The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed in its recent report that in 2018, there were around 2.5 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) reported in the United States. Texas is one of the topmost affected states in this regard, as the rate of STD cases has seen a sharp rise within the last decade.
Board Approved
Medically reviewed by one or more members of the editorial boardWhy Testing Matters?
According to the CDC, thousands of people are unaware of the fact that they have an STD. Therefore, the actual number of people affected by STDs in the U.S., particularly Texas remains unreported. It happens because most STDs, such as Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydia, don't display any noticeable symptoms.
STDs remain a significant and concerning health issue, primarily among teens, pregnant females, and men who have sex with men. Untreated STDs cause long-term health issues for the infected individual and jeopardize others' safety, especially their partner/spouse. Not just that, the prevalence of an STD is quickly becoming the leading cause behind a majority of congenital disabilities among infants. It also leads to infertility, premature births, and infant deaths right after birth.
Moreover, if screening isn't conducted at the right time, STDs can cause various chronic health conditions and aggravate other underlying health issues. For instance, it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, HIV, cervical cancer, and infertility. That's why it is essential for every sexually active person, regardless of age or gender, must undergo STD testing.
If diagnosed at the right time, sexually transmitted diseases are curable with medications. Pregnant women, people living with HIV, men who have sex with men, and individuals having intimate relations with multiple partners should compulsorily get tested. In fact, as per the Texas Health and Safety Code §81.090, health care providers are required to test pregnant females at varying stages during gestation and before delivery.
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17070 Red Oak Dr Ste 107, Houston, Texas 77090
Tel: 2815809476
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11301 Fallbrook, #126, Houston, Texas 77065
Tel: 2819557356
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21700 Kingsland Blvd Ste 108, Katy, Texas 77450
Tel: 2814928639
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13215 Dotson Rd #120, Houston, Texas 77070
Tel: 2814695497
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19016 Stone Oak Parkway #265, San Antonio, Texas 78258
Tel: 2105453909
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206 Carver Dr, Garland, Texas 75040
Tel: (972) 205-3370
Appointment Required: No
449 Austin Ave, Port Arthur, Texas 77640
Tel: (409) 983-8800
Appointment Required: Yes
Free condoms available.
200 E Division St, Arlington, Texas 76011
Tel: (817) 200-6500
Appointment Required: Yes
HIV testing open to the General Public. Free HIV testing is offered at several of the JPS Health Centers. For testing locations and times call 817-927-3701 or 817-702-3305.
1350 S Main St, Ste 1600, Fort Worth, Texas 76104
Tel: (817) 702-3701
Appointment Required: Yes
Must meet eligibility requirements for medical services. Clients who do not meet eligibility guidelines for the Medical Assistance Program (M.A.P.) will be referred to Matagorda Episcopal Health Outreach Program (MEHOP).
1413 Ave G, Bay City, Texas 77414
Tel: (979) 245-8421
Tel: (979) 245-2135
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 Texas. Check them out to find out which option is suitable for you.
This is one of the most popular ways to get tested for STDs today. These tests combine the best of both worlds for convenience and accuracy. You will order the test online at home, but you can walk into a professional lab testing center to get tested.
Another option is to simply visit your regular clinic and talk to your doctor.
If you do not want to visit a testing center, then a great alternative is an at-home test kit. You don’t even need to leave your house to get tested for STDs this way, which makes it the most discreet option. Everything is done through email and snail mail.
One last option for STD testing is a trip to a free clinic. If you go to a public STD-testing clinic, then you may get a free or discounted test, depending on your financial situation.
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.
Texas STD Data
CDC reports that the state ranks 23 on the list of U.S. states having the highest number of STD cases. Texas state's number of uninsured people is the highest in the country. As per the Kinder Houston Survey 2020, around one-quarter of Harris County families are uninsured. Many of the Texas cities are included in the national list of cities reporting the highest number of STD cases in recent years.
Austin ranks at number 56 with over 1000 cases, Killeen ranks number 8 with 1600 cases per 100,000 people. Waco was ranked 33rd, Lubbock 38th, San Antonio 74th, and Dallas was featured on number 60. The highest number of STD diagnoses were made in Harris County and Dallas Country, stated the Texas Department of State Health Services.
