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.

Chicago has several places where you can get tested for sexually transmitted infections without paying full price. Some clinics see people regardless of ability to pay. Others charge on a sliding scale based on income. One local health center mails a free HIV test kit.

This guide walks you through the options step by step. It covers who qualifies, what to bring, and how to confirm hours before you go. It also says plainly where a price or schedule is not published, so you know what to ask.

Free, low-cost and sliding scale: what the words mean

These terms get used loosely, so it helps to separate them.

Free means you pay nothing for the visit or the test.
Sliding scale means the fee depends on your income and household size. Howard Brown Health calls its version a Sliding Fee Discount Program.
Care regardless of ability to pay means a clinic will see you even if you cannot pay or have no insurance. It does not always mean the visit costs nothing.

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) uses that third wording for its Sexual Health Specialty Clinics. Its sexual health page says care is provided regardless of ability to pay or insurance status. The page does not say the visit is free, so it is fair to ask about any charge when you call.

Materials: what to have ready

You do not need much. A short checklist makes the visit smoother.

A phone to call ahead and confirm hours.
Your insurance card, if you have one. CDPH asks insured patients to bring a card.
A photo ID, if you have one. Ask the clinic whether one is required.
A rough idea of your household income, in case you are asked about a sliding fee.
A list of any symptoms, the dates of recent exposures, and any medicines you take.
A list of questions you want to ask.

If you do not have insurance or ID, say so when you call. Ask what the clinic can do for you.

Step 1: Decide what kind of visit you need

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) describe who should be screened and how often. The CDC recommends yearly chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for sexually active women under 25. It also recommends at least yearly screening for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Screening can be recommended more often depending on your situation.

The CDC also recommends that everyone from ages 13 to 64 be tested for HIV at least once. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends HIV screening for people ages 15 to 65.

A clinician can tell you which tests fit your history. If you have symptoms, a recent exposure, or a partner who tested positive, tell the clinic when you call. That can change how soon you are seen.

Step 2: Choose a clinic from the options below

These are the free, low-cost and sliding-scale options with published details. Prices and schedules change, so treat every listing as a starting point and confirm by phone.

CDPH Sexual Health Specialty Clinics

CDPH runs three sexual health clinics. Each offers STI testing, HIV testing, PrEP and treatment, according to the CDPH sexual health page. Care is provided regardless of ability to pay or insurance status.

Lakeview North Clark Street Health Clinic, 2849 N. Clark St., 1st Fl. Phone 312.744.5507. Listed hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Austin West Division Street Health Hub, 4909 W. Division St., Suite 411. Phone 312.746.4871. Listed hours are Tuesday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Wednesday and Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Roseland East 115th Street Health Hub, 200 E. 115th St., 1.5 fl. Phone 312.747.1090. Listed hours are Monday and Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Thursday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The CDPH page tells people to call for an appointment and says limited walk-ins are available. The clinics close from 12 to 1 pm daily and on City holidays. The page also says to call the clinic to verify hours.

Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center (Cook County Health)

The CORE Center is at 2020 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60612. Cook County Health lists a walk-in STI Screening Clinic there, under its "Walk-ins Welcome" heading. Same-day HIV and STI services are provided.

To reach the walk-in clinic, call 312-572-4700, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. To make an appointment, use the Access Line at 312-572-4500.

The CDC GetTested listing for Cook County Health shows insurance, Medicaid and Medicare accepted, PrEP for people without insurance, and a sliding scale. The same listing mentions rapid HIV testing, hepatitis C testing and the HPV vaccine.

Howard Brown Health

Howard Brown Health is a nonprofit health center. Its sexual health walk-in clinic describes itself as quick and low-cost. It says no appointment is necessary and that patients are seen first come, first served. Howard Brown also offers a Sliding Fee Discount Program based on income and family size.

The walk-in page lists testing for HIV (including rapid HIV), syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and hepatitis A, B and C. It also lists treatment, PEP and PrEP. The main phone number for all locations is 773.388.1600.

Sheridan, 4025 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60613.
63rd St., 641 W. 63rd St., Chicago, IL 60621.
Broadway Youth Center, 1023 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL 60613. Howard Brown's site describes its youth services as for ages 12 to 24.

Howard Brown offers doxy-PEP by appointment. It is not listed as a walk-in service. Doxy-PEP is a prevention approach the CDC addressed in its 2024 guidance, and a clinician decides whether it fits your situation.

The pages reviewed do not list walk-in hours for each site. Ask when you call.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois, Rogers Park Health Center

This center is at 5725 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660. The phone number is (773) 942-7193. The CDC GetTested listing shows STI testing, HIV testing, rapid HIV testing and the HPV vaccine.

The listing shows that insurance and Medicaid are accepted. It does not say whether a self-pay or sliding-scale rate exists, so ask. It also says an appointment is required. CDC GetTested notes that hours can change and advises checking with the organization.

A free HIV test kit by mail

Erie Family Health Centers, a Chicago nonprofit health center, offers a free rapid HIV test kit (OraQuick). You can request it online or by phone at 312-386-6344. According to Erie, you must live in Illinois and be 17 or older.

This kit tests for HIV only. It does not test for other STIs. I found no state or city program that mails free home kits for other STIs, so a clinic visit is the route for a full panel.

If you would like to compare these places alongside prices and neighborhoods, the local testing list puts them in one place. For a deeper look at costs, see where to get tested in Chicago and what it costs.

Step 3: Check current hours before you go

Hours are the detail most likely to be out of date. A short call saves a wasted trip.

