STI testing in Texas is excellent in the major cities and difficult everywhere else. Kind Clinic, Legacy Community Health, and the Resource Center offer comprehensive, LGBTQ+-competent testing for uninsured patients. Outside these cities, at-home testing kits are your most reliable option.
đ„ The Primary Clinics by City
Austin / San Antonio: Kind Clinic
Kind Clinic (kindclinic.org) offers walk-in STI testing during clinic hoursâa genuinely accessible option in Austin and San Antonio. Full gay men's panel including extragenital sites. Sliding-scale fees; no one turned away.
Houston: Legacy Community Health
Legacy (legacycommunityhealth.org) runs STI testing across multiple Houston locations. They proactively screen throat and rectal sites for gay and bisexual men. Appointments and some walk-in slots available.
Dallas: Resource Center / Nelson-Tebedo
Nelson-Tebedo Clinic (myresourcecenter.org) in Oak Lawn provides confidential STI and HIV testing for Dallas-area patients. Call ahead for appointment availability.
đŠ At-Home Testing: The Essential Alternative
For patients outside major cities or who prefer home testing, the 340B telehealth platforms ship complete STI kits.
| Provider | What they test | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| MISTR (mistr.com) | HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia | Free for qualifying patients |
| QCarePlus (qcareplus.com) | Full panel; at-home kit | Free / sliding scale |
| LabCorp OnDemand | Full panel | ~$100â200 (no prescription needed) |
| Everlywell | HIV, STI panel | ~$100â150; results in 2â3 days |
At-home kits are for asymptomatic screening only. If you have active symptomsâsores, discharge, rash, burningâgo to an in-person clinic. Home kits cannot provide you with treatment.
đ©ž The Full Gay Men's Panel
Always request the full multi-site panel. Outside LGBTQ+-specialist clinics, providers may default to urine-only testing and miss throat and rectal infections.
| Test | Site | Method |
|---|---|---|
| HIV | Blood | Rapid or lab |
| Syphilis | Blood | RPR/TPPA |
| Gonorrhea | Urethra, throat, rectum | Swab / urine |
| Chlamydia | Urethra, throat, rectum | Swab / urine |
| Hepatitis C | Blood | Annually if high-risk |
Be explicit. At a non-specialist clinic, say: "I'm a gay man. I need throat and rectal swabs for gonorrhea and chlamydia in addition to the urethral/urine test." You are entitled to ask for this standard of care.
đ§Ș Confidentiality in Texas
Texas law (Texas Health & Safety Code, Chapter 81) protects the confidentiality of STI records. Your results cannot be disclosed to employers, insurers, or family without your consent.
- Anonymous testing: Available at some Texas DSHS-funded sites and the Kind Clinic. Ask when booking.
- Mandatory reporting: HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia are reportable to Texas DSHS under unique identifier codesânot your name.
If confidentiality is a priority, ask Kind Clinic or your provider explicitly about their anonymous testing protocol. The LGBTQ+ clinics are highly practiced at protecting patient privacy in an unfriendly legal environment.
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