-in and conversation

A nurse, clinician or counselor will ask about symptoms, recent partners and the kinds of sex you have. The CDC recommends that clinicians take a sexual history so they can choose the right tests. Answers help decide which body sites to test. You can ask them to explain why they are asking something, and you can say what you would rather not discuss.

Sample collection

Depending on the infections being tested and your history, collection may involve:

A urine sample.
A swab of the throat, vagina, penis or rectum. Some clinics let you collect the swab yourself in private.
A blood draw or finger-stick for HIV, syphilis or hepatitis C.
A swab of a sore, if there is one.

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) note that testing at the body sites where sex occurs matters, because a urine test alone can miss infections in the throat or rectum.

Rapid and lab tests

Some clinics, including Codman Square and the Planned Parenthood and DotHouse listings, mention rapid HIV testing. Many other results come from a lab, so you leave without an answer. Fenway's page says results take 3 to 5 business days. Ask the clinic how you will hear: a phone call, a patient portal or a return visit.

Prevention talk

A visit is also a chance to ask about prevention. Most Boston clinics in this guide list PrEP or PEP. Fenway's page also lists doxy-PEP. Vaccines for HPV are listed by Planned Parenthood and DotHouse. You do not have to decide anything on the spot, but it is a good time to ask what applies to you.

What gets tested and what to ask for

Not every visit tests for every infection. A routine panel at many clinics covers a core set. Asking questions makes sure your visit covers what applies to you.

The core tests

The Boston clinic pages most often list HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and hepatitis C. These match the infections the CDC and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) address most often in screening recommendations.

HIV: The CDC recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64 be tested at least once, and more often for people with ongoing risk. USPSTF recommends screening for adolescents and adults ages 15 to 65.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea: USPSTF recommends screening for sexually active women 24 and younger, and for older women at increased risk. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) also recommend at least yearly screening for sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, at the body sites where they have sex.
Syphilis: The CDC recommends screening for pregnant people and for men who have sex with men. USPSTF recommends screening for people at increased risk.
Hepatitis C: The CDC recommends testing adults at least once, and testing during each pregnancy. USPSTF recommends screening for adults ages 18 to 79.

These recommendations are starting points. A clinician can tell you which tests fit your situation.

Tests you may need to ask about

Some infections are not part of a routine panel, so it helps to ask directly.

Trichomoniasis: The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend testing for women with symptoms or at increased risk, and for people with HIV. Ask whether it is included.
Herpes: The CDC does not generally recommend routine blood testing for herpes in people without symptoms. If you have a sore, a clinician can swab it. If you are worried, ask what testing makes sense in your case.
HPV: There is no routine HPV test for men. Cervical cancer screening for women looks for HPV or its effects on cervical cells. HPV vaccination is a separate question for your clinician.
Throat and rectal swabs: If you have oral or anal sex, ask for tests at those sites.
Hepatitis B: Ask about testing and vaccination status if it is not mentioned.

Window periods

A window period is the time between an exposure and when a test can reliably detect an infection. The CDC publishes these for HIV:

Nucleic acid tests (NAT): can detect HIV 10 to 33 days after exposure.
Antigen/antibody tests done on a lab blood draw: 18 to 45 days after exposure.
Rapid antigen/antibody tests done with a finger stick: 18 to 90 days after exposure.
Antibody tests: 23 to 90 days after exposure.

If you had a recent exposure, tell the clinician when it happened. They can decide which test to use and whether to repeat it later. For other infections, the right timing depends on the test, so ask the clinician rather than guessing. If an exposure was within the last 72 hours, the CDC says to contact a clinician or clinic quickly about PEP, which is a prescription medicine that can lower the chance of HIV infection after an exposure.

Who may want testing sooner or more often

The CDC suggests more frequent testing for people with new or multiple partners, a partner who has tested positive, or a partner with other partners. It also suggests testing during pregnancy. Needing a test is not a judgment. It is routine care, much like a cholesterol check.

