In 2018, the state of Illinois reported a sharp incline in the number of common, reportable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) cases. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were declared the top three STDs statewide. Young adults and adolescents were disproportionally impacted by chlamydia and gonorrhea, while men who have sex with men (MSM) were most impacted by syphilis. Black non-Hispanics were disproportionally affected by the three STDs.
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Reviewed by one or multiple members of our medical team5911 Northwest Highway,ste 108, Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014
Tel: 8153563829
Today's best offer is: $10 off any order. Discount will be applied automatically.
200 S Greenleaf St, Gurnee, Illinois 60031
Tel: 8472442576
Today's best offer is: $10 off any order. Discount will be applied automatically.
509 Hamacher, Ste 200b, Waterloo, Illinois 62298
Tel: 6189393161
Today's best offer is: $10 off any order. Discount will be applied automatically.
1020 E Ogden Ave Ste 208, Naperville, Illinois 60563
Tel: 6303576999
Today's best offer is: $10 off any order. Discount will be applied automatically.
121 South Wilke Rd, #405, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005
Tel: 8473681336
Today's best offer is: $10 off any order. Discount will be applied automatically.
Free condoms available.
6500 N Clark St, Chicago, Illinois 60626
Tel: (773) 388-1600
Tel: (773) 388-1600 (ext 2991)
Appointment Required: No
330 Vermont St, Quincy, Illinois 62301
Tel: (217) 222-8440
Appointment Required: Yes
220 E High St, Ste 102, Hennepin, Illinois 61327
Tel: (815) 925-7326
Tel: (815) 925-7001
Appointment Required: Yes
Residents of St. Clair County within eighteen township served by the St. Clair County Health Department. Tuberculosis Services are available to all county residents of St. Clair County.
19 Public Sq, Ste 150, Belleville, Illinois 62220
Tel: (618) 233-7703
Tel: (618) 233-7713
Appointment Required: Yes
Free confidential HIV counseling and rapid testing for at risk individuals 12 years and older. Vaccinations for children at a low cost if eligible (VFC program), adult immunizations and free hepatitis C screenings.
717 Etna Rd, Ottawa, Illinois 61350
Tel: (815) 433-3366
Tel: (815) 433-9522
Appointment Required: Yes
Use our confidential STD symptom checker to get an idea of what STDs/STIs your symptoms align with and what STD tests are recommended to you.
Start Symptom CheckerWhich Method of STD Testing is Suitable for Me?
Every sexually active individual must protect their sexual health. Regular STD testing is the only way to care for your sexual health. However, sometimes it becomes confusing to select the right testing method as there are so many options available. For your convenience, we have gathered information about all available STD testing methods in Illinois. Check them out to find out which option is suitable for you.
| Testing Method | Waiting Times | Speed of Results | Positive Consultation |
|---|---|---|---|
Private Testing (Walk-In Clinic) | 10-20 Minutes with No Wait | 24-72 Hours | Free With Positive Result |
At-Home STD Testing | No Wait | 5-11 Days | Free With Positive Result |
Doctor Visit with Insurance | Call for Appointment | 7-10 Days | Co-Pay Required |
Doctor Visit without Insurance | Call for Appointment | 7-10 Days | Out-of-Pocket Cost Required |
Public Clinic | Limited Hours and Long Lines | 7-14 Days | No |
Learn more in our ultimate guide to STD testing.
It can be, but it does not necessarily have to be. What many people need to understand is that laboratory tests would most often than not be relatively pricey due to the technology that is being utilized behind these diagnostic techniques. However, opting for specific laboratories that offer more convenient testing procedures and discounted prices for diagnostic tests would help ensure that the price will not be much of an issue in providing you with the conclusive diagnosis of your condition. It might take some independent scanning to find the right testing center for you in the most acceptable price range, but it is not as impossible as many people make it out to be.
Considering that a wide variety of testing kits and laboratory procedures can be performed to determine conclusively whether you have a particular STD or not, the time that it will take for your results to return will also be subject to the same inconsistency. Although there are specific laboratories that could produce your results even by the end of the day (albeit, it is extremely rare for institutions to do so unless necessary), most would often take a few days to a week before the results are either delivered or posted online through your secure personal profile (in the case of online transactions). In addition to that, the capability of the laboratory performing the test may also contribute to the overall timeframe of result delivery – causing delays in cases where there are several requests or understaffed to provide expedited results.
For more information, skip to the FAQs section on this page.
Test Advisor
Know all about STD testing options, and the costs of different STD tests.
