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.

Getting tested should not depend on how much money you have this month. In San Diego, several clinics offer free STD testing, free HIV testing, or fees based on income.

This guide walks you through the process in order. You will see which places list free or sliding-scale testing, who they say they serve, what to bring, and how to check current hours before you go. Some details are not published anywhere we could find, so we say so plainly and tell you who to call.

Costs, hours and walk-in rules change. Treat every detail here as a starting point, and confirm it with the clinic.

What you need before you start

You do not need much. Clinics set their own rules, so this list is about what usually makes a visit smoother.

A phone. Calling first is the single most useful step, because walk-in rules and hours differ between sources.
Your insurance or Medicaid card, if you have one. The county clinic's CDC directory listing says it accepts insurance, Medicaid and Medicare. Two of the Family Health Centers sites say they may help with insurance enrollment or waive fees.
A rough idea of your income. The county clinic's listing says charges are based on income.
Your own notes. Jot down the date of your last test, any symptoms, and the dates of recent partners. You do not have to share more than you are comfortable with.
A plan for getting results. Ask the clinic how they contact people, and make sure the phone number you give them is one you will answer.
Time. Plan for a visit that could include a wait.

You do not need to explain or justify why you want a test. Wanting to know your status is a normal part of health care for people of every gender and orientation.

Step 1: Decide what to ask for

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) describe screening based on factors such as age, sexual practices, the number of partners and whether you are pregnant. You do not have to work this out alone. A clinician can help you choose.

The San Diego clinics listed below describe testing for some or all of these infections:

chlamydia
gonorrhea
syphilis
HIV
hepatitis C
herpes, at clinics whose listings include it

Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are curable with treatment from a clinician. HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable, but they are treatable and manageable. Knowing that can make it easier to walk in.

If you have symptoms, a recent exposure, or a partner who tested positive, tell the staff when you call. They can tell you what a test can and cannot show and what timing makes sense. The CDC notes that tests can miss a very recent infection, so ask the clinician whether a repeat test would help in your situation.

Step 2: Choose a free or sliding-scale option

Here is every option we could verify for free STD testing in San Diego. Each entry says what the source lists and what it does not.

San Diego LGBT Community Center (The Center)

Address: 3909 Centre Street, San Diego, CA 92103
Phone: 619-692-2077
Cost: The CDC's National Prevention Information Network (NPIN) listing says there is no fee for services and to contact the organization about eligibility.
Testing listed: on-site chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis testing, plus rapid HIV and rapid hepatitis C testing. PrEP navigation is also listed.
Hours listed: Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The same listing adds a note to call for STD and HIV testing hours, so the building hours may not match the testing hours.
Appointments: The NPIN listing says appointments are not required. A local news report gave a separate appointment contact, 619-800-4252, so confirm by phone which applies.

The Center welcomes people of every identity. Its listing is the one that most clearly says no fee.

The Night Clinic at Hillcrest Family Health Center

Operator: Family Health Centers of San Diego
Address: 4094 4th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103
Phone: (619) 515-2545 for information; the page also lists (619) 515-2300 as the appointment line.
Cost: The clinic's page offers free and confidential HIV testing and low-cost STI tests. It says fees may be waived and that staff can help with insurance enrollment. It does not publish a price for STI tests, so ask when you call.
Hours listed: Monday to Thursday, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday is not listed.
Walk-ins: The page says walk-ins are welcome, and it lists free parking.
Services listed: HIV and hepatitis testing, STI screening and treatment, PrEP, PEP and doxy-PEP.

This is a useful choice if you work or study during the day.

Hillcrest Family Health Center daytime clinic

Address: 4094 4th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103
Phone: (619) 515-2300 for appointments; (619) 515-2545 for information.
Hours listed: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Walk-ins: The page says walk-ins are welcome.
Cost: Sliding scale. The page says the clinic may be able to waive fees or help with insurance enrollment. No prices are listed.
Services listed: STI screening and treatment, PrEP and PEP, and HIV and hepatitis services.