Call the clinic number listed above.
Ask whether the clinic takes walk-ins that day or needs an appointment.
Ask when the last walk-in is seen. Many clinics stop taking walk-ins before closing.
Ask about holiday closures and the midday break.
Write down the answer and the name of the person you spoke with.

You can also use CDC GetTested at gettested.cdc.gov. It is a CDC locator that lists testing sites by ZIP code. It shows whether a site accepts insurance, offers a sliding scale, or takes walk-ins. It carries its own caution that hours may change.

The Illinois HIV/STD Hotline, 1-800-243-2437, is run through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). It is another place to ask where to go.

Step 4: Ask about cost before the visit

You are allowed to ask what a visit will cost. Clinic staff hear this question all the time. Try wording like this:

"Is there a charge for the visit, and is there a separate charge for each test?"
"Do you have a sliding fee or a self-pay rate? What do you need to see to set it?"
"If I have insurance, will anything show up on a statement at home?"
"If I test positive, is treatment available here, and what would that cost?"

Clinics set their own prices. This guide does not list dollar amounts for any site because none were published on the pages reviewed. The clinic or CDPH can give you the current figure.

Step 5: Know your rights and privacy basics

Illinois law gives young people a way to get care. Under the Consent by Minors to Health Care Services Act (410 ILCS 210/4), a minor age 12 or older who may have come into contact with a sexually transmitted disease can consent to care related to prevention, diagnosis or treatment. Parental consent is not necessary.

The same law says providers should make reasonable efforts to involve the family if they believe it will not be harmful. It also says each STD incident must be reported to public health.

Reporting is a normal part of public health. IDPH rules (77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 693) list HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia as reportable infections. In Chicago, health care professionals send those reports to the local health department within seven days of diagnosis or treatment. Ask the clinic how your information is handled and who sees your billing.

Illinois repealed its HIV-specific criminal transmission statute (720 ILCS 5/12-5.01) in 2021, through Public Act 102-168.

Step 6: At the visit

A clinician will ask about your health, your symptoms and your recent sexual activity. Those questions are routine. Answer as openly as you feel able to, because the answers help choose the right tests.

Tests may include a urine sample, a swab, a blood draw or a finger-stick. Some samples can be collected by you in a private room. You can ask what each test is for and why it was chosen.

You can also ask about vaccines and prevention. The CORE Center and Planned Parenthood listings mention the HPV vaccine. CDPH and Howard Brown list PrEP. Illinois also has PrEP4Illinois, an IDPH program that helps pay for PrEP medication. It has residency and insurance documentation requirements, so check its helpline at 1-833-773-7445.

Tips and common mistakes to avoid

Do not assume "low-cost" means free. Ask about any charge before you are seen.
Do not skip the call. CDPH says to call for an appointment and to verify hours. Walk-in access is limited.
Do not arrive at the end of the day. Walk-in clinics may stop seeing people early.
Do not rely on a single test for every infection. An HIV-only kit looks for HIV only. Ask a clinician what else fits your situation.
Do not wait out symptoms. If something feels wrong, say so when you call. A clinician can advise on timing.
Do not skip partner conversations. Illinois law permits expedited partner therapy for chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, according to the CDC. A clinician decides whether it applies to you.
Do not forget the follow-up. Ask how results will reach you and how long they take.

Timing: when a test can detect an infection

Tests look for different things, and each has a window period. The window period is the time between an exposure and when a test can reliably detect an infection.

The CDC lists HIV windows by test type. A nucleic acid test can detect HIV about 10 to 33 days after exposure. An antigen/antibody lab test on a blood draw can detect it about 18 to 45 days after exposure. Rapid antigen/antibody tests and antibody-only tests generally take longer.

For other infections, windows vary by test and by infection. A clinician can tell you whether a test now is useful or whether a repeat test later makes sense. Getting tested soon after a possible exposure is still reasonable. You can be asked to come back and test again.

Expected results: what to hope for and what to ask

Results can come back as negative or positive. Some tests give answers during the visit, such as rapid HIV tests. Others are sent to a lab and take longer. The clinic should tell you how results are delivered.

A negative result may mean the test did not find the infection it looked for. It does not mean every infection was checked. If you tested close to an exposure, a clinician may suggest testing again later.

A positive result is something a clinician will talk through with you. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) say that bacterial STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, and the parasitic infection trichomoniasis, can be cured with treatment from a clinician. HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable. They are treatable or manageable, and a clinician can explain the options.

Treatment is something a clinician prescribes. Do not use leftover medicine or a friend's prescription.

Why testing matters in Chicago

Many STIs cause no symptoms, so testing is how many people learn about an infection at all. IDPH reports that in 2022 the City of Chicago had 1,023.7 chlamydia cases per 100,000 people and 459.3 gonorrhea cases per 100,000. IDPH calculates those rates from 2010 Census population figures.

For HIV, IDPH's December 2025 surveillance update shows 474 new diagnoses reported for the Chicago Health Department jurisdiction in 2025. IDPH marks that figure provisional and subject to change.

These numbers show that testing in the city is common and routine. They are not a measure of any one person's risk.

Free testing events and walk-in days

No dated free testing events were found on the sources reviewed. CDPH lists limited walk-ins at its clinics, and Howard Brown and the CORE Center list walk-in services. For community events, check the CDPH sexual health page or call the Illinois HIV/STD Hotline at 1-800-243-2437.

Your next step

Pick one option from the list, call it, and ask about hours and cost. If the first place cannot see you soon, try the next. CDC GetTested can help you find more sites by ZIP code.

Getting tested is a routine part of health care. Every clinic named here sees people of every gender and orientation.

Free STD Testing in Chicago: Every Free and Sliding-Scale Option