Skip to main content
I need a test

Ways to test

Plan it

Privacy

Your situation

I have symptoms

Check

Down there

Elsewhere

Is it an STI at all?

I was exposed

Act now

Timing

Your risk

I tested positive

Next steps

Partners

Living with it

Prevention

Daily defenses

Vaccines

Smarter sex

Conditions

Health areas

Bacterial

Viral

Hepatitis

Parasitic & skin

Related & look-alikes

Viral STI Curable

Mpox Testing

Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, spreads mainly through close skin-to-skin contact, including intimate and sexual contact. Since 2022, a global clade II outbreak has affected mostly men who have sex with men, often showing up as a painful rash in the genital or anal area. Most people recover fully within weeks, though it can be serious for people who are immunocompromised. A simple lesion swab confirms it, and a vaccine is available for those at increased risk.

Find mpox testing near you When can mpox be detected?

Understanding mpox

Testing for mpox, in brief

Mpox is usually symptomless and quick to cure, so testing is the only reliable way to know you have it. This page covers how mpox testing works, what it costs, and where to get tested near you.

Full mpox overview: symptoms, complications & treatment

Where to get tested

Find mpox testing near you

Choose your test and enter your city: we'll take you straight to local mpox testing: nearby clinics and labs, prices, hours and county rates.

Test from home

At-home STD testing in the U.S.

if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to the U.S., 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 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

    Quest Diagnostics

    Quest Diagnostics

    $79 & up

    Panel:
    8-infection panel incl. chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, hepatitis & herpes: single tests too
    Sample:
    Quest Mobile: a phlebotomist collects your sample at home
    Results:
    1–3 days, online: physician-reviewed
    • In-home sample collection
    • Nationwide Quest lab network
    • Physician-reviewed results
    • FSA/HSA eligible
    Order online Quest Diagnostics review

  • Best value: single tests

    Everlywell

    Everlywell

    $49 & up

    Panel:
    Chlamydia & gonorrhea, up to a 6-test panel adding HIV, syphilis, trichomoniasis & hep C
    Sample:
    Finger-prick + swab
    Results:
    Days, online
    • Telehealth visit if positive
    • CLIA-certified labs
    • HSA/FSA eligible
    • Subscription savings
    Order online Everlywell review

  • Best range: couples & full panels

    myLAB Box

    myLAB Box

    $79 & up

    Panel:
    Up to 14 infections, incl. HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis & herpes
    Sample:
    Self-collect: swab, urine, finger-prick
    Results:
    2–5 days, online
    • Free phone consult if positive
    • CLIA-certified labs
    • Couples & subscription options
    • Discreet packaging
    Order online myLAB Box review

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.

Symptoms

Do you need a mpox test?

Mpox almost always produces a visible rash, which is the defining feature of the illness. Some people develop the rash with no warning prodrome of fever or other symptoms beforehand. Because the rash can look like herpes, syphilis, or ordinary pimples, a lesion swab tested by PCR is what confirms mpox, so get new lesions checked rather than waiting to see how they spread.

See every mpox symptom — in women, men, rectal & throat

How testing works

How a mpox test works

Testing for mpox is simple and painless — you pee in a cup or do a quick swab, and a lab checks the sample for the infection. Below: your options, what each costs, and how soon you can test after a possible exposure.

When to test

Test as soon as a suspected rash develops; people usually become ill within 21 days of contact (incubation 3–17 days).

After treatment

Diagnosis relies on a visible lesion to swab, there is no standard blood test used for routine confirmation.

Lesion swab PCR Most accurate
Sample
Swab of a suspected lesion
Results
Varies by lab

Detects mpox virus DNA; the standard for confirmation.

What a mpox test costs

Where What it costs
Private lab (self-pay)Varies by clinic and lab
Free / sliding-scale clinicPublic health departments may offer evaluation and testing during outbreaks
With insuranceCoverage varies; check with your provider

Compare STD testing costs across every option.

Screening guidance

Who should get tested for mpox?

Testing for mpox is usually guided by symptoms, a known exposure, or a partner's diagnosis rather than routine screening: so you test when you have a reason to, not on a fixed schedule.

  1. 1

    Anyone with an unexplained rash

    If you develop a new rash that looks like pimples or blisters, especially in the genital or anal area, mouth, or elsewhere, get evaluated, even without other symptoms.

  2. 2

    People with a known mpox exposure

    If you've had close or intimate contact with someone diagnosed with mpox, watch for symptoms and seek testing if a rash appears.

  3. 3

    Men who have sex with men

    This group was most affected during the 2022 outbreak. Any new genital, anal, or oral lesions warrant prompt evaluation.

  4. 4

    People who are immunocompromised

    Those with advanced HIV or other immune-weakening conditions face higher risk of severe disease and should test early if symptoms develop.

  5. 5

    Anyone with rash plus systemic symptoms

    A rash accompanied by fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, or exhaustion after recent close contact should be checked.

Browse by location

Mpox testing by state & city

Jump to local mpox testing, clinics and labs, prices and county rates, in your state or a popular city, or explore another test.

Popular cities

Keep reading

More on mpox

All condition guides articles

Living with mpox

Questions to ask your provider about mpox

Mpox is treatable and nothing to be ashamed of. The most useful next step after a positive result (or before a first test) is a direct conversation with a clinician. Here are the questions that matter most:

  • Is my mpox test result definitive, or do I need a confirmatory test?
  • What treatment options are available to me, and how long until I'm no longer contagious?
  • Should I notify my recent partners, and can your office help me do that confidentially?
  • How long am I contagious, and when are the lesions considered fully healed?
  • Are there other STIs I should test for at the same visit?
  • Am I a candidate for tecovirimat or the mpox vaccine given my situation?

Good to Know

Mpox testing FAQs

Common questions about mpox and mpox testing, answered.

How do you get tested for mpox?

Only a healthcare provider can order an mpox test. They swab one or more of your rash lesions and send the sample to a lab for a PCR test; results usually come back within a few days. Testing is recommended if you have a new rash that could be mpox, especially after close contact with someone who has it.

Where can I get an mpox test?

Mpox testing is available through healthcare providers, sexual-health and STI clinics, local health departments, and major commercial labs like Quest and Labcorp. There is no at-home mpox test; a clinician has to collect the swab.

How much does an mpox test cost?

Tests ordered through a public health department are often free; a test through a private provider or commercial lab may involve a fee, though it is frequently covered by insurance.

Medically Reviewed · Updated

Reviewed by Dr. Ngozi Adeyemi, MD, MPH · Infectious Disease & Epidemiology

Board-certified in infectious disease with a focus on STI epidemiology and public-health screening programs. Leads testing, diagnosis and the data-driven 'state of STDs' reporting. Our editorial guidelines →

7 Sources

Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.