The 823 Gateway Center Way address that appears in some Family Health Centers materials is administrative only. It does not offer patient services, so do not go there for a test.

County of San Diego Central Public Health Center sexual health clinic

Address: 5101 Market St, San Diego, CA 92114. The CDC directory prints Suite 200, but other county material may show a different suite number. Confirm the suite when you call.
Phone: (619) 229-5400
Cost: The CDC GetTested listing says a free STI test and a free HIV test are available, that charges are based on income, and that the clinic accepts insurance, Medicaid and Medicare. It tells people to call to confirm eligibility.
Testing listed: HIV, hepatitis B and C, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. It also lists hepatitis A and B, HPV and mpox vaccines, and PrEP navigation.
Hours: not published in the sources we could read. Ask when you call.
Appointments: The CDC listing says an appointment is required. Other material suggests county sexual health clinics take walk-ins. These do not agree, so call before you go.

The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency runs this clinic. The county's own sexual health page is the best place to check for updates.

Planned Parenthood College Avenue Sarah Weddington Center

Operator: Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest
Address: 4575 College Ave, San Diego, CA 92115
Phone: (888) 743-7526
Cost: The CDC GetTested listing names insurance, Medicaid, sliding scale and PrEP for people without insurance as payment options. No prices are listed.
Appointments: The listing says an appointment is not required.
Testing listed: rapid and blood HIV tests, plus herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis tests. It also lists hepatitis B and HPV vaccines and PrEP navigation.
Hours: not published in the source we could read.

At-home and mail-in testing through Family Health Centers

Family Health Centers of San Diego lists at-home or mail-in testing through programs called TakeMeHome and Don't Think, Know. Its prevention page does not state who qualifies or what it costs. If you get a positive at-home result, the page says to call (619) 876-4462.

Ask Family Health Centers directly whether you are eligible and whether there is a charge.

A note about the UC San Diego Owen Clinic

The Owen Clinic at UC San Diego Health runs a PrEP clinic for HIV-negative patients, with appointments by phone at 619-543-3995. Its page does not mention STI testing, so it is not listed here as a testing site. It is primarily an HIV care clinic.

Step 3: Call to confirm before you go

This step saves the most time. Several of the details above come from national directories, and directories can fall behind. A short call settles it.

Ask these questions:

Do you offer free or low-cost STD testing right now, and what would my cost be?
Do I need an appointment, or can I walk in? What days and hours do you do testing?
Which tests do you offer, and what samples do you take (urine, swab or blood)?
What should I bring, and do you need proof of income or insurance?
How and when will I get my results?
Is there a charge if I need treatment afterward?

Write down the name of the person you spoke with and the date. If staff give a different answer than this page, go with the clinic.

You can also use the CDC's GetTested tool at gettested.cdc.gov to look up other nearby sites. For a local rundown, see our list of San Diego testing locations.

Step 4: Go to your visit

Arrive a little early. Expect some paperwork and a few questions about your health and your partners. The questions help the clinician choose the right tests. They are not a judgment.

Depending on what you ask for, a test may involve a urine sample, a swab, a finger prick or a blood draw. A clinician will explain each one. If you feel nervous, say so. Clinic staff see people in your position every day.

You can also ask:

Whether the visit is confidential, and who can see your results.
Whether the clinic can test all the places you may have been exposed, which can include the throat and rectum as well as the genitals. The CDC recommends testing at the sites of exposure.
Whether vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HPV or mpox make sense for you, if the clinic offers them.

Step 5: Get your results and plan your next step

Before you leave, make sure you know how results will reach you and about how long it takes. Rapid HIV and rapid hepatitis C tests are listed at The Center and Planned Parenthood. Other tests may take longer. Ask the clinic for its timing, since it varies.

A clinician or a test can tell you whether an infection was found. This page cannot. If a result is positive, a clinician can explain what comes next. For bacterial infections and trichomoniasis, that is usually treatment prescribed by a clinician, and these infections are curable. For HIV, herpes and HPV, care focuses on managing the infection over time.

If a test is negative, ask whether your timing or your situation means a repeat test is worth considering. The clinician can answer this for you.