As per the CDC, the state reported the highest number of Chlamydia cases. The number of cases was higher among women with 752 cases per 100/000 people, which is 2.6 times higher than men (288 cases). The Texas STD Surveillance Report 2018 reveals that around half of the top 25 U.S. cities having the highest STD rates were reported in Southern Texas.
In 2018, the state registered 12,900 new cases of Syphilis, which was 10.6% higher than in 2017. The number of primary/secondary Syphilis cases was 2,528 per 100,000 population, 15% higher than in 2017. The number of overall Chlamydia cases in Texas during 2018 was 145,874, and around 46,958 cases of Gonorrhea were recorded.
In many Texas counties, the number of STD cases is on the rise and reveals the year 2016 study from the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute. The study utilized data from 2013 and concluded that Dallas, Bexar, El Paso, Travis, and Midland counties were getting worse in Chlamydia cases. In 2013, Bexar Country had around 11,826 new cases, which was the highest in Texas that year, and almost all major counties reported around 600 cases per 100,000 residents. Some even reported over 1000 cases per 100,000 persons.
Although there has been considerable advancement in testing and treatment services across Texas, the rate of HIV transmission and new cases is increasing every year. To reduce new HIV transmissions and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV, regular testing, viral suppression, and retention in HIV care is imperative.
Reportedly, 16% of Texans live with the disease but haven't been diagnosed as yet, which is a concerning issue. CDC reports that around one in seven people infected with HIV in the US is unaware of their condition. Furthermore, not all Texans benefit equally from the advancements made to HIV prevention and medical care.
It is a fact that the Texas populace is impacted disproportionately by HIV primarily due to its extreme diversity. Hence, the only way out is early diagnosis, which is possible through testing and screening. Testing is important to identify those living with HIV at the right stage. If diagnosed early, HIV can be treated with Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP). These medicines can effectively prevent HIV transmission among people at increased risk.
Research suggests that those living with HIV are least likely to transmit HIV if they receive effective and timely treatment. It happens because the amount of virus reduces in the body after treatment.
In Texas, low-cost HIV testing and medical care facilities are widely available. The Texas HIV Medication Program has collaborated with the Ryan White Program to increase the accessibility of people living with HIV to proper medical care and treatment.
According to CDC, Texas is among those states that have been severely impacted by HIV. In 2018, the state recorded the second-highest number of new HIV diagnoses with 4520 cases/100,000. Texas also has the fourth-largest number of people living with HIV (around 327.9 per 100,000 persons). The overall number of HIV-positive individuals in Texas steadily increased to over 94,000 in 2018 from 68,000 in 2010.
An analysis of the recent statistics shared by CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention reveals that African-American females comprised almost 51% of Texas's newly reported diagnoses.
Around 37% of African-Americans, 34% of Latinx or Hispanic, and 53% of above 45-years-old adults living with HIV in Texas resided in urban localities, and over 61% acquired HIV via male-male sexual contact. Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, and Travis counties had the highest HIV burden.
Texas is listed among the states where the rate of people without health insurance (17.7%) is relatively higher because it hasn't yet expanded Medicaid. Lack of expansion to the state-federal healthcare program for low-income individuals is a significant barrier for HIV prevention and care services and a major driver of prevailing health disparities among people with HIV.
In not just Texas but overall in the U.S., claims CDC, sexually transmitted diseases disproportionately impact ethnic and racial minorities. The rate of STD cases is significantly high among the Black community than Whites.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, around 36.7% of all primary and secondary Syphilis cases reported in 2014 were diagnosed among the African-American populace. African-American females had the highest number of Chlamydia cases with 1,250 per 100,000 people, almost double the number for Hispanic females and around three and a half times more than the number of cases reported in White women.
The rate of Gonorrhea cases was also higher in the Black community, with 411 cases per 100,000 people, which is around five times higher than the number of cases in Hispanics (85). It was almost seven times higher than for whites, which was 61 cases per 100,000 people.
Between 2006 and 2010, the average annual incidence of all stages of Syphilis in Texas was comparatively lower in South than the rest of the state with 19.8 and 25.9 per 100,000 persons respectively.
However, Hispanics in this part of the state reported a higher incidence of Syphilis (21.9), while in the rest of the state this number was comparatively less (18.7). In South Texas, the average annual incidence of Chlamydia was also higher than the rest of Texas, with 429 cases per 100,000 people between 2006 and 2010.
