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Des Moines, IA

Where to get free or low-cost STD testing in Des Moines, Iowa

Most community health centers offer confidential STD and HIV testing on a sliding scale, and access matters most where the burden is highest: Black Americans account for roughly a third of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis diagnoses nationwide despite being 12.6% of the population (CDC, Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance, 2023).

See 14 local clinics

Family planning clinics near Des Moines that test for STDs

HHS lists these as Title X family planning clinics. For care under a clinic's Title X program, which can include STD testing, federal rules say the clinic can't charge you if your family's income is at or below the federal poverty line, and must discount what you pay by income up to two and a half times that line (42 CFR 59.5).

If you're under 18 and ask for confidential care, the clinic counts your own income, not your family's.

When you call, ask:

  • Is this visit part of your Title X family planning program?
  • What would I pay at my income?
  • Can I walk in, or do I need an appointment?

HHS Office of Population Affairs Title X clinic locator, updated October 20, 2026. Services and hours are as each clinic reports them to HHS.

Community health centers in Des Moines

14 federally qualified community health centers in Des Moines charge on a sliding scale by income and see patients regardless of insurance. Call ahead to confirm the site offers STD testing and to book.

See every community clinic in Des Moines

Every site above tests free or at low cost based on income, and that is the right first stop. An at-home kit is self-pay and is not billed to Medicaid, so the clinic route usually costs less. If you would rather test at home:

Everlywell

At-home STI test panels covering chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, herpes, and syphilis, with a mail-in sample and physician-reviewed results online.

Browse at-home STI tests

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Other free screening in Des Moines

Breast cancer Cervical cancer Colorectal cancer Cardiovascular Diabetes prevention