San Mateo County reports about 12 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 residents, near the US average. If you're wondering about your STI testing options in East Palo Alto, California, consider whether you prefer the convenience of an at-home kit or the immediate support of a clinic visit.
Available testing centers
11 testing options are listed for East Palo Alto, CA. The nearest, Ravenswood Family Health Center at 1846 Bay Road, is about 0.4 miles away. Compare community and public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits below.
Listings tagged Community health center are federally funded health centers and rural clinics that treat everyone regardless of insurance or ability to pay: required to bill on a sliding fee scale and provide confidential care, and in many states minors may consent to their own STI testing. A Title X tag flags centers funded for confidential family-planning services; confirm current participation when you call.
Source: CMS FQHC & Rural Health Clinic enrollment files (data.cms.gov), refreshed quarterly. Title X status reflects the latest OPA grantee list.
Ravenswood Family Health Center at 1846 Bay Road in East Palo Alto was built for patients navigating gaps in coverage: federally qualified and NHSC-designated, it ties fees to income so syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening stays within reach for anyone paying out of pocket or between plans.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Ravenswood Family Health Center in East Palo Alto anchors its STI care in a sliding-scale fee structure tied to income, no one is turned away for inability to pay. As a federally qualified health center, it offers screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia without requiring an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Stanford Children's Health in Menlo Park delivers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis testing alongside STI treatment and prevention. Appointments required, with every service provided at no fee.
Every service at Stanford Children's Health carries no charge (testing, treatment, PrEP, PEP, vaccines) which means the cost calculation simply doesn't change what care you walk out with.
Many STI clinics screen and treat but leave HIV prevention prescribing to outside providers. Stanford Children's Health writes both PrEP and PEP in-house, keeping ongoing HIV prevention in the same place as the rest of your sexual health care.
The panel at Stanford Children's Health covers herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C in addition to HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, so a single appointment surfaces infections that a narrower screen would miss entirely.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Peninsula Healthcare Connection in Palo Alto earned its federally qualified designation by committing to serve anyone regardless of insurance status or income, making it a real option for people paying out of pocket or between providers. Sliding-scale fees apply to syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening, with no appointment required.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Sutter Health in Palo Alto pairs same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis) with testing for herpes, hepatitis B and C, TB, and rapid or conventional HIV; appointments are required, and fees are charged with insurance accepted.
Sutter Health carries both PrEP and PEP directly within its sexual health services. That means ongoing PrEP prescriptions and PEP management stay with the same clinical team, keeping prevention continuous rather than split across separate providers.
For anyone without a regular primary-care provider, Sutter Health's panel covers herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C alongside the core bacterial and HIV tests. Meaning a single appointment can surface infections that a narrower panel would leave undetected and unaddressed.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and tuberculosis, with fees adjusted on a sliding scale and insurance or Medicare accepted; appointments are required, and bacterial STIs are treated the same visit, with Spanish-language care available.
Testing at Stanford covers herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C alongside the core bacterial infections, which means a single visit can surface conditions that a narrower panel would simply miss, avoiding a separate specialist appointment to fill the gap.
Stanford carries both PrEP and PEP as standing clinical services: meaning anyone without a regular prescriber, or whose current provider doesn't manage HIV prevention medications, can initiate, continue, or adjust either regimen here rather than hunting down a separate specialist.
Spanish-language care at Stanford is embedded in the clinical staff itself: appointments, medical histories, prescription instructions, and follow-up counseling are conducted directly in Spanish by providers, so nothing passes through a secondary layer before reaching the patient.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Nov 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Ravenswood Family Health Network in Palo Alto schedules appointments, no walk-in queue, and covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, HIV, and TB in one visit, with same-visit bacterial treatment, sliding-scale fees accepted by Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance, and care delivered in Spanish.
Ravenswood Family Health Network conducts STI care fully in Spanish (consultations, results, and follow-up planning) which means nothing gets compressed into simpler terms or held back for a later conversation with someone else.
