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.

Travis County reported 9,452 chlamydia cases and 4,661 gonorrhea cases in 2022, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Texas STD Surveillance Report. Getting tested regularly is one of the few things within your control if you're sexually active in Austin. The good news is that you don't need insurance or a lot of money to do it. This guide walks through exactly how to find and use a free or low-cost STD testing option in Austin, step by step.

What You'll Need Before You Go

A valid photo ID, if you have one. Most clinics listed here do not turn people away for lacking one, but call ahead to ask.
Your insurance card, if you have coverage, even though several of these options do not require it.
A general sense of your recent sexual activity and any symptoms, so the clinician can recommend the right tests for you.
A way to pay, or nothing at all, depending on which clinic you choose. Costs are noted for each option below.
About 30 to 90 minutes, depending on whether the visit includes a counseling conversation.

Step-by-Step: How to Get Tested in Austin

Step 1: Decide between a walk-in visit, a scheduled appointment, or an at-home kit

Some Austin clinics take walk-ins, some ask you to call first, and some will mail you a free test kit. Your choice depends on how soon you want results and whether you have symptoms. If you have symptoms, a clinic visit is the better route, because a clinician can examine you and choose the right tests. If you don't have symptoms and just want routine screening, a mailed kit or a walk-in visit both work.

Step 2: If cost is your main barrier, start with ASHwell or Vivent Health

ASHwell Sexual Health + Wellness, at 3100 Red River St, Suite 3, offers testing, diagnosis, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections at no charge, according to ASHwell's services page. ASHwell does not accept walk-ins, so call (512) 900-3116 first to set up a visit. Vivent Health, at 104 E. Highland Mall Blvd, Suite 100, offers free HIV testing at all of its locations, per Vivent Health's own page. Call (512) 458-2437 to ask about walk-in hours or to schedule.

Step 3: If you want a full panel for a flat, known price, use the Austin Public Health Sexual Health Clinic

The Austin Public Health Sexual Health Clinic, inside the RBJ Health Center at 15 Waller Street, charges $30 for testing and treatment, according to Austin Public Health's clinic page. Its standard panel covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. A genital herpes test is offered only if you have active symptoms. The clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. Schedule online or call 512-972-5430.

Step 4: If you have no insurance and want a sliding-scale option, try CommUnityCare

CommUnityCare's IDEALhealth Program, at the Hancock Health Center, 1000 E. 41st St., Suite 700, offers STI and HIV testing, doxy-PEP, and sexual health vaccines including HPV and hepatitis A and B. Cost is worked out through a sliding fee scale set up with a Financial Eligibility Specialist, according to CommUnityCare's payment page. Call 512-978-9015 to ask what you'd owe before you go.

Step 5: If you want testing without an appointment, go to Kind Clinic's Koenig location

Kind Clinic's Austin Koenig location, at 101 W Koenig Lane, Ste 100, offers walk-in testing for gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, HIV, and hepatitis C, according to Kind Clinic's locations page. As of January 1, 2024, patients with insurance need to use it to cover lab costs; Kind Clinic's assistance program can help cover costs for people who are uninsured or can't afford the lab fee. Kind Clinic is closed on observed holidays and the first Friday of every month, so call 833-937-5463 before you go.

Step 6: If you're a UT Austin student, start with University Health Services

UT Austin students can drop in, no appointment needed, to the STI Testing Clinic at the Student Services Building, 100 West Dean Keeton Street, Room 1.400, for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and syphilis testing, according to University Health Services. Drop-in testing is meant for students without symptoms. If you have symptoms, call 512-471-4955 to set up a provider appointment instead.

Step 7: If you'd rather not visit a clinic, order a free mail-in test kit

Texas DSHS runs Test for Texas, a free mail-order self-testing program for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia; you can order a kit at testfortexas.org. Vivent Health also mails free HIV test kits, along with condoms and lubricant, to Austin residents through its online depot. Together TakeMeHome, a CDC-funded program, mails free HIV self-tests to anyone age 17 or older living in the U.S. None of these replace a clinic visit if you have symptoms, but they remove cost and scheduling as a barrier for routine screening.

Step 8: Call ahead to confirm hours, cost, and what to bring

Austin Public Health's own site notes that content updates can lag behind reality, so hours and fees listed anywhere, including this page, are worth confirming by phone before you go. This one call can save you a wasted trip.

Step 9: Ask how and when you'll get your results

Ask the clinic how results are shared and roughly how long that takes, since timing varies by test and by clinic. Ask what the next step looks like if a result needs a closer look.

Step 10: Follow up on treatment if a clinician recommends it

If a clinician recommends treatment, only a clinician can prescribe it. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis are curable with treatment from a clinician, according to the CDC's STI Treatment Guidelines. HIV, herpes, and HPV are not curable, but each can be managed or treated with ongoing care. Texas also allows a clinician to prescribe treatment for your partner without examining them first, under a Texas Medical Board rule described by the CDC, which can make it easier for both of you to get treated quickly.

Tips and Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't assume one visit covers herpes. Most of the clinics above test for genital herpes only if you have active symptoms, so ask directly if that's a concern for you.
Don't skip the phone call. Hours, walk-in availability, and prices listed on clinic websites can lag behind reality, so a quick call confirms what's current.
Don't wait for symptoms to show up. Many STIs don't cause noticeable symptoms, which is part of why routine testing matters even when you feel fine.
Don't assume age is a barrier. In Texas, a minor of any age can consent to their own STI and HIV testing and treatment without a parent's permission, under Texas Family Code Sec. 32.003. That same law allows, but does not require, a physician to tell a parent about that care.
Don't confuse a free HIV test with a full panel. Some programs listed here, like Vivent Health's standard offering, are specifically free HIV testing. Ask what else is included if you want a broader panel.

What You Can Expect

Results and next steps vary by person, by test, and by clinic, so there's no single timeline that applies to everyone. A clinician or a test result, not this article, is what can tell you about your own status. Testing regularly and using protection consistently may lower the chances of passing on an infection you don't know about, though no single test or habit removes risk entirely. For a detailed breakdown of what each Austin clinic charges and offers, see our guide to STD testing in Austin: where to get tested and what it costs. You can also browse the full local testing list to compare options near you.

Free STD Testing in Austin: Every Free and Low-Cost Option