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.

Telling someone about an STD is one of the harder conversations in sexual health. It is also one of the most useful. A calm, clear talk gives your partner the chance to get tested and treated, and it protects you both from passing an infection back and forth.

This guide walks through how to tell your partner about an STD, step by step. It also explains expedited partner therapy in Texas and where to get free or low-cost care in Austin.

Many people carry an STI at some point. Getting a result is a health event, not a verdict on who you are.

Why partners need testing and treatment too

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend that sex partners of a person with an STI be evaluated, tested and treated when needed. The reason is practical.

A partner may have the same infection and not know it, because many STIs cause no symptoms, according to the CDC.
If you are treated and your partner is not, the infection can pass back to you. Clinicians call this reinfection.
Untreated infections can lead to health problems over time, which the CDC describes for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.

That is why partner notification for an STD matters. It is not about blame. It is how an infection stops circulating.

What you need before the conversation

Your own information. Know what infection a clinician named, what treatment they prescribed, and what they told you about when sex is safe again.
A private, unhurried setting. Choose somewhere you will not be interrupted. Avoid public places and avoid bringing it up in the middle of sex.
A few facts from the CDC. The CDC's STI pages at cdc.gov explain each infection in plain language. You can share one with your partner afterward.
A list of places to test. Have two or three options ready, such as the ones in our guide to STD testing in Austin.
A support person or a plan for after. A friend to text, a walk, a favorite meal. You may feel wrung out afterward.
Your clinician's phone number. You may want to ask them about expedited partner therapy or partner notification help.

Step-by-step: how to tell someone about an STD

Step 1: Get your own facts straight first

Before you talk to anyone, ask your clinician what they can tell you. Useful questions include:

Is this infection treatable or curable? (The CDC says bacterial STIs and trichomoniasis are curable with treatment from a clinician. HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable, but they are treatable or manageable.)
Which partners should be tested, and how far back should I think?
When is it safe to have sex again?
Can my partner get treatment without a visit?

Knowing these answers makes the conversation shorter and calmer.

Step 2: Decide who needs to hear it

Your clinician can tell you which recent partners should be told. Write the names down. You do not have to tell everyone on the same day. Start with the person who most needs the information soonest, usually a current partner.

Step 3: Pick the right way to tell each person

In person is best for a current partner. A phone call works when you cannot meet. A text can be a reasonable choice when you feel unsafe, or when the person is a past partner you have not seen in a long time.

If you have reason to fear a violent or controlling reaction, tell your clinician. They can talk through safer options with you.

Step 4: Open with care, then say it plainly

Start with why you are telling them, then name the infection. Here is a script you can adapt:

"I want to tell you something because I care about your health. I got tested and a clinician told me I have [infection]. It is [treatable/curable/manageable]. Because we have been together, I think you should get tested too. I can help you find a place if that would be useful."

For a past partner, you might say:

"I'm reaching out because I recently learned I have [infection]. You may want to get tested. I'm sorry to bring this up out of the blue, and I wanted you to have the information."

Use plain words. Say "I tested positive" or "a clinician told me," not vague hints. Keep it short. You do not owe a detailed history.

Step 5: Offer next steps, not guesses

Do not tell your partner they have the infection. Only a test can tell them that. Say what they can do:

See a clinician or a clinic for testing.
Ask about treatment for partners, including expedited partner therapy (see below).
Avoid sex until a clinician says it is safe.

You can also point to gettested.cdc.gov, the CDC's locator for testing sites.

Step 6: Let them react

Your partner may be quiet, angry, worried or relieved. Any of these is normal. You do not have to defend yourself or resolve everything that night.

A helpful line: "You can take some time. I'm happy to talk again when you're ready."

Step 7: Follow through

Complete the treatment your clinician prescribed. Skip sex until your clinician says it is safe, and ask whether you need a repeat test later. The CDC recommends retesting for some infections, so ask what applies to you.

Expedited partner therapy in Texas

Expedited partner therapy, often shortened to EPT, means a clinician may prescribe treatment for a patient's partner without first examining that partner. It is meant to get partners treated faster when they cannot easily get to a clinic. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) describe EPT mainly for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Whether it fits your situation is a decision for your clinician.

What does Texas allow? The CDC's page on the legal status of EPT in Texas says:

Texas has no EPT statute. The legal basis is administrative rules.
Under a Texas Medical Board rule, a physician does not need a practitioner-patient relationship with the partner to prescribe STD medications for partners of the physician's established patient.
Advanced practice registered nurses may order or prescribe STD medications for partners of an established patient. They are not required to.
Pharmacists may dispense partner STD prescriptions without a physician-partner relationship, and the partner's name is not required on the label.

