STI Testing at UHS

There is $10 charge for all STI testing visits. The $10 charge CANNOT be filed to your insurance and will be sent to your "What I Owe" typically 2-3 days after your appointment. Additional costs depend on which STI tests are done and how you pay. If you are insured, lab testing will be filed to your insurance.

To protect your privacy, we don't post medical details to What I Owe. Anyone with eProxy privileges to your What I Owe will see the amount due to UHS, but not why you came in or what services you received.

If you have insurance but you don't want the policy holder to know that you have had STI testing, you may choose not to use your insurance for that appointment. Before you decide, please read Privacy with regards to Billing to learn how this decision affects privacy and cost.

In a routine screening appointment (no symptoms), you may be tested for any of the following:
Chlamydia known exposure with no symptoms/or positive Chlamydia lab test result.
Gonorrhea
Hepatitis A, B, & C
HIV
Alere Determine HIV Point of Care
Syphilis

Your personal risk factors will determine the specific tests that are recommended for you, but you can choose to get additional tests.

We ask you to complete a confidential questionnaire when you're booking your appointment. Your answers help your clinician choose the most appropriate tests for your circumstances so that your screening doesn't cost more than necessary and so that you get the most relevant information. We tailor the appointment to your unique needs, so it's important that you give honest and accurate information.

You'll talk about the questionnaire with your clinician, who will recommend lab tests based on your individual risk factors. We will collect specimens for your lab tests and ask how you would like to receive your results. Based on your individual risk factors, your clinician may recommend testing multiple sites (vaginal, oral, or rectal). The lab test for each of these sites is billed separately.

You'll have a chance to talk about any concerns you may have and learn how to protect your health. UHS clinicians are non-judgmental and welcome all students. While many appointments are shorter, plan on being at UHS for about an hour so you're not late to work or class.

At your appointment, you'll be asked how you want to get your results, which will be available one to five days after your appointment.

The next step depends on the type of STI for which you've tested positive. Sometimes, we can call in a prescription to your pharmacy. Other times, you may be asked to come in to get treatment and talk with a nurse or medical provider.

Most people who get a sexually transmitted infection do not have symptoms, but symptoms that might be caused by an STI include:

• Genital rash, itching, bumps, or sores
• Discharge from the genitals
• A burning sensation when you urinate
• Unexplained abdominal pain

In the cases of both herpes and  HPV, lab testing is useful only when a person has symptoms that suggest an infection, such as a rash, bumps, warts, or sores. Tests cannot say with accuracy that you don't have herpes or  HPV. Therefore, routine screening isn't helpful or recommended. Learn more here.

If you think you might have herpes or HPV, schedule an appointment to talk with a medical provider.

For the best HPV prevention,

• Men and women should get vaccinated, and
• Women typically should get screened for cervical cancer at their routine annual exams.

We follow current CDC guidelines by using 4th generation antigen/antibody testing with reflex MultiSpot testing. These tests can detect HIV antibodies much sooner after exposure than previous tests. Alere Determine HIV Point of Care rapid testing is now available in the STI Nurse Screening clinic.

Why should I get tested? How does getting tested help me? 
Most people who get a sexually transmitted infection do not have symptoms. Early diagnosis and management are important in reducing the risk of complications – including infertility.

Get tested at the first sign of an STI. Women can request STI screening at their annual well woman exam, and men can schedule regular testing. While testing won't prevent an STI, it can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment.

If you have multiple or new sexual partners, consider getting tested more frequently than once per year. Check out the current Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

 Most people who get a sexually transmitted infection do not have symptoms. Early diagnosis and management are important in reducing the risk of complications – including infertility.

Get tested at the first sign of an STI. Women can request STI screening at their annual well woman exam, and men can schedule regular testing. While testing won't prevent an STI, it can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment.

If you have multiple or new sexual partners, consider getting tested more frequently than once per year. Check out the current Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

You can bring a friend/partner, but your appointment is just for you. If your friend/partner is a fellow UT student and wants to get tested, encourage them to make their own appointment. Non-students can get tested off campus.

• They may be at risk for an STI
• Stop having sex until they get tested and treated
• They will need to contact their other partners
• Accurate information about your STI, which you can find here.

• Be honest and straightforward, and remain open to your partner's questions, thoughts, and emotions.
• Plan what you are going to say. Imagine how you would like to be told.
• Remember that some STIs don't cause symptoms immediately, if ever. It is possible that you or your partner got the STI from a previous relationship, even one in which you didn't have penetrative sex.
• Talking face-to-face is preferable, but if you decide to call or text, ask if it's a good time before giving them the news.

If you're concerned that your partner might hurt you, notifying them by phone, email, text, anonymously, or not at all might be safer than telling them in person. If you have concerns about a member of the UT-Austin community, contact the 24-hour Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) at 512-232-5050.

If you have an STI that can be treated, but not cured (like genital herpes, HIV, or HPV), talk to your healthcare provider about how to avoid passing the STI to sexual partners and you tell your future partners before any sexual contact occurs.

• Be open and straightforward. You could start by saying, "Before we have sex, I want us to talk about STDs and protection, because I have [type of STI]." Create a conversation that is open to all questions, thoughts, and emotions to make your potential partner feel more comfortable.
• Give your potential partner time to process the information and make an informed decision about having sex with you. Let them know that you are available to answer questions and to continue the conversation.
• Know that there are other ways you can be intimate or express your feelings for one another if you decide not to have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. If you decide to be sexual in any way, practice safer sex.