STD Testing in Minneapolis: Where to Get Tested, What It Costs and What to Expect

Getting tested for sexually transmitted infections is a routine part of health care. This guide covers STD testing in Minneapolis from start to finish. It explains where to go, what happens during a visit, which tests are usually included, how costs work and what the law says.

Minneapolis has a county sexual health clinic, a nonprofit HIV and STI program, community health centers, a Planned Parenthood health center and a university-affiliated clinic. You do not need to know exactly what to ask for before you go. Clinic staff do this every day.

Table of Contents

1. Why STI testing matters, and what the numbers say about Minnesota
2. Where to get tested in Minneapolis
3. Other routes: primary care, urgent care and at-home options
4. What a testing visit involves
5. What is tested, how often, and what to ask for
6. What testing costs and how to handle payment
7. Your rights, privacy and reporting rules in Minnesota
8. After your results: treatment, partners and prevention

Why STI Testing Matters, and What the Numbers Say About Minnesota

Many sexually transmitted infections cause no symptoms, or symptoms that are easy to miss. The CDC notes that a person can have an STI and not know it. That is why testing, not guessing, is how people find out their status.

Testing is also a form of routine care. It is similar to a blood pressure check or a dental cleaning. It is not a sign that something is wrong, and it is not a judgment about anyone's life.

Recent Minnesota figures

A September 2025 KTTC news report, citing the Minnesota Department of Health, gave these 2024 counts for the state:

• 19,703 reported chlamydia cases.
• 7,131 reported gonorrhea cases.
• 1,478 reported syphilis cases, all stages combined as reported.
• 311 newly diagnosed HIV infections, a 4% decrease from 2023.

These are statewide counts of reported cases, not Minneapolis-only figures. They come from a news report that cites the state, so check the Minnesota Department of Health for its own published data. Minneapolis-specific rates were not available in the sources used for this guide.

What the infections have in common

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) describe two broad groups:

• Bacterial infections and trichomoniasis. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are curable with treatment prescribed by a clinician.
• Viral infections. HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable. They are treatable or manageable, and many people live full lives with them. For HIV, the CDC says treatment can keep the virus at a level that protects health.

Where to Get Tested in Minneapolis

The clinics below come from the public listings of each organization and the CDC GetTested directory. For a quick list you can scan, see the local testing list. Details such as hours and walk-in rules change, so call before you go.

You can also use the CDC's GetTested locator to look up more sites by ZIP code. If you are comparing options for STD testing close to home, that tool is a good second check.

Hennepin County Public Health Clinic and Red Door Clinic

This is the county's sexual health clinic, and it sits inside the Public Health Clinic in the Health Services Building.

• Address: 525 Portland Avenue South, 4th Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55415
• Phone: 612-543-5555 (appointments and results)
• Hours listed: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Services listed: STI testing, HIV testing, treatment, PrEP and doxy-PEP (per the Red Door Clinic website)
• Website: reddoorclinic.org

Hennepin County's Public Health Clinic page says the clinic accepts most insurance and self-pay, and that "No one will be turned away due to inability to pay." It also says lab work is billed separately by Hennepin Healthcare and that co-pays may apply.

The Red Door Clinic website describes walk-ins as first come, first served. The county page names appointments as its stated method and recommends calling early for same-day appointments. Because the two pages differ, call 612-543-5555 to confirm what to expect that day.

Thrive Clinic at The Aliveness Project

The Aliveness Project is a nonprofit HIV and STI program. Its Thrive Clinic is in south Minneapolis.

• Address: 3808 Nicollet Ave, Lower Level, Minneapolis, MN 55409
• Phone: (612) 369-7494
• Hours listed: Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Services listed: rapid HIV testing; syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea testing and treatment; hepatitis C testing for new PrEP patients; PrEP
• Website: aliveness.org/sti-testing-treatment

The Aliveness Project says no client is turned away because of an inability to pay. Its page directs people to call or email to access services and does not say whether walk-ins are accepted. The CDC GetTested listing for the organization shows free HIV tests and says an appointment is not required. That listing gives a different phone number, (612) 822-7946, so if one number does not work, try the other.

NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center

NorthPoint is a community health center in north Minneapolis.

