How Often Should You Get Tested for STDs?
Content last reviewed 2026-09-12 · Educational information — not medical advice
Quick answer
CDC guidance: sexually active women under 25 should get annual chlamydia and gonorrhea screening. Every adult aged 13 to 64 should get an HIV test at least once, and more often based on risk. With a new partner, test after each new partner and before stopping condom use.
How often should sexually active women under 25 get tested?
The CDC recommends annual chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for all sexually active women under 25. The reason is simple: chlamydia is the most-reported bacterial STI in the US, and about 75% of women with it have no symptoms. Annual screening catches infections that would otherwise go unnoticed and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, or ectopic pregnancy. Testing is a quick urine NAAT.
How often should everyone get an HIV test?
The CDC recommends that every adult aged 13 to 64 get an HIV test at least once, regardless of perceived risk. After that, testing frequency depends on risk: new or multiple partners, injection drug use, or a partner with HIV all justify more frequent testing. A 4th-generation HIV test is reliable 18 to 45 days after exposure, and RNA testing detects infection in 10 to 14 days.
How often should I test with a new partner?
The practical rule is to test after each new partner and before stopping condom use. Condoms are highly effective against HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, but less so against HSV and HPV, which spread skin-to-skin. Testing together before stopping condoms gives both partners a clear baseline. If you have multiple partners, annual screening plus testing after each new partner is the safe cadence.
What about syphilis and hepatitis?
Syphilis and hepatitis testing is risk-based. Syphilis screening is standard in pregnancy, and anyone with new partners or high-risk exposure should include it. Hepatitis B has a vaccine, and hepatitis C is curable, so knowing your status changes your options. A comprehensive STD panel plus hepatitis testing covers the full picture in one visit.
What if I have no symptoms?
That is exactly why screening schedules exist. Most STIs are silent: about 75% of women and 50% of men with chlamydia have no symptoms, and about 70% of trichomoniasis cases are asymptomatic. Waiting for symptoms means waiting for complications. Annual screening and testing after new partners catches infections while they are still easy to treat.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need testing if I have one partner?
If you are in a mutually monogamous relationship and both tested negative, annual screening is still reasonable, and testing after any new exposure is essential.
Is annual testing enough?
For most people, yes, but testing after each new partner and before stopping condoms is the safer rule.