In this context, Hispanics reported a higher rate of incidence than non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans. On the other hand, the incidence of Gonorrhea during the same period was the highest in Southern Texas with 90.3/100,000 people, which is nearly 2.4 times higher than non-Hispanic whites (37).
As per the Texas HIV Surveillance Report 2018, in 2015, about 4,476 adolescents were diagnosed with HIV, and most of the new cases were reported among men who have sex with men (MSM). By 2018, the rate of new diagnoses among MSM in Texas reached 70%, which was 62% in 2010. In 2018, 4 out of 5 people with new HIV diagnoses were males. 3 out of 4 cases were either African-Americans or Hispanics, and 3 out of 5 were reported among people below 35-years.
Around half of the newly reported diagnoses were among African-American MSM and Hispanics. In fact, MSM and Black Texans recorded most disproportionately high diagnosis rates. Almost 1 out of 12 MSM in Texas had HIV in 2018.
In the last ten years, the cause of death in 62% of the deceased in Texas' transgender community living with HIV was HIV/AIDS. In 2018, over half of the total HIV diagnoses were among people below 30 years of age. The number of new diagnoses among African-American Texans fell by 6% between 2009 and 2018, and the number for Hispanics increased by 19%.
This increment among Hispanics can be attributed to an increase in Hispanic MSM. However, regardless of the reduction among the Black community, the diagnosis rate was still 2.8 times higher in this group, followed by Hispanics.
The rate of diagnosis for Black females was reportedly five times higher than Hispanic females. It is worth noting that Texans' age profile diagnosed with HIV in 2018 varies considerably by gender. Males lean more towards younger ages, and most new diagnoses were reported among young MSM of color. On the other hand, female diagnoses were more tilted towards the older age.
About 1 in 3 infected females in 2018 were 45 or older. In 2018, 28% of all new diagnoses in Texas were 24 or younger, out of which 24% were males and 16% females. 37% of diagnoses were reported between 25-to-34-year-olds, with 39% males and 27% females. Approx. 19% of the total cases were among people aged 35-44, where 18% were males and 24% females. 21% of the new diagnoses were 45 or older, where 19% were males and 33% females.
Every year, around 35,000 teenagers and young females get pregnant before turning 20 in Texas. In the rest of the U.S., the rates of teen pregnancies are declining with every passing year. However, as per a study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology journal, the rate of decline is considerably slower in Texas state.
Dallas and San Antonio had 50 and 40 percent higher teen pregnancy rates than the national average. As per the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy's CEO, Gwen Daverth, teens in the state start indulging in sexual activity early. Research suggests that over half of high school students have had sexual intercourse. This reveals Texas is in dire need of revising its sex education policy.
In Texas, it is hard for teens to access reproductive health care. In the state, if a 16 or 17-years-old mom wants a birth control prescription, she will require her parents' permission. This law is prevalent only in Texas and Utah. Those who are already a parent will be the legal medical guardian of their baby but cannot make their own medical decisions without grandparents' permission. Perhaps, this is the reason Texas is reporting the highest number of repeat teen pregnancies in the U.S.
However, several studies have concluded that contraception is fundamental to reduce the rate of teen pregnancies. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy revealed that teen pregnancies cost Texas over $1 billion every year. These costs are incurred due to lost wages and excessive reliance on social services by this age group.
To offer treatment, care, and prevention services, Texas has implemented several key measures. The Department of State Health Services HIV/STD program is initiated under national guidelines related to the care and treatment of STD. These guidelines are developed by nationally recognized groups, including CDC, Office of AIDS Research Council, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AIDS Education and Training Center, and National Institute of Health.
STI Care Options During COVID-19 is another significant step towards addressing the issue. It is developed by the Denver Prevention Training Center to deliver STI (sexually transmitted infection) services while people are staying at home or in shelters due to the pandemic. It is launched specifically to help people access to care as social distancing and lockdown have made it challenging for them to seek care and treatment.
Moreover, the government is responsible for distributing informative materials produced annually by collaborating representatives of the federal government, local communities, states, community-based organizations, hospitals, service organizations, and schools. The Program Materials Review Panel (PMRP) of the DSHS reviews all the new publications, educational materials, and videos that will be used in its HIV/STD prevention activities.