The clinic runs herpes serology alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. Meaning a clinician orders and interprets the herpes result in the same appointment rather than treating it as a separate referral pathway. Bacterial infections confirmed at that visit are treated the same day.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Free tool · not a clinic
Testing too soon can miss an infection. Enter the date of possible exposure to see the earliest a test can reliably detect each STI.
| Infection | Earliest reliable test | Conclusive after |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 7 days after exposure | 14 days after exposure |
| Gonorrhea | 7 days after exposure | 14 days after exposure |
| Trichomoniasis | 7 days after exposure | 28 days after exposure |
| HIV (NAT / RNA) | 10 days after exposure | 33 days after exposure |
| HIV (4th-gen Ag/Ab) | 18 days after exposure | 45 days after exposure |
| HIV (antibody) | 21 days after exposure | 84 days after exposure |
| Syphilis | 21 days after exposure | 42 days after exposure |
| Hepatitis B | 21 days after exposure | 42 days after exposure |
| Hepatitis C | 56 days after exposure | 77 days after exposure |
| Herpes (HSV) | 28 days after exposure | 112 days after exposure |
Guidance only, confirm timing with a clinician. A negative result before the conclusive date may need a repeat test.
Typical out-of-pocket ranges by option, actual cost depends on which tests you need.
Public / community clinic
Free HIV testing is common
Private lab (self-pay)
Never billed to insurance
At-home kit
Mailed to your door, private
Doctor / urgent care
Often $0 preventive with insurance
No centers match those filters. Clear the service-type filter or the opening-hours filters to see every center.
Every other option
Beyond the dedicated testing centers above: at-home kits by mail, hospital labs certified for STI testing, local clinicians who can order a panel during a regular visit, pharmacies for self-test kits and prescriptions, and online PrEP & treatment.
Test from home
The nearest testing center is less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to East Palo Alto, you collect the sample privately, and mail it back to a CLIA-certified lab. Results come online in days, with a clinician available if anything is positive. Same labs as a clinic, no waiting room, and you can read how accurate at-home STD tests are before you order.
Want a free option first? The CDC-supported TakeMeHome (opens in a new tab) program mails free at-home HIV self-test kits, and, in many areas, free STI kits, to your door, with no insurance or payment needed. The paid kits below add broader panels and faster turnaround.
In-home collection
$79 & up
Best range: couples & full panels
$79 & up
Best for simplicity & support
$89 & up
Every kit uses CLIA-certified labs. At-home testing is for screening; a reactive result should be confirmed and treated by a clinician. Prices and panels shown are illustrative and change often, confirm current details on the provider's site.
Also in the area
Beyond the public testing sites above, these federally certified (CLIA) labs serve San Mateo County, each lab's town is shown on its card below. Many test through a doctor's order or by appointment rather than walk-in, so call ahead to confirm STD/STI testing and availability before visiting.
1810 Embarcadero Rd Suite 100, Palo Alto, CA 94303
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
3520 West Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1900 University Avenue, Suite 101, East Palo Alto, CA 94303
CMS-certified lab
1950 University Ave Suite 170, East Palo Alto, CA 94303
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near East Palo Alto. A CLIA certificate records only that a laboratory is federally certified — it does not confirm the site performs STD testing, nor its hours, price or access. Inclusion is not an endorsement; always call to verify.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 5,300 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of East Palo Alto. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 2,246 offer telehealth.
Sonia Santana, DO
OB-GYN · 1798 A Bay Road, East Palo Alto
Jordan Emont, MD
OB-GYN · 1796 Bay Road, East Palo Alto
Kate Shaw, MD Telehealth
OB-GYN · 1804 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto
Vijan Joshi, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 590 Forest Avenue, Palo Alto
John Boggs, MD Telehealth
Infectious disease · 437 Webster Street, Palo Alto
Jaime Chavarria, MD
Family medicine · 100 Terminal Avenue, Menlo Park
These are registry-listed clinicians, not dedicated STD-testing clinics. CMS records do not independently verify current licensure, testing services, availability, price, or new-patient status. Confirm each detail before booking. Source: CMS Doctors & Clinicians.
Nearby pharmacies
No pharmacy near East Palo Alto, CA publishes an STD-related service or holds a current CLIA testing certificate, so these are simply the closest. Contact a location directly to confirm counter hours, services, prices, and availability before visiting.
Baneth's Pharmacy
1.2 miNimble Pharmacy
1.2 miCapsule Pharmacy
1.9 mi
2.0 mi Disco Rex Pharmacy
2.0 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to East Palo Alto, CA.