It is estimated that there are around 20 million new STD cases reported every year in the USA, and out of these new infections, around half are young people aged 15-24. This indicates that the country's youth is in dire need of sexual health counseling. It is important to note that most STDs can be diagnosed and treated easily. the problem is that STDs generally are asymptomatic, which means their symptoms are very mild and unnoticeable. That's why people remain unaware of their sexual health condition and develop more chronic forms of the STDs, such as HIV and AIDS.
Untreated syphilis causes blindness, mental illness, arthritis, heart disease, and even death, whereas unborn babies can develop congenital syphilis if the mother is infected and untreated. Untreated chlamydia infections can cause health complications like pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. Similarly, untreated gonorrhea can cause anal, penis, mouth, eyes, uterus, throat, and urinary tract infection. This makes STDs testing highly important for people of all ages and ethnicities. In fact, every sexually active individual, regardless of their age or gender, should get screened for STDs and make it a mandatory part of their annual health checkup.
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According to the Illinois state STD surveillance report 2018, the rate of chlamydia in the state was 602.7 per 100,000 people, and the state reported over 77,320 cases that year, which is why it was ranked 9th in the 50 US states for chlamydia incidences.
The same report suggests that the gonorrhea rate in the state was 198 per 100,000 people, with over 25,420 cases reported in 2018, making the state 16th most badly affected US state out of the 50 states regarding gonorrhea rates. The rate of primary/secondary syphilis in Illinois was 110 per 100,000 people, and the state reported 1,408 cases overall. It was the 13th most impacted state in the USA regarding the number of syphilis cases.
Another alarming situation was noted in the rate of congenital syphilis, which was over 19 cases per 100,000 live births, and 29 cases were reported overall. The rate of congenital syphilis was higher among black non-Hispanics in 2018, with over 14 cases identified per 100,000 live births in this community. Moreover, the white non-Hispanic population reported 2 cases of congenital syphilis per 100,000 live births, and Hispanics reported 2.7 cases/100,000 live births in Illinois.
According to Illinois Department of Public Health, chlamydia is the most commonly reported STI (sexually transmitted infection) in Illinois, with approximately 65,000 cases reported every year statewide. In Illinois, at least 17,000 gonorrhea cases are reported annually. Syphilis is the most commonly reported STI among males, specifically MSM, and every year the state records 1,600 syphilis cases.
In Illinois, chlamydia rates are noticeably higher in the female population than males, with 760.8 cases/100,000 females and 437.9 cases/100,000 males in 2018. The state's annual STD surveillance report revealed that females make up a larger chunk of all chlamydia cases reported in Illinois each year, and in 2018, over 64.3% of chlamydial infections were reported among females while males reported 35.6% of all cases.
It is worth noting that chlamydia rates disproportionally impact the black non-Hispanic community than any other racial group in Illinois. Blacks reported 1,747.1 cases/100,000 black population while black Hispanics reported 572.5 cases/100,000 people. white non-Hispanics reported 221.2 cases/100,000 people, and 535.8 cases per 100,000 population were diagnosed among American Indian/Alaskan Native.
The 15-19-year age group and the 20-24-year-old people reported the highest number of chlamydia cases with 2,225.7 per 100,000 and 3,212.1 per 100,000 population, respectively, and comprised over 63% of cases in 2018.
For several years, Illinois recorded a balance between male and female gonorrhea rates, but from 2017 onwards, males started reporting higher rates. In 2018, male population reported 244 cases/100,000 people compared to 153.9 cases/100,000 female population. Males accounted for over 60%, and females reported 39.6% of all gonorrhea cases.
In 2018, the black non-Hispanic population reported a higher number of cases with 751.4 cases/100,000 people, American Indian/Alaskan Native non-Hispanics reported 212.2 cases/100,000 people, and Hispanics reported 126.2 cases per 100,000 population. White non-Hispanics reported 64.5 cases/100,000 people. The most affected age groups regarding gonorrheal infection rate were the 15-19-year-olds, 20-24-year-olds, and the 25-29-year-olds with 526.7, 858.9, and 631.7 cases per 100,000 population, respectively.
Primary and secondary syphilis was more common among males than females, with the former reporting 20.5 cases/100,000 males compared to 1.8 cases/100,000 females. Black non-Hispanics reported the highest number of infections with a rate of 29.7/100,000 people, followed by American Indian/Alaskan Native non-Hispanics with 21.2/100,000 people and 15.5 cases/100,000 were reported in Hispanics.
Around 5.3 cases per 100,000 population were reported in white non-Hispanics. No single age group was more affected by syphilis in Illinois, but 20-24, 25-29, and 30-34-year-olds reported the highest number of cases.