Step 6: Think about partners, prevention and follow-up

If you test positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea, California law lets some clinicians help your partners get treatment. Under California Health and Safety Code section 120582, a physician who diagnoses chlamydia, gonorrhea or another specified STI may provide antibiotics to the patient's sexual partners without examining them. Nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives and physician assistants may also do so. This is called expedited partner therapy. Ask your clinician whether it applies to you.

Prevention options are also worth a conversation. Several San Diego clinics list PrEP, which is medicine a clinician prescribes to lower the chance of getting HIV. The Night Clinic also lists PEP and doxy-PEP. The CDC's 2024 guidance on doxy-PEP says clinicians should discuss it with certain people at higher risk of bacterial STIs, and a clinician decides whether it is right for you.

Family Health Centers says PrEP is available at all of its primary care clinics and may be covered by insurance or available at low or no cost. PrEP navigation is also listed at the county clinic, The Center and Planned Parenthood.

If you are under 18

California Family Code section 6926 allows a minor aged 12 or older to consent to diagnosis and treatment of certain infectious diseases, including related sexually transmitted diseases, and to care related to preventing an STD. The statute says parents are not liable for payment. The Guttmacher Institute's summary of state policy lists the age as 12 and older and lists no parental notification provision for California.

Policies about billing and insurance statements can still matter. Ask the clinic how it handles privacy before your visit.

Why testing matters in San Diego

The County of San Diego HIV, STD and Hepatitis Branch compiled 2024 numbers that Times of San Diego reported in March 2026. The county recorded 16,414 chlamydia cases in 2024, down 7.4% from 17,720 in 2023. It recorded 6,021 gonorrhea cases, down 9.5% from 6,651. Primary and secondary syphilis fell 35.8%, from 481 cases to 309.

The same report counted 31 congenital syphilis cases in 2024, down from 36 in 2023, and three stillbirths or neonatal deaths, the most since 2019. Congenital syphilis can be prevented when syphilis is found and treated during pregnancy, which is one reason pregnant people are encouraged to ask about testing.

Declining numbers are good news. They do not mean testing is unnecessary. Many infections have no symptoms, and the only way to know is a test.

Tips for a smoother visit

Call first. Hours and walk-in rules in directories can be out of date.
Go early in the day or week. Walk-in clinics can fill up. This is common sense rather than a published rule, so ask the clinic about its busiest times.
Ask about fees up front. Several clinics say they may waive fees. Ask before you are seen.
Ask about all the sites. Throat and rectal testing are separate from genital testing.
Bring a list of questions. It is easy to forget them once you are in the room.
Keep your contact details current. You cannot get a result if the clinic cannot reach you.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming a directory is current. Two of the listings above conflict on whether appointments are needed. One call fixes that.
Going to the wrong address. The Family Health Centers administrative office does not offer patient services.
Assuming every clinic tests for everything. The Owen Clinic is a PrEP clinic, not a general STI testing site.
Skipping follow-up. A test is only the first step. Ask what happens if something is found.
Waiting until symptoms appear. Many STIs cause no symptoms, so talk to a clinician about when to be screened.
Not asking about a repeat test. Timing can affect what a test shows, so ask your clinician.

What results to expect

A visit like this may give you a clearer picture of your sexual health and a plan from a clinician. Results from most tests may come back within days. Rapid tests may produce a result during your visit, but ask the clinic what to expect.

A negative result can be reassuring, though no test is perfect and recent exposures may not show up yet. A positive result is not a verdict on you. Most STIs are treatable, bacterial ones are curable, and a clinician can walk you through next steps.

Whatever the outcome, you will know more than you did before.

Where to go from here

Pick the option that fits your schedule, then make a short call to confirm. If you are not sure where to start, the county clinic and The Center are good first calls. The Night Clinic suits evenings, and Planned Parenthood lists no appointment requirement. You can also search gettested.cdc.gov for other sites in San Diego.

Free STD Testing in San Diego: Every Free and Sliding-Scale Option