This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

Getting tested for sexually transmitted infections is a routine part of health care. It is also easier to arrange in Broward County than many people expect. Fort Lauderdale has a free walk-in clinic run by the health department, community health centers that focus on sexual health and HIV, and several ways to test at home.

This guide covers every main route for STD testing in Fort Lauderdale. It explains what each place offers, what is published about cost, what happens during a visit, which tests are common and what to ask for. It also covers Florida rules that affect testing. For a quick list of places, see the local testing list.

Terms vary. STD (sexually transmitted disease) and STI (sexually transmitted infection) mean much the same thing, and this guide uses both. Clinics may use either on their own pages.

Key takeaways

The Florida Department of Health in Broward County lists free walk-in STI testing, diagnosis and treatment at the Broward Wellness Center, 750 SE 3rd Ave., 1st Floor, Fort Lauderdale.
The health department lists no-cost chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV testing there. Its page does not mention PrEP, PEP or vaccines.
Other options include the Fort Lauderdale Health Center, CAN Community Health, Care Resource and Planned Parenthood in nearby Pembroke Pines. Some post sliding-scale fees. Some do not publish a price.
The CDC says the right tests depend on your age, body, partners and the kinds of sex you have. A clinician can help you choose.
HIV window periods depend on the type of test. The CDC gives the ranges below.
Florida law lets minors of any age be examined and treated for STDs without parental consent, and keeps that care confidential.
You can use the CDC's gettested.cdc.gov directory to find more sites.

In this guide

Where to get tested in Fort Lauderdale
What testing costs
What to expect at a visit
What gets tested and what to ask for
When to test: window periods
At-home kits, urgent care and primary care
Florida rules that affect testing
Results, treatment and next steps

Where to get tested in Fort Lauderdale

There is no single best place. The right clinic depends on whether you want a walk-in visit, an appointment, PrEP information, a particular vaccine or a lower cost. Below is what each source publishes. Services and hours change, so call before you go.

The health department clinic: Broward Wellness Center

The Florida Department of Health in Broward County describes a free walk-in STI clinic at the Broward Wellness Center. Services are provided through a contracted provider.

Address: 750 SE 3rd Ave., 1st Floor, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Phone: 954-767-0273. The health department also lists an STD Line at 954-298-6585 and a main line at 954-467-4700.
Cost: The health department page describes free testing, diagnosis and treatment.
Services listed: no-cost chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV testing, plus confidential counseling and partner notification.
Hours listed: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday. The page asks visitors to sign in one hour before closing.

Different versions of the health department's pages list different hours, including a shorter Wednesday. Call to confirm the day's hours before you go, especially if you plan to arrive near closing time.

The page does not mention PrEP, PEP or vaccines. If you want those, ask the clinic by phone or use one of the other sites below.

Fort Lauderdale Health Center (DOH-Broward)

The CDC's National Prevention Information Network directory lists the Florida Department of Health in Broward County at 2421 SW 6th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315. The phone number is 954-467-4700.

Services listed: free tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, STIs and TB.
Appointment: The listing says an appointment is required.
Payment: The listing says the site accepts insurance and Medicaid and offers a sliding scale.
Hours listed: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The listing notes that hours for HIV testing vary, so call for information.

This information comes from the CDC directory rather than the health department's own website. Confirm the details by phone.

CAN Community Health Fort Lauderdale

CAN Community Health is a nonprofit health center at 315 S.E. 14th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. The phone number is (754) 701-6920. Its clinic page lists STD testing and treatment, PrEP and HIV services. Listed hours are Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The page does not state a price or a walk-in policy. It also lists "HIV" without saying whether HIV testing is offered at this site. Ask about all three when you call. The clinic's pharmacy line is (844) 370-6204.

Care Resource Fort Lauderdale

Care Resource is a nonprofit community health center focused on HIV and STIs. It is at 871 W Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311. The phone number is (954) 567-7141.

The CDC's GetTested directory lists the following for this site:

free HIV and STI tests
rapid and blood-draw HIV testing
herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis tests
PrEP for people without insurance
hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV vaccines
insurance, Medicaid and Medicare accepted, and sliding-scale fees
no appointment required

The directory does not list hours and notes that they may change. Verify with the clinic before you go.

Planned Parenthood in Pembroke Pines

The Planned Parenthood Pembroke Pines Health Center is not in Fort Lauderdale. It is at 263 N University Dr, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024, and serves the wider area. The phone number is (954) 989-5747.