• Address: 2220 Plymouth Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411
• Phone: (612) 543-2500
• Tests listed by CDC GetTested: HIV (blood draw), hepatitis B, hepatitis C, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis
• Payment: insurance and Medicaid accepted, with a sliding scale. Contact the clinic about eligibility.

The CDC listing does not show hours and says to verify them with the organization.

Hennepin Healthcare Whittier Clinic and Pharmacy

• Address: 2810 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408
• Phone: (612) 873-6963
• Tests listed by CDC GetTested: HIV (rapid and blood draw), hepatitis A, B and C, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis
• Payment: insurance and Medicaid accepted. The listing also notes a free mpox vaccine.

Hours are not shown on the CDC listing, so call to confirm.

Planned Parenthood North Central States, Minneapolis Health Center

• Address: 1200 Lagoon Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408
• Phone: (612) 823-6300
• Tests listed by CDC GetTested: HIV (rapid and blood draw), herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis
• Payment: insurance, Medicaid and a sliding scale are listed.

See the CDC listing for the entry. The CDC page does not show hours, so check with the health center.

Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC)

• Address: 2001 Bloomington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404
• Phone: 612-301-3433
• Hours listed on the clinic's site: Monday to Friday, 7:05 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
• Tests listed by CDC GetTested: HIV (rapid and blood draw), hepatitis C, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis
• Payment: sliding scale. Insurance, Medicaid and Medicare accepted.

The clinic's own site does not mention STI testing. The test list and the note that an appointment is required come from the CDC GetTested listing. Call before you go. The clinic's site is cuhcc.umn.edu.

Native American Community Clinic (NACC)

• Address: 1213 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
• Phone: (612) 872-8086
• Tests listed by CDC GetTested: HIV (blood draw) and hepatitis C
• Payment: insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and a sliding scale are listed.

The CDC listing shows only HIV and hepatitis C tests. It does not list chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis testing. If you need those, ask the clinic whether they can be arranged or choose another site.

The city health department

The Minneapolis Health Department has a general health page. A dedicated sexual health clinic page or hotline was not available in the sources used here. For county-run sexual health services, the Hennepin County Public Health Clinic above is the main option.

Other Routes: Primary Care, Urgent Care and At-Home Options

Your regular doctor or nurse practitioner

Many people prefer to be tested by someone who already knows their history. A primary care visit can include STI screening, and the results go into one record. If you are not sure whether your clinic offers it, call and ask. You can say you want STI testing and ask which tests they run.

Urgent care

Some urgent care centers test for STIs, especially if you have symptoms. Services differ from place to place. Ask on the phone which infections they test for, whether results come by phone or a patient portal and how billing works. A dedicated sexual health clinic may be able to offer a wider test menu, which is worth comparing.

At-home testing

TakeMeHome is a national program offering free HIV and STI home testing. According to its FAQ, availability depends on ZIP code, and its page does not mention Minnesota. That means Minneapolis availability is not confirmed. Check the program's own site to see whether your ZIP code qualifies.

The program's FAQ says rapid HIV oral swab tests are approved for ages 14 and up, and fingerstick tests for ages 18 and up. If a home test result is positive or unclear, a clinic can confirm it with follow-up testing.

This guide does not recommend any brand or kit. If you use any home test, read the instructions and the testing window carefully, and follow up with a clinician about the result.

What a Testing Visit Involves

Before you go

• Call to ask about walk-in hours, appointments and fees.
• Bring your insurance card if you have one. If you do not, ask about self-pay and sliding scale options.
• Bring a photo ID if you have one, and a list of any medicines you take.
• Think about which phone number or portal you want for results.

At check-in and the conversation

A nurse or clinician will usually ask a few questions. These may cover your recent partners, the kinds of sex you have, any symptoms and past test results. The questions help the clinician choose the right tests and body sites to check.

You can tell the clinician about all the ways you have sex. Throat, genital and rectal testing can be different tests. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend sampling the sites where exposure may have occurred. Clinicians ask so that nothing is missed. They are not there to judge.