Directory records identify nearby pharmacies. Service, stock, price, and hours information is shown only when supported by current location-specific evidence.
Prevention & treatment
Testing is one step. For residents of East Palo Alto, telehealth covers the rest: HIV-prevention medication (PrEP) and DoxyPEP to lower future risk, and discreet online treatment if a result comes back positive. All prescribed by licensed U.S. clinicians.
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
Pricing varies by insurance and changes often, confirm on the provider's site. These services are not a substitute for emergency care.
STD stats & rates
How reported STI rates in San Mateo County, the county that includes East Palo Alto, compare with California and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~33% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#26 of 58 California counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 55% of the state
| Infection | San Mateo County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 360.4 2,618 cases ▼ 27% | 491.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 125.3 910 cases ▼ 34% | 190.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 9.2 67 cases ▼ 44% | 16.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 11.6 84 cases ▼ 39% | 19.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 19.1 139 cases ▼ 59% | 46.7 | 29.5 |
Rates per 100,000 population, 2023. Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus (county, state & U.S., all-ages basis). Population figures: U.S. Census Bureau ACS. These figures are the latest available surveillance estimates. Bars are scaled to the highest rate shown.
Reading these numbers: reported case rates only count infections that were actually tested for and diagnosed, so they track local screening effort as much as true spread: a higher rate can reflect more testing, a lower one less. Either way, most STIs cause no symptoms, so treat the figures above as context rather than a verdict, and test on the CDC's schedule regardless of how your area looks.
Between 2020 and 2023 in San Mateo County, chlamydia has risen from 263.1 to 360.4 per 100,000 (37%), gonorrhea has risen from 108.3 to 125.3 per 100,000 (16%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 12.3 to 9.2 per 100,000 (25%).
The 2020 dip reflects reduced pandemic-era screening, not lower transmission. Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus (county, state & U.S., all-ages basis).
Community health context
Sources: CDC PLACES (ZIP), County Health Rankings, CDC/ATSDR SVI, HRSA HPSA, HRSA MUA/P, Neighborhood Atlas ADI. Lower insurance coverage, fewer routine checkups, and a thin primary-care ratio all raise the value of low-cost public clinics and at-home testing in San Mateo County.
Local HIV snapshot
San Mateo County HIV care continuum (2023)
San Mateo County recorded 12.2 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.9 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among San Mateo County residents living with HIV, 75.4% are in care · 55.4% are virally suppressed. Early, routine testing is what moves these numbers: it is the entry point to PrEP, treatment, and viral suppression.
Sources: AIDSVu (Emory/Gilead) · CDC AHEAD · CDC AtlasPlus · CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus (county care continuum). The CDC recommends everyone aged 13–64 test for HIV at least once: every lab and clinic listed above offers HIV testing, and free rapid HIV testing is available at a local health department.
Congenital syphilis, passed from parent to baby in pregnancy, is the fastest-rising STI in the country. U.S. cases climbed from 2,163 in 2020 to 3,882 in 2023. It is almost entirely preventable: the CDC recommends a syphilis test at the first prenatal visit, and every clinic and lab listed for San Mateo County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
University Avenue cuts through the heart of East Palo Alto, and the households clustered along its residential side streets tell a story the zip code numbers only hint at: large families, most of them renting, sharing space in a peninsula market where typical monthly rent clears seventeen hundred dollars. With an average household size above four people and most residents paying into someone else's mortgage, the financial weight of that arrangement is real, and it shapes how freely anyone books an appointment that costs money or time away from work.
That pressure lands unevenly on younger adults in their late teens and twenties, who are forming new relationships and navigating their first serious bouts of financial independence at the exact life stage when STI rates run highest. More than seven in ten East Palo Alto residents are actively working, so scheduling anything during a standard clinic window means working around shifts, not around personal preference. The roughly three-in-eight households that do earn over six figures are the exception, not the community's center of gravity, which makes low-cost or sliding-scale options among the twelve listed here genuinely relevant rather than a footnote.
Getting to those options matters too. Willow Road and US 101 are the practical corridors out of town toward fuller-service clinics, and the drive, short as it can be on a clear afternoon, looks different at the end of a long shift. Knowing exactly where you are headed before you leave Green Gables changes whether the trip actually happens.