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Section Outbreak Plan is developed to encourage coordinated efforts between local health jurisdictions and the IDPH STD Section to respond to rising rates of STDs in Illinois (excluding Chicago). The department is responsible for maintaining the outbreak plan, memos, and template memos stored on the IDPH shared network drive. The state's 97 certified local health departments have to conduct initial surveillance and get involved in direct case management activities. These health departments serve 100 out of 102 counties in Illinois. In the two remaining counties, these services are offered by the STD Section directly. Moreover, the STD section Surveillance and Evaluation Coordinator (SEC) has to identify, track, and coordinate responses to outbreaks with the Syphilis Prevention Coordinator (SPC) guidance.
The Illinois Ryan White Part B Program under the Ryan White CARE Act is authorized to examine and offer treatment to STD cases to prevent their progression into HIV. The funding is administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and the program is responsible for providing uninsured, low-income, and under-insured HIV-positive individuals in Illinois access to supportive services.
Several counties have their dedicated STD programs, such as the Lake County STI/HIV program is designed to provide comprehensive care/prevention services to at-risk populations. HIV counseling/testing, clinical services for STIs, and treatments to people diagnosed with an STI. Furthermore, risk reduction counseling, syphilis/gonorrhea/chlamydia screening, and health education is also provided to county residents.
The Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL) is a 5-year comprehensive plan to end the HIV/STD epidemic in Illinois by 2030. The plan includes goals/strategies devised to reduce new HIV transmissions and help Illinois get to a functional zero rate of HIV/STDs. The program offers services to treat co-occurring conditions, including screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and vaccination against infectious diseases.
Depending on the test being performed and the testing physician's targeted diseases, various types of samples can be requested from you. In some instances, a minuscule blood sample of a few milliliters will be collected, some might ask for a urine sample, and others may opt for a genital swab. Again, the sample being collected will depend on the test being conducted and the outcome that is being targeted for this particular procedure.
A nucleic acid amplification test is a laboratory procedure that professionals often perform to make detecting a particular nucleic acid or gene being targeted easier and more convenient while still ensuring that the sample being collected is relatively minimal. Nucleic acid amplification tests, or NAATs, are usually the mainstay diagnostic test for most STDs due to their ability to detect the presence of pathogenic nucleic acids and genes in the patient sample with utmost accuracy and speed. NAATs depends on their ability to replicate the target RNA and DNA to create numerous copies – resulting in an increased convenience in the detection of the desired molecules instead of trying to either blindly look for one strand in a minuscule sample or collecting a large sample that could make the patient uncomfortable throughout the process. Although NAATs are often preferred for a more conclusive diagnosis of STDs, certain exceptions such as the availability of resources and instances of intermittent viral shedding could make NAATs less desirable than other tests. Fret not, however, as your physician is knowledgeable regarding these instances and would often request the best diagnostic procedure for your instances.
Similar to how other testing procedures behave, false-positive results are still evident even in STD testing. False-positive and even false-negative results are standard instances that showcase the imperfection of the test’s design – a factor that is present everywhere. However, despite certain inconsistencies in laboratory tests as such, physicians commonly use confirmatory tests that would often take another path entirely to arrive at the same conclusion – solidifying the initial test’s diagnosis while still ensuring that the second test is not following the inconsistencies of the first.
Although NAATs are well-known for their accuracy and sensitivity in detecting most STDs, it is also subject to certain inconsistencies, especially in the case of herpes infections. In Herpes, outbreaks often result in a relative increase in the patient’s viral load – leading to a timeline that usually has specific peaks at certain intervals instead of a consistent rise in viral load throughout. As such, sensitive tests such as NAATs are still unable to accurately diagnose herpes conditions, especially in cases where the patient has recently become asymptomatic and is currently between outbreaks. Other tests such as culture testing and type-specific virologic tests are often employed instead as a confirmatory diagnosis for the patient’s condition.
It does vary on a case-to-case basis. Insurance policies are often particular with the instances that they would be covering with their program. Some may cover severe accidents, some may even consider “orphan disease,” and yes, some may also cover the expenses for performing STD diagnostic tests. However, considering that your insurance provider will have to verify the person's identity availing of the program, STD testing laboratories that employ a minimal collection of patient information may not accept insurance policies to prioritize privacy over affordability.
How Does it Work?
Most people experience feelings of hesitation when going to get tested for STD, despite knowing they might have contracted one. EasySTD was created to change that.
Visit your nearest lab or clinic, order your home testing kit online, and follow the given instructions from an STD testing provider.
After ordering your STD test, visit the testing center to get tested or take a self sample including urine, cotton swab, or finger prick with the home testing kit and mail it back.
Receive the lab-certified results of your STD test from your test provider via mail or phone within 2 to 3 days. If the test comes positive, consult your doctor immediately.
Help stop the spread of STDs by knowing your status. Get tested today!
