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2024 Elections

STI & Sexual Health Toolkit

Get Tested

Many STIs have no symptoms. The only way you can be sure of your status is to Get Yourself Tested.

    • All adults and adolescents from ages 13 to 64 should be tested at least once for HIV.
    • All sexually active women younger than 25 years should be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year. Women 25 years and older with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners or a sex partner who has an STI should also be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year.
    • Everyone who is pregnant should be tested for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C starting early in pregnancy. Those at risk for infection should also be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea starting early in pregnancy. Repeat testing may be needed in some cases.
    • All sexually active gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men should be tested:
      • At least once a year for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Those who have multiple or anonymous partners should be tested more frequently (e.g., every 3 to 6 months).
      • At least once a year for HIV and may benefit from more frequent HIV testing (e.g., every 3 to 6 months).
      • At least once a year for hepatitis C, if living with HIV.
    • Anyone who engages in sexual behaviors that could place them at risk for infection or shares injection drug equipment should get tested for HIV at least once a year.
    • People who have had oral or anal sex should talk with their healthcare provider about throat and rectal testing options.
    • For more information on STI Testing, click here.
    • For more information about the Kalamazoo County HCS STI clinic, click here.
    • You can get tested for STIs at your doctor’s office, a community health clinic, or your local health department. How much you pay for STI testing depends on where you go, what tests you need, your income, and whether you use health insurance. Find fast and confidential testing near you.
    • For more information about the Kalamazoo County HCS STI clinic, click here.
    • If you are sexually active, getting tested for STIs is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. Make sure you have an open and honest conversation about your sexual history and STI testing with your doctor and ask whether you should be tested for STIs. If you are not comfortable talking with your regular health care provider about STIs, there are many clinics that provide confidential and free or low-cost testing. Find fast and confidential testing near you.
    • For more information about the Kalamazoo County HCS STI clinic, click here.
    • If you’ve just found out that you have gonorrhea or chlamydia, you may be trying to figure out what to do next. Here are the three most important steps that you can take:
      1. Get Treated: Many people with gonorrhea and chlamydia don’t have symptoms. Why does this matter? Because an untreated infection can lead to serious and permanent health problems, even if you never have symptoms. Gonorrhea and chlamydia can be cured with the right medicine from your doctor. Just make sure you take all your medicine exactly as your doctor tells you to.
      2. Tell Your Partner: Your partner may also be infected and not know it and needs to get tested and treated. Left untreated, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause serious health problems like PID, infertility, and potential deadly ectopic pregnancy. Also, without treatment, your partner might pass the STI back to you.
      3. Get Retested in 3 months: It’s common to get infected with gonorrhea and chlamydia again. Even if you and your partner took medicine, you should be retested in 3 months.
    • For more information about the Kalamazoo County HCS STI clinic, click here.