The tests themselves

Common methods include:

• Urine sample for chlamydia and gonorrhea, in many cases.
• Swabs from the vagina, throat or rectum. In many settings you can collect a vaginal or rectal swab yourself in private.
• Blood draw or fingerstick for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis.
• Oral swab or fingerstick rapid test for HIV at sites that offer rapid testing.
• Swab of a sore for herpes, if a clinician sees one.

Getting results

Rapid HIV tests can give a result during the visit. Most other tests go to a lab, and the clinic will tell you how and when you will hear back. At the Hennepin County clinic, the phone number for results is 612-543-5555. Ask each clinic how it will contact you, and whether it is safe to leave a message at that number.

What Is Tested, How Often, and What to Ask For

There is no single "STD panel"

Clinics build a test list for each person. A "full panel" at one clinic may differ from another. The best step is to ask directly, "Which infections will you test me for, and which will you not?"

Screening guidance from the CDC and USPSTF

These are general recommendations. A clinician can tell you how they apply to you.

• HIV. The CDC recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64 be tested for HIV at least once, and that people with ongoing risk be tested more often. The USPSTF makes a similar recommendation for ages 15 to 65.
• Chlamydia and gonorrhea. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) and the USPSTF recommend yearly screening for sexually active women under 25, and for older women with risk factors. The CDC recommends at least yearly screening for sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, with more frequent screening for some.
• Syphilis. The CDC recommends syphilis testing for all pregnant people at the first prenatal visit, and more testing for people at higher risk. The CDC also recommends at least yearly syphilis screening for sexually active men who have sex with men.
• Hepatitis C. The CDC recommends that all adults be screened at least once, and pregnant people during each pregnancy.
• Herpes and HPV. The CDC does not recommend routine herpes blood testing for people with no symptoms. HPV screening in the form of cervical cancer screening is a separate topic you can discuss with a clinician.

Whether routine screening applies to you depends on your age, anatomy, partners and health history. Do not rely on a general list alone. Ask a clinician.

Testing windows

A test can only find an infection after enough time has passed since exposure. This is called the window period. For HIV, the CDC says:

• A nucleic acid test can usually detect HIV 10 to 33 days after exposure.
• An antigen/antibody test done on a lab blood draw can usually detect HIV 18 to 45 days after exposure.
• Antigen/antibody tests done by fingerstick can take longer, from 18 to 90 days.
• Antibody tests can take 23 to 90 days.

For other infections, windows vary by test, and a clinician can advise you. If you were recently exposed, tell the clinician when. They may suggest testing now, testing again later or both.

Questions worth asking

• Which infections are you testing me for today?
• Do I need throat, genital or rectal samples?
• How long until I get results, and how will you reach me?
• What will the visit and lab work cost, and are there separate bills?
• Can I talk about PrEP or doxy-PEP today?
• Can I get vaccinated for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HPV or mpox?

What Testing Costs and How to Handle Payment

Clinics in Minneapolis do not publish one shared price list, and this guide does not give dollar figures that were not published by the clinics. Here is what the clinics themselves say about payment:

• Hennepin County Public Health Clinic: accepts most insurance and self-pay. Its county page says no one will be turned away due to inability to pay. Lab work is billed separately by Hennepin Healthcare, and co-pays may apply. A sliding fee scale is not confirmed on the pages reviewed.
• The Aliveness Project (Thrive Clinic): says no client is turned away due to an inability to pay. Payment details are on a separate page, so ask the clinic.
• NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center: insurance and Medicaid accepted, with a sliding scale. Contact the clinic for eligibility.
• Hennepin Healthcare Whittier Clinic: insurance and Medicaid accepted.
• Planned Parenthood Minneapolis Health Center: insurance, Medicaid and a sliding scale listed on the CDC directory.
• CUHCC: sliding scale. Insurance, Medicaid and Medicare accepted.
• Native American Community Clinic: insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and a sliding scale listed.

Tips for keeping costs down

• Ask for the price before you test. Say, "I want to know the cost of the visit and the lab work."
• If you have insurance, ask whether the insurer will send an explanation of benefits to a home address. This matters if you want privacy.
• If you do not have insurance, ask about sliding scale and self-pay options before the visit.
• Ask whether the clinic offers free testing for certain tests. The CDC GetTested listing shows free HIV tests at the Aliveness Project.
• Ask about treatment costs too, not just testing.

