According to the 2015 fact sheet (the most recent national data) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been a substantial increase in the number of STD cases in the United States.
The highest number of reported cases in 2015 was chlamydia with more than 1.5 million cases – a six percent increase since 2014. It was followed by gonorrhea with over 395,000 reported cases of the same year. Primary and secondary syphilis came in third with more than 23,000 reported cases, while congenital syphilis took the fourth spot with 487 reported cases.
In most reported cases, STDs have severely affected a lot of women and young individuals (20 to 24) who practice unprotected sex. However, the rise of STD incidents in 2015 was also influenced by the increasing rates of all types of STDs among men.
Although the data can tell how prevalent and alarming STDs are, there is still so many STD cases that have not been reported, making it difficult to provide assistance and medical care to people who are suffering from such diseases.
“Many cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis continue to go undiagnosed and unreported, and data on several additional STDs — such as human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus, and trichomoniasis — are not routinely reported to CDC,” as stated in the CDC Fact Sheet: Reported STDs in the United States. “As a result, the annual surveillance report captures only a fraction of the true burden of STDs in America.”
Cost of an STD Test
The prevalence of STDs is evident because a lot of people engage in unsafe sex, having sexual intercourse without any form of protection and/or with multiple sex partners. If you are sexually active, it is best to consult your doctor and ask what type of STD testing is appropriate for you. The tests are free and can reach up to $30 per test if you have a health insurance. But how much does an STD test cost without insurance?
If you go to a doctor’s clinic, the cost of STD tests ranges from $24 to $150 per test, depending on the type of test you need. But if you don’t wish to put the test results on your permanent medical record, you can go to a private testing center that only discloses the results to you. They don’t only offer individual tests, but they also offer packages or test panels that cost between $160 and $350 per package.
Private STD Centers
An example of a private STD center is STDcheck.com, which has over 4,000 private testing centers across the United States. It offers FDA-approved individual STD tests and test panels. These are the following costs:
– Hepatitis A, B, and C cost $24 each.
– Herpes I and II cost $65 each.
– HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) 1 & 2 Antibody (4th Gen) and Syphilis Tests cost $79 per test.
– Chlamydia and Gonorrhea cost $89 each. But if you want to take both tests at the same time, you can have the chlamydia and gonorrhea package that costs $129.
They also offer an HIV RNA Early Detection that costs $169, a 10-test panel for $198, and a 10-test panel with an HIV RNA Early Detection for $349.
Another healthcare facility is Safer STD Testing that offers private STD testings approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The cost of individual tests starts at $87.28, while the 10 test panel costs $249. For patients with a health insurance, the pricing starts at $65.
Home Test Kits
You also have the option to perform the STD test yourself by purchasing a test kit. As of the present time, the U.S. FDA has only approved one brand, which is the Home Access Test Kit. Apparently, it only has a test for HIV, and the cost is around $44 to $106. With this test kit, you collect your own blood sample and then mail it to an accredited laboratory.
The results will be available after seven business days (excluding Sundays and holidays) from the day you have shipped the blood sample. Once you get your results, you can speak to a counselor over the phone for further assistance.
Additional Costs
If you want to have an STD test at a doctor’s clinic, you may have to pay a consultation fee, ranging from $80 to $200. For those who have a health insurance, there is a copayment of $10 to $30 per doctor’s visit.
If for instance, you want to have an HIV testing, there is a still window period between three and six months. If you engaged in an unprotected sexual activity within that period, but you got a negative test result, you will have to spend for another HIV testing to have a more accurate result. Aside from HIV, incubation periods also apply in other sexually transmitted diseases.
For those who don’t have health insurance plans and don’t have enough budget to spare for an STD test, they can always go to a public, government-funded health centers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers STD tests for free.
The Best Time to Get Tested
When should you undergo an STD test? It should be imperative to get an STD testing right away If you have any of the following risk factors:
- Women
– If you are younger than 25 years old and have multiple sex partners, you are usually prescribed to have an annual chlamydia and gonorrhea testings.
– If you are pregnant, you should request chlamydia, hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis tests in the first few months of your pregnancy. You should also request a gonorrhea test if you are having sex with more than 1 sex partner in your early stage of pregnancy.
- Gay and Bisexual Men
– If you are a gay or bisexual man who is sexually active and has sex with men, you need to have several STD tests, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and syphilis, at least once a year. But if you are at high risk of acquiring STDs, it is recommended to have more frequent STD testings.