Using condoms can help prevent pregnancy
and HIV/STDs. » Learn More

How do I find out if I have an STD?

Thankfully, it isn’t too hard to find out if you have an STD. Here are some ways to find out if you have one:

• Call or visit your local health clinic to get tested. It often costs less than a private doctor’s office because what you pay is based on your income and the size of your family. If you are over 14 years old the information will be kept private.
• Contact your medical provider and get tested. Be sure to discuss their confidentiality policy so only people you want to know have access to your medical records.
• Talk with your parents and ask them to make an appointment with your family medical provider. Family support is an important part of prevention, testing and treatment.
• Talk to your school counselor or school nurse. They can also help you find a clinic or give you ideas about how to prevent STD and talk to your partner and family.

To get STD/HIV prevention information or testing, contact your local District Health office.

• Call an Idaho or National hotline. To call Idaho’s confidential 211 help line, simply dial 211 or call 1-800-986-2588 and ask for information about STD and HIV/AIDS testing.

National Centers for Disease Control
1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800 232-4636)

• Visit the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare web site for more information about symptoms, testing and Idaho STD rates. While there, click on the Family Planning, STD & HIV link, use the Search button, or click on the 211 link.

Getting Tested – What To Expect

Most of the public health clinics in Idaho have “same day appointments”. You call the clinic in the morning and are given an appointment to come in later that same day. The entire appointment usually takes less than an hour.

There are also “walk in” appointments, where you can go to the clinic on certain days and be seen on a first come, first serve, basis; however, the time you have to wait may be longer – it depends on how many people come to the clinic that day.

The doctor or nurse will ask you questions and depending on your past or symptoms, you may be tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis, HIV, herpes, trichomoniasis (Trich) or bacterial vaginosis (BV). All you have to do to find out if you have chlamydia or gonorrhea is give a urine sample – it's totally painless. Syphilis, hepatitis and herpes are tested from a blood sample, unless you have an open sore – then the syphilis and herpes tests are gathered from rubbing a cu-tip on the sore.

You will receive the results of your STD test back within 7 to 10 days. If you test positive, the nurse will call you to come back to the clinic for treatment and to advise you on ways to manage your infection and keep from getting it again.

HIV is tested from a sample taken from inside of your cheek or from a blood sample. The results from the oral HIV test are available quickly - within 15 – 20 minutes; however, if the quick result is positive, you will need another HIV test to verify the result. The second test result will be available within 7 – 10 days.

If you think you’ve been exposed to HIV, by all means, get tested right away. However, you will need to come back and get tested again 3-months after the exposure. The 3 month “window period” is typically how long it takes for a person who has been infected with HIV to test positive.

At public health departments and community health clinics, the cost of the visit depends on your income and family size. If you don’t have any way to pay, you will not be denied care - the clinic will still help you. You can call the clinic or visit their website to find out more about hours, fees and insurance.Click here to find testing sites in your area.

All the information about your check up is kept private and confidential. What is said in the clinic, stays in the clinic; however, if you are under 14 years old, or a victim of abuse, your parents must be notified.