The CDC GetTested listing says an appointment is not required and that insurance and Medicaid are accepted. It lists rapid HIV testing, hepatitis B and C tests, and tests for herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. It also lists the HPV vaccine. The listing says to contact the organization about eligibility. It does not publish a price or hours.

Finding other sites

The CDC runs a national directory at gettested.cdc.gov. You can search it by ZIP code for HIV, STI and hepatitis testing sites. The Florida Department of Health in Broward County also posts information on its STD services page.

What testing costs

Cost is the most common reason people put off testing. In Fort Lauderdale, several published options are free. Others depend on insurance or income.

Free options

The Broward Wellness Center clinic lists free testing, diagnosis and treatment, according to the health department.
The CDC NPIN listing for the Fort Lauderdale Health Center describes free tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, STIs and TB.
The CDC GetTested listing for Care Resource describes free HIV and STI tests.
The health department offers free HIV and syphilis self-testing kits by mail. See the at-home section below.

Sliding scale and insurance

Several listings say insurance and Medicaid are accepted. Care Resource's listing also mentions Medicare and sliding-scale fees. Sliding scale generally means the fee depends on income. Ask the clinic what documents, if any, they want to see.

Prices that are not published

CAN Community Health's page does not state a cost. Planned Parenthood's CDC listing does not either. Urgent care centers and private doctors set their own prices, and this guide has no published figures for them. Rather than guess, ask three questions when you call:

What will the visit cost without insurance?
Is the lab fee separate from the visit fee?
If I have insurance, will a bill or an explanation of benefits go to the policyholder?

The third question matters if you are covered under someone else's plan. For minors in Florida, the statute says a minor's STD care is confidential and may not be disclosed, for example by sending a bill to a parent or guardian. See the law section below.

What to expect at a visit

A testing visit is usually short and low-key. Knowing the steps can make it less stressful.

Before you go

Call to confirm hours, whether you need an appointment and what to bring. Some clinics ask for photo ID or insurance cards. Others may not.
If you are going to the Broward Wellness Center, remember it asks visitors to sign in one hour before closing.
Think about the dates of recent partners or exposures. You do not need exact dates, but a rough timeline helps a clinician pick the right tests.
If you have symptoms, such as discharge, sores, pain with urination or pelvic pain, say so. Symptoms can change which tests are chosen.

The conversation

A clinician or counselor will usually ask about your sexual health. Typical topics include the kinds of sex you have, how many recent partners you have had, whether you use condoms or other protection, and whether you have had tests before. These questions are a medical tool. They are not a judgment. The CDC recommends that clinicians take a sexual history with every patient.

You can ask for any test you want, and you can ask why a test is or is not suggested.

Collecting samples

Depending on the test, a clinic may use one or more of these:

Urine sample for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Swabs from the throat, rectum or genitals, depending on the kinds of sex you have. A swab may be collected by a clinician or by you in private.
Blood draw or fingerstick for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis.
Swab of a sore if there is a visible lesion that could be herpes or syphilis.

Some clinics run rapid HIV tests that give a result during the visit. Others send samples to a lab, and results arrive later.

Counseling and partner support

The Broward Wellness Center page lists confidential counseling and partner notification. Partner notification means helping people who may have been exposed learn about it, often without naming you. Ask the clinic how it works if you are interested.

What gets tested and what to ask for

There is no single "STD test." Each infection has its own test, and clinics choose which to run. The Broward Wellness Center page lists chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. The CDC GetTested listings for other local sites add herpes and hepatitis B and C at some locations.

Who the CDC says should be screened

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) give screening advice by group. These are general recommendations, and a clinician can tailor them:

Chlamydia and gonorrhea: The CDC recommends yearly screening for sexually active women under 25, and for older women with risk factors such as a new partner or a partner with other partners. It recommends at least yearly screening for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, at each site of contact. For some people with higher risk, the CDC suggests more frequent testing.
HIV: The CDC recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64 be tested at least once. People with higher chances of exposure should be tested more often. The CDC suggests at least yearly testing for people who are sexually active and have certain risk factors.
Syphilis: The CDC recommends screening for pregnant women and for men who have sex with men. The USPSTF recommends screening for people at increased risk.
Hepatitis C: The CDC recommends testing all adults at least once. Pregnant women are advised to be tested during each pregnancy.
Hepatitis B: The CDC recommends screening at least once for adults, and for pregnant women.
Herpes: The CDC does not recommend routine herpes blood testing for people without symptoms. A clinician can explain when a herpes test makes sense, such as when there is a sore that can be swabbed.
HPV: There is no routine HPV test for most people. Cervical screening is advised for people with a cervix, and a clinician can explain the schedule. HPV can be managed, and the vaccine is available at some sites.

