San Mateo County reports about 12 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 residents, near the US average. Whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening in Redwood City, California, you have choices: visiting a clinic means immediate answers and treatment can start right away, while an at-home kit lets you collect a sample on your own schedule and mail it in. We list options below.
Available testing centers
11 testing options are listed for Redwood City, CA. The nearest, San Mateo County Homeless Navigation Center, is about 0.6 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.
San Mateo County Homeless Navigation Center in Redwood City was built around people who fall through the cracks, unstable housing, no insurance, no regular provider. Its federally qualified status anchors a sliding-scale STI screening program covering syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with fees tied directly to what patients can actually pay.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
South County Mental Health in Redwood City structures its fees on a sliding scale tied to income, so cost isn't a barrier to care. Federally qualified, it offers STI screening covering syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia to patients across the financial spectrum.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
UCSF Health-GoHealth Urgent Care in Redwood City takes walk-ins for a panel covering HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB: same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs, sliding-scale fees, and interpretation services for non-English languages.
The panel at UCSF Health-GoHealth includes herpes typing and hepatitis A, B, and C antibody testing run alongside the core bacterial and HIV screens: ordered in the same visit, read by the same clinical team, with reactive results folded directly into a treatment or management plan on site.
Prevention prescriptions at many urgent-care stops end at a handoff, UCSF Health-GoHealth writes PrEP and PEP scripts in-house, meaning the clinician who reviews your results is the same one initiating the medication, without routing you to a separate prescriber.
Rather than asking patients to return with someone who speaks English, UCSF Health-GoHealth has interpretation services woven into the appointment itself: a live interpreter engaged during the clinical conversation so that symptom history, test results, and treatment instructions move in real time, not across sessions.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
San Mateo Medical Center in Redwood City is a full-service county medical facility, which means STI care sits alongside primary care infrastructure: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, HIV, and TB testing, same-visit bacterial treatment, walk-ins welcome, all at no fee.
San Mateo Medical Center's no-fee structure is county-funded, not grant-dependent or donation-capped, which means staffing levels, testing supplies, and treatment inventory are sustained through the same budget that runs a full medical center, not a narrow program cycle.
Spanish is a listed service language at San Mateo Medical Center, so clinical conversations (symptom history, treatment instructions, PrEP counseling) happen directly in Spanish, which means nothing gets condensed or softened in translation before it reaches the patient.
Without PrEP and PEP available at the same clinic handling your STI care, a separate appointment at a separate provider introduces delay and cost at exactly the wrong moment. San Mateo Medical Center prescribes and manages both, so prevention doesn't require a second relationship with a second clinic.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Nov 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte in Redwood City requires an appointment, so scheduling ahead unlocks a single visit that covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and rapid or conventional HIV testing, same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, HPV vaccine, sliding-scale fees, and PrEP.
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte staffs Spanish and Chinese speakers directly, conducts appointments in French, and carries interpretation services for additional languages: meaning the clinical conversation about results, treatment, and prevention runs in the language the provider and patient share, not through a delayed relay.
As a Title X-funded site, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte is legally bound to provide confidential family planning services to minors: meaning a minor's records, billing, and visit details are protected under federal statute, not simply clinic policy, and that protection is built into every eligible appointment.
Going without PrEP while HIV risk is ongoing means that risk accumulates without a pharmaceutical backstop, and finding a prescriber willing to initiate it can mean weeks of delay. Planned Parenthood Mar Monte prescribes and monitors both PrEP and PEP on-site, closing that gap at the same clinic where testing already happens.
Languages
Chinese, English, French, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Gardner Packard Children's Health Center - Suite 102, in Atherton, welcomes walk-ins for STI screening under its federally qualified health center designation. A single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing, with fees set on a sliding scale tied to household income.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Gardner Packard Children's Health Center, in Atherton, structures its fees on a sliding scale tied to income, so cost isn't a barrier to care. Walk-ins are welcome for STI screening that covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
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 Redwood City, 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 value: single tests
$49 & 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.
301 Penobscot Drive, Redwood City, CA 94063
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
101 Saginaw Drive, Redwood City, CA 94063
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
505 Penobscot Drive, Redwood City, CA 94063
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1100 Veterans Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
975 Island Drive, Suite 101, Redwood City, CA 94065
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Redwood City. 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, 5,293 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Redwood City. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 2,244 offer telehealth.
Marian Kim, MD
OB-GYN · 170 Alameda De Las Pulgas, Redwood City
Rakhi Yadav, MD
Family medicine · 905 Maple Street, Redwood City
Margaux Lazarin, DO
Family medicine · 2907 El Camino Real, Redwood City
Zahida Maskatia, MD
Internal medicine · 570 Price Avenue, Redwood City
Kerri Ashling, MD
Family medicine · 805 Veterans Boulevard, Redwood City
Donna Marie Veridiano, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 900 Veterans Boulevard, Redwood City
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 Redwood City, 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.
Mariner Advanced Pharmacy
0.6 miKaiser FDN HSP Inp Discharge Phy 37a 374
0.9 miKaiser Permanente Cypress Pharmacy
1.0 miKaiser Permanente Aspen Pharmacy No 376
1.0 miKaiser Permanente Marshall Pharmacy
1.0 miKaiser Health Walnut Pediatric Phy
1.0 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Redwood City, 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 Redwood City, 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.
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
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 Redwood City, compare with California and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~28% 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
North Fair Oaks sits just west of US 101, a dense, workaday stretch of Redwood City where households average more than three people and roughly half of residents rent rather than own. That tenure split, combined with median rents that clear two thousand dollars a month, means a significant share of the city's younger adults are managing tight monthly budgets while holding down jobs in a local labor force where nearly everyone who can work does. When the calendar is already full and every dollar is accounted for, a clinic visit can feel like a luxury of time, not just of money.
That pressure lands hardest on people in their late teens and twenties, who statistically carry the greatest risk of undetected chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other STIs. San Mateo County's own surveillance data backs that up, and Redwood City's household-size reality adds a layer: shared living arrangements, frequent moves, and the financial stress of renting in one of the country's more expensive counties can all delay the kind of routine care that makes early detection possible. If you're starting from North Fair Oaks, pulling up the clinic list here and filtering by hours first is the practical move, because finding one that fits around a full work schedule matters more in a city with this kind of employment rate than almost any other variable.
Getting there
At 10.39/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Redwood City generally mean driving: plan on a car or rideshare to reach a clinic, and check each listing's hours and phone before you go.
Source: EPA National Walkability Index 2021.
ZIP 94061 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 94061 area around Redwood City: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Redwood City alone.
Redwood City sits in San Mateo County, ZIP 94061. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Redwood City? 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 a Redwood City-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 Redwood City 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.
Yes, several local labs offer same-day walk-in testing; best to call first.
Free at public clinics. Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
San Mateo Medical Center, about 1.5 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
San Mateo County reported ~360 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the California average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In California, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
A reactive screen is a preliminary positive that must be confirmed with a follow-up test; if confirmed, treatment is highly effective.
For people with a cervix, HPV is screened via Pap/HPV testing; no standard screening test exists for men.
No, most STIs have no visible signs, so the only way to know is to test.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.