The CDC is funding the National Infertility Prevention Project. It is a multi-state project that was launched around 20 years back and is still active in Texas. Through this program, the government aims to implement effective STD prevention strategies, with a special focus on reducing Chlamydia prevalence and Chlamydia-related health complications among females. Through this project, screening for Gonorrhea was made essential for sexually active people, including male partners.
The Texas Infertility Prevention Project (TIPP) is initiated in partnership with DSHS. It focuses on identifying, screening, and treating men and women who are at the highest risk of getting infected with Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. Under this program, infected or at-risk people are offered counseling regarding treatment options and safe sex practices. STD clinics, family planning centers, correctional facilities, maternity clinics, etc., are some of TIPP screening sites spread across the state.
Texas lags in HIV control measures compared to other Southern states. The state has launched several initiatives and the federal government to reduce the number of cases across Texas. One such initiative is Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE). The US Department of Health and Human Services launched EHE to eliminate HIV via action-oriented approaches. It comprises several strategies to follow, the most important of which is routine testing and early diagnosis. Immediate linkage to care is another integral part of this program.
It is a fact that HIV testing is the only gateway for prevention as well as treatment of the disease. However, in Texas, the rate of undiagnosed individuals is relatively higher (18.9%) compared to the national average (14.2%), and so is the rate of new diagnoses (15.7 for Texas and 11.4 nationwide per 100,000 people). The Ryan White Program offers federal funding to facilitate early testing among low-income people with HIV to address this issue.
Under this program, support is provided to over half of the HIV-positive individuals in the US. Around 63% of people that the Ryan White program supports have income below the poverty line. The EHE's success relies on the Ryan White program and demands sustained funding from the federal government.
CDC is funding the Texas State Health Department and local health department to implement scalable and cost-effective HIV prevention programs and policies. The funding is geared towards increasing access to care within Texas's most severely affected regions and communities. Through CDC's funding, evidence-based disease monitoring, staff development, routine program evaluation, and staff development are supported.
Moreover, the CDC offers support to 15 community-based organizations, two local education agencies, and one capacity-building assistance provider in the state. CDC aims to initiate HIV prevention strategies and activities, developed educational programs to encourage delayed sexual initiation, and devise youth-friendly health services.
Texas lags behind other states regarding offering effective sexual education to adolescents and teenagers. Learning about birth control methods beyond abstinence is required in high school, but health education becomes optional at this stage of academia. Furthermore, Texas doesn't require public schools to address LGBTQ issues while providing sex education. This approach frustrates the transgender people and bisexual community, which make up about 2% of the state's population.
Texas's elementary and middle schools are currently required to offer health education to students from Kindergarten to Eighth Grade. However, when in high school, students don't need to take these classes to meet the state's graduation requirements. Also, Texas hasn't mandated that schools teach sex education, and those that do must promote abstinence as the ideal means of birth control among unmarried young adults. Also, parents have the right to opt their kids out of any lesson of their choice.
To eliminate
the prevailing loopholes in the health and sex education curriculum taught at
schools in Texas, the Texas State Board of Education is in the process of
developing new and more inclusive standards for sex education. If approved, it
will become the first-ever revision to the statewide sex and health education
policy since 1997. Reportedly, from 2022 onwards, seventh and eighth-grade
students across Texas will be offered education about different forms of birth
control beyond abstinence.
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.
Cities Nearby
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.
Similar to what was previously mentioned, herpes infections are known for their recurring tendencies – causing outbreaks now and then and thus causing an intermittent spike in the patient’s viral load for specific instances. In addition to that, other STDs also take time to proliferate and produce a sufficient viral load that could warrant a positive and, more importantly, accurate diagnosis and detection from the tests being administered. As such, detecting an STD a few days following exposure is often complex and unpredictable – leading physicians to follow a certain timeframe instead for testing STDs instead of blindly testing immediately following exposure. Physical exams, however, may supplement inaccurate laboratory diagnoses, especially in cases where the test is prone to false results.
Yes. Certain companies offer at-home testing kits wherein you are the one that will collect the specimens necessary for the test at the comfort of your own home. Sure, it might sometimes be subject to errors due to the potential contamination of the sample from collection to transportation, but it does offer a great deal of privacy and convenience for patients who would prefer to have their identities hidden in fear that their community will judge them.
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.
Help stop the spread of STDs by knowing your status. Get tested today!