If a price is not listed, the clinic's page often does not say. Calling is the fastest way to find out.

Your Rights, Privacy and Reporting Rules in Minnesota

Minors can consent to testing and treatment

Under Minn. Stat. 144.343, any minor may give effective consent for health services to determine the presence of or to treat venereal disease. The statute says the consent of no other person is required, and it states no minimum age. The law uses the older term "venereal disease." Individual clinic policies are not described in the sources reviewed, so ask the clinic about its own process, including billing and who receives the paperwork.

What gets reported to the state

Under Minn. R. 4605.7040, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV infection (including AIDS) are reportable to the state within one working day. Reporting is a routine public health step. It helps health departments track infections and offer follow-up services, such as help notifying partners. Ask your clinician how reporting works if you have questions.

Partner treatment

Minn. Stat. 151.37, subd. 2(g) lets a licensed practitioner issue a prescription or dispense a drug in line with the CDC guidance on expedited partner therapy. The CDC's page on the legal status of expedited partner therapy in Minnesota says the statutory authority expressly covers chlamydia and gonorrhea. This means a clinician may be able to provide treatment for a partner without the partner being seen first. Ask your clinician whether this applies to you. See the statute and the CDC page.

A note on disclosure law

Minn. Stat. 609.2241 addresses the knowing transfer of a communicable disease. According to the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, it makes it a crime for a person who knowingly harbors an infectious agent to transfer it through sexual penetration without first informing the other person. It also covers certain blood, tissue and needle-sharing situations. The text says "communicable disease" and does not name HIV. If you have questions about how this applies to you, a clinician, a health department staff member or a legal aid organization can help. Read the statute text directly.

After Your Results: Treatment, Partners and Prevention

If a result is positive

A positive result is information, and it is common. For bacterial infections and trichomoniasis, a clinician can prescribe treatment that cures the infection. Follow the clinician's instructions, and ask when you should be retested. The CDC recommends retesting for some infections after treatment, and a clinician can tell you the timing that fits your situation.

For HIV, herpes and HPV, a clinician can talk about treatment and management options. These infections are not curable, but they are treatable or manageable. Support from a clinic, a nurse or a peer program can make the first weeks easier.

If a result is negative

A negative result tells you what that test found at that time. If you had a recent exposure, ask a clinician whether a repeat test makes sense, given the testing windows above.

Telling partners

Many people find this part harder than the test itself. A clinician or health department staff member can explain options for letting partners know, including approaches that do not require you to say your name. Partners can then get tested and treated if needed.

Prevention tools a clinician can discuss

• Condoms and dental dams lower the chance of passing many infections.
• Vaccines are available for hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV. The Whittier Clinic's CDC listing notes a free mpox vaccine.
• PrEP is a prescription medicine that a clinician can prescribe to lower the chance of getting HIV. The Red Door Clinic and the Thrive Clinic both list PrEP among their services.
• Doxy-PEP. In 2024, the CDC issued guidance on doxycycline taken after sex to lower the chance of certain bacterial STIs for some people. A clinician decides whether it is right for you. The Red Door Clinic lists doxy-PEP among its services.
• Regular testing with a clinician you trust.

Making the first step simple

If you want a plan for this week, try these steps:

1. Pick one clinic from the list above or from the local testing list.
2. Call to confirm hours, walk-in rules and cost.
3. Write down the date of any recent exposure and any symptoms.
4. Go in and ask the questions listed above.
5. Ask when you should test again.

If you want more options, the CDC's GetTested locator lists free and low-cost sites by ZIP code.

Sources

• CDC Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021
• CDC GetTested: National STD and HIV Testing Resources
• CDC: Legal Status of Expedited Partner Therapy in Minnesota
• City of Minneapolis, Health Department
• Red Door Clinic
• Hennepin County Public Health Clinic
• The Aliveness Project: STI Testing and Treatment
• Community-University Health Care Center
• Minn. Stat. 144.343 (minor consent)
• Minn. Stat. 151.37 (expedited partner therapy)
• Minn. Stat. 609.2241 (knowing transfer of communicable disease)
• Minn. R. 4605.7040 (reportable diseases)
• KTTC, September 10, 2025, reporting Minnesota Department of Health figures