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.

Free STD testing in St. Louis exists, and you do not need insurance or a referral to use some of it. This guide walks you through finding a site, getting ready, going to your visit and understanding what happens afterward.

It covers the city's free Health Stop, the county's walk-in clinic, and several sliding-scale clinics where the price depends on your income. It also explains what to do when a clinic does not publish its hours or prices, which is common.

Everyone is welcome here, whatever your gender, orientation, relationship status or number of partners. Testing is routine health care.

What you need before you start

Gather a few things first. None of them should stop you from going, so treat this as a loose checklist.

A phone. Hours and walk-in rules change, so a short call can save you a trip.
A way to get there. The sites below are in downtown St. Louis, the Central West End, north St. Louis city, Berkeley, Hazelwood and the Jennings Station Road area.
A list of what you want tested. Your clinician can help you decide, so a rough list is enough.
A few notes for the clinician. These include the date of your last test, any symptoms, and the kinds of sex you have had (oral, vaginal, anal). They also include any medicines you take. You do not have to share anything you are not comfortable sharing.
Insurance information, if you have it. Some sites use it, and sliding-scale clinics may ask for proof of income. Ask what they accept when you call.
A way to receive results. A phone number you will answer matters more than anything else on this list.

The city's Health Stop says no ID is necessary to receive its service. For any other site, ask when you call.

Step 1: Know the difference between the city and the county

The City of St. Louis is an independent city. It is not part of St. Louis County. The City of St. Louis Department of Health and the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health are separate agencies with separate clinics.

You do not have to pick based on where you live. The county's sexual health clinic is listed as welcoming everyone, regardless of where you live or insurance status. Choose the site that is easiest for you to reach.

Step 2: Review the free options

City of St. Louis Health Stop Testing and Referral Center

This is the clearest free option in the city. The City of St. Louis Department of Health runs it, and its page says there is no cost for the service.

Address: 1520 Market St, Suite 1625 (room 1625, first floor), St. Louis, MO 63103
Phone: (314) 657-1584 for scheduling, results help and linkage to care. The Department of Health main line is (314) 612-5100.
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed Fridays, from 12 to 1 p.m. and on city holidays.
Tests listed on the city page: HIV (finger-prick or blood draw), hepatitis C (finger-prick), gonorrhea and chlamydia (urine, mouth swab or rectal swab), and syphilis (blood or finger-prick).
Timing: The city says STI results take 5 to 7 business days. Rapid tests take about 15 minutes.
Walk-ins: The city page says walk-ins are subject to availability.

One detail to check: the CDC's GetTested listing for this site says an appointment is required, while the city's own page allows walk-ins when space is available. Because those two sources differ, call (314) 657-1584 before you go and ask which one applies this week.

The city page also says Health Stop provides free HIV self-test kits (an oral fluid swab). It says kits can be ordered by mail through TakeMeHome.org as well.

Saint Louis County Sexual Health Clinic

The Saint Louis County Department of Public Health operates this clinic. WashU Infectious Diseases lists it as offering STI prevention, testing and treatment.

Address: 4000 Jennings Station Road, St. Louis, MO
Phone: 314-615-9736
How it works: The listing says walk-in only, with no appointments. It also says everyone is welcome regardless of where you live or insurance status.
Hours and cost: The listing does not give hours or a price. Call 314-615-9736 and ask both questions before you travel.

WashU Infectious Diseases, Village Square Clinic (Hazelwood)

This clinic serves north St. Louis County. A May 2024 Washington University news article said a CDC-funded expansion aims to offer walk-in testing to anyone at no or low cost. It also said treatment would be available for walk-in patients and their partners.

Address: 1 Village Square Shopping Center, Suite 1, Hazelwood, MO 63042
Phone: 314-362-9098
Hours: Neither published page lists walk-in hours.

The article described the service details as still being worked out in 2024. Confirm what is offered today, and what it costs, by phone.

Step 3: Review the sliding-scale options

A sliding scale means the fee depends on your income and household size. Some people pay very little. The clinics below list sliding-scale pricing on their CDC GetTested pages, but the exact amounts are not published there. Ask for the price before you book.

Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, Central West End Health Center

Address: 4251 Forest Park Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63108
Phone: 314-531-7526
Listed services: HIV testing (rapid and blood draw), herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis testing, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV vaccines, and PrEP navigation.
Payment: The CDC listing shows insurance, Medicaid and sliding scale.
Access: The listing says an appointment is required. It shows no hours.

CareSTL Health, Dr. Martin Luther King Health Center

Address: 5471 Dr Martin Luther King Dr, Saint Louis, MO 63112
Phone: 314-367-5820
Listed services: HIV (blood draw), chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis testing, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV vaccines, and PrEP navigation.
Payment: The CDC listing shows insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and sliding scale.
Access: The listing says an appointment is required. It shows no hours.

Saint Louis County Department of Public Health, John C. Murphy Health Center

Address: 6121 N Hanley Rd, Berkeley, MO 63134
Phone: 314-615-0500
What the listing shows: sliding-scale fees, an appointment requirement, and hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV vaccines. It says to contact the organization about eligibility.

The CDC listing for this center did not show STI or HIV test types. If you want testing there, ask by phone whether it is offered. If it is not, the staff can point you to a site that does it.

Step 4: Compare the options side by side

Site	Cost as published	Walk-in or appointment	Hours published
City Health Stop	Free, no ID needed	Walk-ins subject to availability; CDC listing says appointment required	Mon to Thu, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
County Sexual Health Clinic	Not stated	Walk-in only	Not listed
WashU Village Square Clinic	No or low cost (2024 article)	Walk-in described	Not listed
Planned Parenthood, Central West End	Sliding scale	Appointment required	Not listed
CareSTL Health, MLK Center	Sliding scale	Appointment required	Not listed
County Murphy Health Center	Sliding scale	Appointment required	Not listed

You can also browse the local testing list for a quick look at these sites in one place.

Step 5: Call ahead and confirm

A two-minute call prevents most wasted trips. Here is a short list of questions you can read from your phone.

"Is the clinic open today, and what are the walk-in hours?"
"Do I need an appointment, or can I walk in?"
"What tests do you offer, and which would you suggest for me?"
"What will it cost, and is there a sliding scale or a free option?"
"Do I need ID or proof of income?"
"How and when will I get my results?"
"If something is found, can I be treated here?"

You can also use the CDC's GetTested directory at gettested.cdc.gov to see more sites and their listed services. Listings can be out of date, so a call is still the safest step.

Step 6: Decide what to be tested for

The right tests depend on your body, your partners and the kinds of sex you have. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) describe testing by exposure site. For example, a throat, rectal or urine sample may be used for gonorrhea and chlamydia depending on the kind of sex you have had. Tell the clinician what applies to you so they can choose the right samples.

Here is what the free sites above say they offer. The Health Stop page lists HIV, hepatitis C, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. Planned Parenthood's CDC listing also includes herpes testing. Whether to test for herpes is a decision to make with a clinician. Ask about it if you are unsure.

HIV is one of the infections that testing programs in St. Louis focus on. The City of St. Louis Fast-Track Cities HIV data reported 108 new HIV diagnoses in St. Louis City in 2021, a rate of 36.0 per 100,000. It reported 143 in St. Louis County (15.0 per 100,000) and 633 in Missouri (10.0 per 100,000). Those numbers are one reason health officials encourage routine testing, and testing is a normal part of caring for yourself.

Step 7: Go to your visit

Arrive with a little time to spare. Walk-in services can have waits, and the Health Stop closes for lunch from 12 to 1 p.m.
Check in and say what you are there for. Plain words are fine. You can say you want STD and HIV testing.
Talk with the staff member. They may ask about symptoms, recent partners and the kinds of sex you have had. These questions help them choose tests. They are not a judgment.
Give your samples. Depending on the test, this may be a urine sample, a swab of your mouth, throat or rectum, a finger-prick or a blood draw. In many cases you can collect a swab yourself if you prefer.
Ask how you will get results. Confirm the phone number they have for you is correct and whether they may leave a message.
Ask about next steps. That includes when to test again, and whether a vaccine or PrEP conversation makes sense for you.

Step 8: Understand your results and timing

The City of St. Louis says rapid tests at Health Stop take about 15 minutes. It says STI results take 5 to 7 business days. Other sites may be different, so ask.

