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Choosing a Sexual Health Clinic in Austin

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Choosing a Sexual Health Clinic in Austin

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.

Austin has more than one kind of sexual health clinic, and they don't all work the same way. The city health department runs a clinic with a flat fee, a few nonprofits offer free or sliding-scale visits, a national chain offers walk-in testing at one location but not another, and UT Austin runs a drop-in clinic for its own students. Picking the right one comes down to what you need, what you can pay, and how soon you want to be seen. This guide walks through that decision step by step.

What You'll Need Before You Start

  • A short, honest list of why you want to be seen: routine screening, a specific symptom, a new or recent partner, or an interest in prevention care like PrEP or PEP.
  • Any health insurance card you have. Some Austin clinics don't require it, but a few now ask patients with insurance to use it for lab work.
  • A way to pay a fee if the clinic you choose charges one. Several Austin options are free or offer a sliding scale based on income.
  • Photo ID, in case the clinic you call asks for one. Requirements vary by clinic, so ask when you call.
  • Time for the visit itself, and possibly a second visit if a clinician recommends treatment.

Steps to Choose a Sexual Health Clinic in Austin

  1. Decide what you actually need from the visit. A visit for routine screening with no symptoms is different from a visit because something feels off, and both are different from a visit to ask about PrEP or doxy-PEP. The CDC's STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) note that no single test checks for every infection, so being clear about your reason for the visit helps the clinic recommend the right tests. A clinician, not a general web search, is the right person to tell you which tests fit your situation.

  2. Compare what each clinic actually tests for. Austin's options differ here. The Austin Public Health Sexual Health Clinic at the RBJ Health Center says its standard tests are HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, and that herpes testing is only available if a patient has active symptoms. CommUnityCare's IDEALhealth program at the Hancock Health Center lists STI and HIV testing, doxy-PEP, and sexual health vaccines including HPV. Kind Clinic's Koenig Lane location offers walk-in testing for gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, HIV, and hepatitis C. Vivent Health in Austin offers free HIV testing and, per CDC's directory listing for that site, STI and hepatitis C testing as well. If you're a UT Austin student, University Health Services offers drop-in testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and syphilis for people without symptoms.

  3. Work out what you can afford. Cost varies a lot across Austin. Austin Public Health's Sexual Health Clinic states its fee for testing and treatment is $30. ASHwell Sexual Health + Wellness says its testing and treatment services are always free, though related medication can carry a cost. Vivent Health says HIV testing is free and confidential at its locations. CommUnityCare's IDEALhealth program uses a sliding fee scale set after a meeting with a financial eligibility specialist. Kind Clinic has billed insurance for lab work since January 1, 2024, but offers its Kind Patient Assistance Program to help people who are uninsured or can't cover the cost. For a fuller comparison of what testing runs across the city, see our guide to STD testing in Austin and what it costs.

  4. Check whether you need an appointment or can walk in. Kind Clinic's Koenig Lane location offers walk-in testing, but its South Austin location does not offer walk-in STI testing. ASHwell does not accept walk-ins and asks patients to call ahead. Austin Public Health lets patients schedule a clinic appointment online or by calling 512-972-5430. UT Austin's drop-in testing is for students without symptoms; students with symptoms need a provider appointment instead.

  5. Match the clinic's hours to your schedule. Austin Public Health's Sexual Health Clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Kind Clinic's hours run longer on some days, with Wednesday and Thursday open until 8 p.m. and select Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., though its posted walk-in testing hours can differ from its general hours, and it closes on all observed holidays and the first Friday of every month. Confirm hours directly with whichever clinic you're considering.

  6. Ask about prevention services if they matter to you. If you're interested in PrEP, PEP, or doxy-PEP, not every clinic treats these the same way. CommUnityCare lists doxy-PEP and oral PrEP on its formulary. Kind Clinic offers doxy-PEP only to patients already receiving ongoing care there, not as a stand-alone visit. ASHwell lists PrEP and PEP among its services. CDC's 2024 clinical guidance on doxy-PEP frames it as a prevention tool a clinician can discuss with patients at higher risk of certain bacterial STIs, and whether it's appropriate for you is a decision to make with that clinician.

  7. If you're under 18, know where you stand legally. Under Texas Family Code Sec. 32.003, a minor of any age can consent to diagnosis and treatment of a reportable infectious disease, which covers reportable STIs and HIV, without needing a parent or guardian's consent. That same law does let a physician choose to tell a parent about the visit, with or without the minor's agreement, so it's worth asking the clinic directly how they typically handle that before your visit.

  8. Call before you go. Clinic pages change, and Austin Public Health's own site carries a notice that content updates can lag behind reality. Before you show up, call to confirm the current fee, hours, and which tests are available that day. You can find current contact information for clinics across the city in our Austin clinic directory.

Tips and Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't assume every clinic tests for everything. Austin Public Health, for example, only tests for herpes if you have active symptoms.
  • Don't wait for symptoms before getting tested. Many STIs don't cause noticeable symptoms, which is part of why CDC's guidelines recommend routine screening based on your history rather than waiting to feel unwell.
  • Don't treat a clinic's website price as final. Call ahead, since hours and fees listed online aren't always current.
  • Don't mix up Kind Clinic's two Austin locations. Walk-in STI testing is offered at the Koenig Lane site, not at the South Austin site.
  • Don't skip asking about follow-up. If a clinician recommends treatment, ask what that visit or process looks like before you leave.
  • Don't assume you need a parent's permission if you're a minor in Texas. State law allows you to consent to your own STI and HIV testing and treatment, as explained in Step 7 above.

What to Expect From Your Results

Once you've chosen a clinic and completed testing, a clinician there is the right person to walk you through what your results mean and what, if anything, comes next. Bacterial STIs and trichomoniasis are generally curable with treatment a clinician prescribes, according to CDC's STI Treatment Guidelines. HIV, herpes, and HPV aren't curable, but they're treatable or manageable with ongoing care, and a clinician can talk through what that care may involve for you specifically. Many people find that choosing a clinic that fits their budget and schedule makes it easier to test on a regular basis, though how any individual visit turns out depends on your own circumstances, which is exactly what the clinician you see is there to help you understand.

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