Getting there
East Palo Alto scores 13.62/20 on the EPA walkability index, so many trips are walkable or a short ride, though a car still gives you the widest choice of testing centers.
Source: EPA National Walkability Index 2021.
ZIP 94303 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 94303 area around East Palo Alto: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not East Palo Alto alone.
East Palo Alto sits in San Mateo County, ZIP 94303. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside East Palo Alto? These nearby communities have their own testing guides: clinics, at-home kits, and free screening close to home.
Reference
Everything to know before you test in San Mateo County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under California law. If you have symptoms right now, our confidential symptom checker maps them to the tests worth considering.
Based on current CDC screening recommendations.
| Group | Tests | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone aged 13–64 | HIV | At least once |
| Sexually active women under 25 | Chlamydia, gonorrhea | Every year |
| Women 25+ with new or multiple partners | Chlamydia, gonorrhea | Every year |
| Pregnant people | HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B & C, chlamydia | Early in pregnancy |
| Gay & bisexual men (MSM) | Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV | Every 3–6 months |
| Anyone who shares injection equipment | HIV, hepatitis B & C | At least yearly |
| All adults at least once | Hepatitis C | At least once |
Testing too early can return a false negative, confirm timing with an East Palo Alto-area provider.
| Infection | Earliest reliable test | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 1–2 weeks | Urine or swab |
| Gonorrhea | 1–2 weeks | Urine or swab |
| Trichomoniasis | 1–4 weeks | Urine or swab |
| HIV (NAT / RNA) | 10–33 days | Blood |
| HIV (4th-gen Ag/Ab) | 18–45 days | Blood |
| HIV (antibody) | 3–12 weeks | Blood / oral |
| Syphilis | 3–6 weeks | Blood |
| Hepatitis B | 3–6 weeks | Blood |
| Hepatitis C | 8–11 weeks | Blood |
| Herpes (HSV) | 4–16 weeks (antibody); swab a sore | Blood / swab |
These are the federal Medicare reference prices for processing each lab test. Public clinics and the community health centers serving East Palo Alto often test free or on a sliding scale; private labs and at-home kits bundle several tests into one fee. Use this as a per-test benchmark before you pay out of pocket, or see the full guide to STD test costs for insurance, free, and at-home options.
| Test | Reference price | CPT / HCPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia (NAAT) | $47.80 | 87491 |
| Gonorrhea (NAAT) | $47.80 | 87591 |
| Trichomoniasis (NAAT) | $47.76 | 87661 |
| HIV-1/2 antigen/antibody | $26.87 | 87389 |
| HIV-1/2 antibody | $22.44 | 86703 |
| Syphilis (RPR/VDRL) | $5.61 | 86592 |
| Syphilis (treponemal antibody) | $17.49 | 86780 |
| Herpes (HSV NAAT) | $47.76 | 87529 |
| Hepatitis B surface antigen | $15.33 | 87340 |
| Hepatitis C antibody | $29.16 | 86803 |
Source: Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, CMS, 2025 rates (data.cms.gov). Reference rate for the lab assay only: a clinic visit, sample collection, or a bundled multi-test panel may cost more. Medicaid and most insurers cover STD screening at no out-of-pocket cost.
Two things that actually depend on California law: who can consent, and whether partners can be treated without their own visit. Everything else about testing privately is the same nationwide (see below).
In California, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
California permits Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT): if you test positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea, your provider can give you medication (or a prescription) to pass to your partner, no separate exam or appointment needed for them.
Keeping a test private works the same in every state. Whether an STD test shows on insurance (the EOB), how to test anonymously, and self-pay options that leave no insurance trail don’t change by location.
Learn more about confidential STD testing in CaliforniaSource: Guttmacher Institute, Minors' Access to STI Services; CDC, Legal Status of Expedited Partner Therapy. General information, not legal advice.
Good to Know
Answers to the questions people ask most before getting tested.
The closest is Ravenswood Family Health Center at 1846 Bay Road (0.4 mi); 11 options are within 30 miles.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Yes, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 360 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the California average.
In California, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
Public health clinics, family-planning clinics, and many school or campus health centers test teens and young adults, often free.
Community health centers and family-planning clinics serve all patients, and many offer LGBTQ-affirming care, ask the site directly.
That's a myth; STIs need sexual contact to spread, not surfaces.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.