Testing too soon after a possible exposure can lead to a result that does not reflect what is happening in your body. The CDC explains this with HIV window periods. The CDC says a nucleic acid test (NAT) can usually detect HIV 10 to 33 days after exposure. An antigen/antibody test done on a lab blood draw can usually detect it 18 to 45 days after exposure. A finger-prick antigen/antibody test can take 18 to 90 days. Antibody tests, including self-tests, can take 23 to 90 days. These are the CDC's published ranges, and a clinician can tell you which applies to your situation.

If you test and the result is negative, a clinician can tell you whether your timing means you should test again. If a result is positive or needs follow-up, a clinician can explain what it means and what comes next. This guide cannot do that for you, and a single test result is only one piece of information.

The CDC says bacterial STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, and trichomoniasis, are curable with treatment from a clinician. HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable, but they are treatable or manageable. For HIV, the CDC says treatment can lead to a long, healthy life. A clinician decides on the right medicine for you.

Step 9: Plan for follow-up and partners

If a clinician finds a bacterial infection, treatment from the same clinic may be possible. The County Sexual Health Clinic and the Village Square Clinic both list treatment among their services.

Missouri allows expedited partner therapy (EPT) for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Under Mo. Rev. Stat. 191.648, which the CDC summarizes in its legal status page for Missouri, a clinician may provide treatment for partners who have not been examined. Ask your clinician whether it applies to your situation.

If you are pregnant or planning to be, tell your clinician. Missouri law (RSMo 210.030) says clinicians who provide prenatal care must, with the patient's consent, take a blood sample at the first prenatal visit or within 20 days after it. The sample is tested for syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. The timing of later draws may change, so ask your prenatal provider what applies now. Congenital syphilis is a concern locally. The City of St. Louis Department of Health reports 56 cases in St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis combined from 2020 through 2022.

Tips for a smoother visit

Go early in the week. The Health Stop is closed Fridays, so Monday through Thursday are your options there.
Ask for a full picture. Ask what is and is not included in the tests offered, so you know what a result covers.
Write down the results phone number. The Health Stop's line, (314) 657-1584, also helps with results and linkage to care.
Consider a free home option for HIV. The city page says Health Stop gives out free HIV self-test kits and that kits can be ordered through TakeMeHome.org. That site says orders go through a short eligibility screen. Its contact is [email protected] or 628-899-4663.
Ask about PrEP. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) provides general PrEP information and links to the CDC's Paying for PrEP resource. You can reach the program at 888-252-8045 or [email protected]. Planned Parenthood and CareSTL list PrEP navigation on their CDC pages.
Bring a friend if it helps. Many people feel more at ease with company.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming every free site works the same way. Walk-in rules, hours and test lists differ. Confirm by phone.
Skipping the call because a website says walk-ins are welcome. Walk-ins are often subject to availability.
Testing too early and stopping there. Ask the clinician whether your timing means you should test again.
Assuming one test covers everything. Different infections need different tests, and different body sites may need different samples.
Leaving without a results plan. Know how and when you will hear back.
Waiting for symptoms. Many STIs cause no symptoms at all, according to the CDC, so symptoms alone are not a reliable guide.
Letting cost or worry stop you. Free and sliding-scale options exist. If one is not right, call the next on the list.

If you are under 18

Missouri's statute on minors (RSMo 431.061) says a minor may consent for themselves to treatment in the case of venereal disease. The statute states no minimum age. It speaks to treatment, and the sources available here do not spell out every rule for testing or confidentiality. Ask the clinic directly how they handle consent and privacy for patients under 18.

What to expect afterward

Many people find that the visit itself is quick and routine. Most of the waiting is for results. A negative result can mean no infection was detected at the time of the test, though timing matters, as the window periods above show. A result that needs follow-up can usually be discussed by phone or in person, and a clinician can explain the options.

Clinics may offer to connect you to care, vaccines or prevention such as PrEP, depending on what you discuss. Using these services is a normal part of looking after your health.

Next step

Pick one site from the list above and call it today. If you want a free option, start with the City of St. Louis Health Stop at (314) 657-1584. If you want to look at more locations, the CDC's directory at gettested.cdc.gov lets you search by ZIP code.

Free STD Testing in St. Louis: Every Free and Sliding-Scale Option