Privacy, age and Massachusetts law

Minors and consent

Massachusetts General Laws chapter 112, section 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, or to HIV prevention if sexually active, without a parent's consent. The statute says that consent cannot later be undone because of the person's age. It also keeps records confidential between the minor and the provider. The one exception is that a parent or guardian must be told if the minor's life or limb is seriously endangered. The consent does not cover abortion or sterilization.

The part of the statute reviewed here does not state a minimum age. The City of Boston's Getting Tested for STIs page tells people 13 or older that they can get a confidential STI test without parental permission. Codman Square also lists teen testing as confidential. A young person who is unsure can call the Mayor's Health Line at 617-534-5050.

Who gets told about a result

Massachusetts law has public health reporting rules. M.G.L. chapter 111, section 111, says cases of venereal disease are reported to local boards of health, directly or through the state health department, under department rules. The Massachusetts Legislature's text of chapter 111, section 119, makes those reports and records non-public. They can be disclosed only on a judicial order or to officials whose duties entitle them. In plain terms, reports go to health officials for tracking, and the law restricts who else can see them. Which diseases are reportable is set by the health department, and the sources reviewed here do not list them, so ask the Boston Public Health Commission or your clinic if you want specifics.

Immigration status and cost

Codman Square's page says it provides testing and treatment regardless of citizenship status. Other clinics' pages reviewed here do not address the question, so ask when you call.

HIV and the law

The Center for HIV Law and Policy reports that Massachusetts has an HIV-specific enhancement, meaning heightened penalties for a person living with HIV who is accused of violating a general criminal law. Other sources describe the law differently, and the citation was not confirmed. If you have questions about disclosure and the law, a legal aid organization or the Boston Public Health Commission can point you to current information.

After the test: results, treatment and partners

Getting results

Ask how and when you will hear back before you leave. If the clinic says results take a few business days and you do not hear, call. Do not assume that no news is a result in either direction. A clinician can explain what a result means for you, including whether anything should be repeated.

Treatment

Treatment is something a clinician prescribes, based on the infection and your health history. Bacterial infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, and the parasite infection trichomoniasis, are curable with treatment from a clinician. HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable, but they are treatable or manageable. For HIV, ongoing care from a clinician can keep a person healthy. Your clinic will tell you what is prescribed and whether to return for follow-up testing.

Telling partners

Letting recent partners know can feel hard. Many clinics can help, and the Boston Public Health Commission's Infectious Disease Bureau (617-534-5395) is a resource for questions about partner notification. Massachusetts also has a law on expedited partner therapy. M.G.L. chapter 111, section 121B, directs the state health department to issue rules letting clinicians prescribe and dispense medicine to partners of patients diagnosed with chlamydia or other STIs that are suitable under national standards. The CDC's page on the legal status of this practice in Massachusetts describes it for chlamydia. Ask your clinician whether it applies to your situation.

Prevention options to ask about

PrEP: a prescription medicine taken to lower the chance of getting HIV. Boston Medical Center, Fenway Health, Codman Square, Planned Parenthood and DotHouse all list PrEP services or navigation.
PEP: a prescription medicine used after a possible HIV exposure. The CDC says to seek it as soon as possible, within 72 hours.
Doxy-PEP: the CDC's 2024 guidance describes doxycycline taken after sex to lower the chance of certain bacterial STIs for some groups, such as men who have sex with men and transgender women who have had a bacterial STI in the past year. A clinician decides whether it fits and what to prescribe. Fenway Health lists it among its services.
Vaccines: hepatitis B and HPV vaccines are routine preventive care. Planned Parenthood and DotHouse list the HPV vaccine.

When to go back

Regular testing is part of staying healthy for many people, and the right schedule depends on your partners and health. Ask your clinician how often to return. If you notice new symptoms, a new exposure, or a partner tells you about an infection, contact a clinic rather than waiting for your next scheduled visit.

Next steps

The CDC runs a national directory at gettested.cdc.gov where you can search for testing sites by ZIP code. The City of Boston's Getting Tested for STIs page is the starting point from the city itself. If you are not sure where to begin, call the Mayor's Health Line at 617-534-5050. It is free, confidential and available in multiple languages.

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