San Mateo County has reported syphilis cases that run about 42% lower than the US average. In South San Francisco, California, whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening, you'll find multiple options to consider. Public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience. From there, your personal circumstances and preferences will guide.
Available testing centers
12 testing options are listed for South San Francisco, CA. The nearest, South San Francisco Clinic, is about 0.3 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.
South San Francisco Clinic, serving South San Francisco as a federally qualified health center, ties STI screening fees directly to household income through a sliding scale. Walk-ins are welcome, and the standard panel (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) is available to patients across the income spectrum.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
North East Medical Services – 200 Linden, in South San Francisco, ties its STI screening fees directly to what patients earn. Federal health center funding makes that possible. Walk-ins can access syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening without letting cost be the barrier.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
UCSF Health-GoHealth Urgent Care in San Bruno tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis, treating bacterial infections the same visit. Fees run on a sliding scale, insurance and Medicaid accepted, and no appointment is needed.
UCSF Health-GoHealth Urgent Care in San Bruno has interpretation services available for non-English languages, a standing capability, not a case-by-case arrangement. For anyone whose primary language isn't English, that means questions about symptoms, treatment, and next steps get answered directly, in the visit itself.
UCSF Health-GoHealth Urgent Care in San Bruno prescribes both PrEP and PEP, which means a patient who wants to start HIV prevention medication doesn't need to locate a separate provider before getting access to it.
For anyone without a regular provider (or whose concerns extend past the basic gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV panel) UCSF Health-GoHealth Urgent Care in San Bruno runs testing for herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C as well, covering exposures that a narrower clinic visit would leave unaddressed.
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
Chinese Hospital in Daly City tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B, and TB on a sliding-scale fee accepted by Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance: an appointment is required, and bacterial STIs are treated the same visit, with care delivered in Chinese and Vietnamese.
Chinese and Vietnamese are both working clinical languages at Chinese Hospital in Daly City: not supplemental services, but the languages in which providers document, counsel, and treat. For patients whose medical literacy is rooted in either language, that means nothing is filtered or compressed before it reaches them.
Chinese Hospital's panel covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and hepatitis B alongside the TB test: meaning infections that other panels leave for separate appointments are resolved in a single visit, and the hepatitis B vaccine is available on-site to follow a reactive result.
Languages
Chinese, English, Vietnamese
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
North East Medical Services - Sullivan Suite 150, in Daly City, welcomes walk-in patients without an appointment. Federally qualified status anchors its sliding-scale fee structure, letting income determine cost. A single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening, with fees adjusted to what patients can actually pay.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Daly City Youth Health Center, in Daly City, structures its fees on a sliding scale tied to income. No one is turned away for inability to pay. Walk-ins are welcome for STI screening covering syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
North East Medical Services in Daly City tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C on a sliding-scale fee open to all, with an appointment required, and delivers that care in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
North East Medical Services conducts STI care (counseling, diagnosis, and treatment) in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese without routing through an external service. That means medication adherence education and hepatitis B treatment discussions happen in the language the clinician and patient share directly.
The panel at North East Medical Services extends beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV to include hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and because hepatitis B treatment is available on-site, a reactive result moves immediately into a managed care plan rather than an open question.
Languages
Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Hawkins Village Medical Clinic in San Francisco ties STI screening fees directly to income, so cost is never a barrier to care. As a federally qualified health center, it offers sliding-scale pricing across its standard panel (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) with no appointment needed.
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 South San Francisco, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & up
Best range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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.
425 Eccles Avenue, 2nd Floor, South San Francisco, CA 94080
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
510 Myrtle Ave Suite 101, South San Francisco, CA 94080
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2 Tower Place, 5th Flr, South San Francisco, CA 94080
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1200 El Camino Real, South San Francisco, CA 94080
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
300 Utah Ave Suite 150, South San Francisco, CA 94080
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 South San Francisco. 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, 4,968 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of South San Francisco. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 2,228 offer telehealth.
Arnold Traynis, MD
Family medicine · San Fran Int'L Airport, San Francisco
Yin-Yin Myint, MD
Internal medicine · 1405 Huntington Avenue, South San Francisco
Reebu Kohli, MD
Internal medicine · 306 Spruce Avenue, South San Francisco
Romeo David, MD
Family medicine · 161 South Spruce Avenue, South San Francisco
John Martinez, MD
Family medicine · 1310 El Camino Real, San Bruno
Lisa Key, MD
Internal medicine · 801 Traeger Avenue, San Bruno
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 South San Francisco, 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.
Choicecare Pharmacy
0.2 miAnchor Drugs
0.3 miAnchor Drugs Iii
0.3 mi
0.7 mi Savon Pharmacy
0.9 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to South San Francisco, 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 South San Francisco, 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.
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
$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
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 South San Francisco, compare with California and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~23% 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
Tanforan sits at the southern edge of South San Francisco where the retail strip along El Camino Real gives way to a dense residential patchwork of owned bungalows and rented apartments, a mix that says a lot about how people here actually live. A majority of households own their homes, but nearly four in ten rent, and at over two thousand dollars a month, that rent bill shapes every discretionary decision, including health appointments that feel optional until they aren't. Household sizes run large by Bay Area standards, and more than half of all adults are married, meaning sexual health decisions rarely affect just one person. With over half of households earning six figures and a labor-force participation rate that keeps most adults working full schedules, South San Francisco reads as economically active rather than financially pressured, yet busy calendars carry their own cost.
Young adults still navigating new relationships, the group most likely to encounter an STI without knowing it, are the ones most likely to defer a test precisely when regular screening matters most. San Mateo County's STI rates make the case for not waiting. Checking the listed options now, while you're already on this page, is the most straightforward use of that information.
Getting there
South San Francisco scores 10.53/20 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 94080 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 94080 area around South San Francisco: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not South San Francisco alone.
South San Francisco sits in San Mateo County, ZIP 94080. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside South San Francisco? 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 South San Francisco-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 South San Francisco 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 South San Francisco Clinic (0.3 mi); 12 options are within 30 miles.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Public clinics nearby offer free HIV testing.
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.
With consistent treatment, HIV can become undetectable in the blood, and undetectable means it can't be sexually transmitted (U=U).
HPV is checked through cervical screening (often with a Pap test); there's no routine HPV test for men.
That's a myth; STIs need sexual contact to spread, not surfaces.
Community health centers and family-planning clinics serve all patients, and many offer LGBTQ-affirming care, ask the site directly.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.