Things worth asking about

"Can you test all the sites I have had sex with?" Throat and rectal infections are often missed by urine tests alone.
"Is HIV included, and which type of test is it?" This affects how soon after an exposure the result is meaningful.
"Do you test for syphilis?" Some clinics do not run it by default.
"Do you offer hepatitis tests or vaccines?"
"Can I get PrEP or PEP information here?" PrEP is medicine taken to lower the chance of getting HIV. PEP is medicine started after a possible exposure. Both are prescribed by a clinician. CAN Community Health and Care Resource list PrEP among their services.
"Am I a candidate for doxy-PEP?" In 2024 the CDC issued guidance saying clinicians can offer doxycycline after sex to reduce bacterial STIs in some groups, specifically gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and transgender women, who have had a bacterial STI in the past year. It is a prescription decision made with a clinician.

How common are STIs in Broward County?

Rates help explain why routine testing is encouraged. A Stacker report, drawing on CDC 2021 county data, listed Broward County at 524.9 chlamydia cases per 100,000 people, 258.7 gonorrhea cases per 100,000 people and 28.9 cases of primary and secondary syphilis per 100,000 people. That is a secondary source, and the numbers are from 2021.

For the state as a whole, testing.com, citing CDC 2023 surveillance data, listed Florida at 498.9 chlamydia cases per 100,000, 206.7 gonorrhea cases per 100,000 and 19.3 primary and secondary syphilis cases per 100,000. Check the CDC and the health department for the latest official figures.

These numbers describe counts of reported cases. They say nothing about any one person. They also reflect how much testing is being done.

When to test: window periods

A window period is the time between an exposure and the point when a test can reliably detect an infection. Testing too early can give a result that does not reflect a recent exposure.

The CDC publishes HIV window periods by test type:

Nucleic acid test (NAT): usually detects HIV 10 to 33 days after exposure.
Antigen/antibody test from a blood draw at a lab: usually 18 to 45 days.
Antigen/antibody rapid test from a fingerstick: usually 18 to 90 days.
Antibody-only rapid and self-tests: usually 23 to 90 days.

For other infections, window periods differ by test and organism. The CDC guidelines do not give one fixed rule for all. Ask a clinician about timing for your situation, and ask whether retesting later is advised.

If you think you may have been exposed to HIV within the last three days, contact a clinic or health care provider quickly. The CDC says PEP must be started within 72 hours. The Broward health department's STD line (954-298-6585) is a place to ask where to go.

Many people also test on a schedule, such as every year or when they have a new partner. Your clinician can suggest a routine that fits your life.

At-home kits, urgent care and primary care

Free at-home options from the health department

The Florida Department of Health in Broward County offers free HIV and syphilis self-testing kits. According to its HIV Counseling and Testing page, you can call 954-847-8132 or complete the request form on the health department site.

The Florida Department of Health also points to knowyourhivstatus.com for ordering a free at-home HIV test kit. The state page does not describe the mail-order details, so read the instructions on that site before you order.

This guide does not recommend any commercial kit or lab brand. If you use a self-test, read the instructions. A positive self-test result needs confirmation by a clinician. A negative result may need a repeat test if you were exposed recently, because of the window period.

Urgent care

Many urgent care centers offer STI testing, especially when you have symptoms. Services and prices vary by location, and this guide has no published local figures. Call and ask which tests they run, what the total cost will be and whether results are reported to you by phone or portal. Ask also whether the clinic can treat an infection on the spot or refers you elsewhere.

Primary care and other doctors

If you have a regular doctor, nurse practitioner or gynecologist, you can ask them for STI screening at a routine visit. This can be a good route if you have insurance and want your records in one place. Say what you want tested. Do not assume a standard checkup includes STI tests.

Choosing a route

Want free, in person and no appointment: Start with the Broward Wellness Center, and call first to confirm hours.
Want PrEP or vaccine information: Ask CAN Community Health or Care Resource.
Want privacy at home: Ask about the free kits from the health department.
Have symptoms: Say so on the phone. Clinics can advise whether to come in sooner.