In plain terms, EPT is legal in Texas, but it is up to the clinician. It is permitted, not guaranteed. Ask your clinician directly whether they offer it for your infection.

EPT does not replace a partner's own visit. A partner still benefits from a full exam and testing, including for infections they may not have been checked for. The CDC notes that EPT is not a substitute for medical evaluation when a partner can get one.

Partner notification services in Austin

Some health departments offer to notify partners for you without giving out your name. Austin Public Health's Sexual Health Clinic page does not describe a service like that, so call the clinic at 512-972-5430 and ask what help is available.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) lists chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV as notifiable conditions in Texas. That means clinicians and labs report them to public health, with time limits that vary by infection. Ask your clinician what happens after a report in your case.

Where to get tested or treated in Austin

If you or a partner need testing, these Austin options are listed by their own organizations. Hours, fees and walk-in rules can change, and Austin Public Health notes its website may be slow to update, so call to confirm.

Austin Public Health Sexual Health Clinic (RBJ Health Center), 15 Waller Street, 78702. The standard tests are HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Genital herpes testing is only offered with active symptoms. The clinic states the fee for testing and treatment is $30. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. Call 512-972-5430 or schedule online through the clinic page.
Kind Clinic, 101 W Koenig Lane, Suite 100, 78751. Offers walk-in testing for gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, HIV and hepatitis C. Walk-in testing is not offered at the South Austin location. Call 833-937-5463. The clinic's page does not list a self-pay price, so ask about costs.
CommUnityCare IDEALhealth Program, 1000 E. 41st St., Suite 700, 78751. Offers STI and HIV testing and prevention. Fees follow a sliding scale set in a meeting with a financial eligibility specialist. Call 512-978-9015.
ASHwell Sexual Health + Wellness, 3100 Red River St., Suite 3, 78705. ASHwell says its testing and counseling services are always free, though medication may cost. It does not accept walk-ins. Call (512) 900-3116.
Vivent Health, 104 E. Highland Mall Blvd, Suite 100, 78752. Says its HIV testing is free and confidential. Call (512) 458-2437 for walk-in hours or an appointment.
UT Austin University Health Services. For UT students, drop-in testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV and syphilis at the Student Services Building, Room 1.400. Drop-in is for people without symptoms. Call 512-471-4955.

Prefer to test at home? Texas DSHS runs Test for Texas, a free mail-order program for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia self-tests, at testfortexas.org. You can also find sites across the country at gettested.cdc.gov.

Tips for a better conversation

Lead with care. "I'm telling you because I care about you" lands better than a long apology.
Stay factual. Say what a clinician told you. Skip guessing about who gave it to whom. Many STIs can go unnoticed for a long time, so the source is often unknowable.
Bring a resource. A CDC page or a clinic phone number gives your partner a next step.
Keep it private. Do not share your partner's reaction or health with others without their consent.
Use the same approach for every partner. Gender and orientation do not change the steps.

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting too long. Delay gives an infection more time to spread or return.
Telling a partner they definitely have it. Only testing can say.
Promising what you cannot know. Do not say "it's nothing" or "it will go away." Say what your clinician said.
Sending a partner's medication without a clinician. Only a clinician can prescribe. Do not share your own pills.
Using shame or blame. It makes the conversation harder for both of you.
Assuming EPT is available everywhere. In Texas it is permitted but optional for clinicians, so ask.

If you are a minor or have legal questions

Under Texas Family Code Sec. 32.003, a minor of any age may consent to diagnosis and treatment of a reportable infectious disease, which includes reportable STIs and HIV, and parental consent is not needed. The same section allows a physician to tell a parent or guardian about the treatment, so a provider may not promise it will stay private from family. Ask the clinic about its practice before the visit.

On disclosure and the law, CDC's 2023 analysis placed Texas in the category with no HIV-specific or STD-specific criminal exposure law, though general criminal laws can still apply. If you have a legal concern, an attorney is the right person to ask.

What to expect afterward

Every situation is different, but here is what often happens.

Many partners, after an initial reaction, appreciate being told and go get tested.
Testing and treatment, when needed, can lower the chance that the infection returns or spreads, according to the CDC.
Some conversations are hard, and a relationship may change. That does not mean you did the wrong thing.
You may want more support. Your clinician, a counselor or a trusted friend can help.

No method works every time, and no test is perfect. A clinician can explain what a result means for you and when to retest.

The short version

Get your facts from your clinician.
Decide who needs to hear and in what order.
Choose a private way to tell each person.
Say it plainly and kindly.
Point to testing, and ask about EPT.
Let them react.
Finish treatment and follow your clinician's advice.

How to Tell a Partner You Have an STD (and Expedited Partner Therapy in Texas)