Florida rules that affect testing

Several state laws shape how testing and treatment work in Florida. This is general information, not legal advice.

Minors and consent

Under Florida Statute 384.30, the Department of Health, licensed physicians, certain licensed nurses acting within their license, and public or private hospitals, clinics or other health facilities may examine and treat minors for sexually transmissible diseases without parental consent. The statute states no minimum age. It also says a minor's consultation, examination and treatment for an STD is confidential and may not be disclosed directly or indirectly, such as by sending a bill to a parent or guardian, except as provided in section 384.29.

Treating partners without a visit

Florida Statute 384.27(7) allows certain licensed practitioners to provide expedited partner therapy. This means a clinician may provide treatment for a partner who has not been examined. The patient must have a laboratory-confirmed or suspected diagnosis of an STD, must report a partner with sexual activity before the diagnosis, and must indicate that the partner is unable or unlikely to seek care in a timely manner. A licensed pharmacist may dispense medication for the partner under a prescription. Ask your clinician whether it applies to you.

Reporting

Florida Statute 384.25 requires anyone who diagnoses or treats a sexually transmissible disease, and any laboratory with a positive result, to report it to the Department of Health within a period set by rule that does not exceed two weeks. Reports go to the health department for public health tracking. Partner notification services come out of this system.

Pregnancy

Florida Statute 384.31 requires anyone attending a pregnant woman for prenatal care to arrange testing for sexually transmissible infections, including HIV, according to Department of Health rule. A pregnant woman may decline in writing. Under Florida Administrative Code Rule 64D-3.042, testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, HIV and syphilis is done at the initial prenatal exam and again at 28 to 32 weeks of pregnancy. The same rule treats women who arrive at delivery, or within 30 days after delivery, with no prenatal care or no testing record after the 27th week as higher risk. They are tested for hepatitis B surface antigen, HIV and syphilis before discharge.

Disclosure and HIV

Florida Statute 384.24 makes it unlawful for a person with a listed sexually transmissible disease, who knows about the infection and has been informed it can spread sexually, to have sexual intercourse with another person unless that person has been informed and consented. Subsection 384.24(2) applies this to HIV specifically. Under Florida Statute 775.0877, a later listed offense after a positive, disclosed HIV result can be charged as a third-degree felony, and actual transmission is not required. The penalty for the general STD provision is not stated on the statute page reviewed here. If you have questions about how these laws apply to you, a clinic counselor or an attorney can explain them.

Results, treatment and next steps

Getting results

Rapid HIV tests can return a result during the visit. Other results can take days. Ask the clinic how and when you will be told, and whether they can reach you at a number or address that is safe for you. Do not assume that no call means a negative result. Ask the clinic what its process is.

If a result is positive

A positive test is a medical finding that a clinician will explain and confirm if needed. It is not a verdict on you. Here is what the CDC says about the main groups of infections:

Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are bacterial and curable with treatment from a clinician.
Trichomoniasis is also curable with treatment from a clinician.
HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable. They are treatable and manageable. HIV medicine prescribed by a clinician can keep the virus at very low levels, and the CDC says people who take it as prescribed and keep an undetectable viral load do not transmit HIV through sex.

The treatment is chosen by the clinician based on your test, health history and allergies. Take it as prescribed and ask what to do about sex and partners in the meantime. The Broward Wellness Center lists treatment on site. Other clinics may refer you.

Retesting and partners

The CDC advises retesting after treatment for some infections, often about three months later, because reinfection is common. Ask your clinician when to come back. Telling recent partners lets them get tested and treated too. If that feels hard, ask the clinic about partner notification, which the Broward Wellness Center lists as a service.

Prevention tools worth knowing about

Condoms and dental dams lower the chance of many infections.
Vaccines exist for hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV. Care Resource and Planned Parenthood list some of these.
PrEP lowers the chance of getting HIV. The Florida Department of Health posts a PrEP and PEP locator that is linked from the health department's HIV pages. No Broward-specific PrEP program page is confirmed here, so check with the clinic.
Doxy-PEP is a prescription option for some people, as described above.

A simple plan

Pick a site from the list above and call to confirm hours and cost.
Tell the clinician about your symptoms, exposures and the sites involved.
Ask which tests will be run and which will not.
Ask about timing, in case a repeat test is advised.
Ask how you will get results and what happens if one is positive.

Testing is a normal, responsible part of health care. Fort Lauderdale has free and low-cost places to do it, and people at those clinics do this work every day.

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