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.

Many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) cause no symptoms at all. Others cause signs that are easy to mistake for something else, like a yeast infection, a urinary tract infection or a normal change in your cycle. That is why this guide covers two questions. What symptoms of an STD in a female body are worth paying attention to? And when does a test make sense even if nothing feels wrong?

The guide is written for anyone with a vagina, cervix or uterus, whatever your gender, orientation or relationship status. It also tells you where to get an STD test for women in San Antonio, including free and low-cost options.

Nothing here can tell you whether you have an infection. Only a clinician and a lab test can do that. What this page can do is help you decide when to book one.

Key takeaways

Most STIs can be present without any symptoms, so symptoms alone are not a reliable guide to who needs a test.
The CDC and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommend yearly chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for sexually active women under 25, and for older women with risk factors.
Unusual discharge, burning when you urinate, pelvic pain, bleeding between periods, pain during sex, sores or a new rash are all reasons to be seen.
Untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which the CDC links to long-term pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy and infertility.
Severe lower belly pain, fever with pelvic pain, or sudden one-sided pain with dizziness needs care the same day.
In San Antonio, several clinics offer free testing, and Metro Health lists a $15 office visit administrative fee at its walk-in clinic.
Texas lets a minor of any age consent to testing and treatment for reportable infections.

In this guide

Why so many STIs have no symptoms
STD symptoms in women, by infection
Signs that mean test soon, and signs that mean same day
PID, fertility and pregnancy
When to get an STD test for women
Where to get tested in San Antonio
What to expect: results, treatment, partners and privacy
Sources

Why so many STIs have no symptoms

The CDC notes in its STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) that chlamydia and gonorrhea often cause no symptoms in women. The same is true of trichomoniasis, HPV, herpes and early HIV. Syphilis can also pass through stages that are easy to miss.

This is not a sign that you did something wrong. It is how these infections behave. Many bacteria and viruses that spread through sexual contact live in the cervix, the throat or the rectum. They may not cause irritation you can feel.

It matters for two reasons.

You cannot rule an infection in or out by how you feel. Only a test can say.
Some infections can cause harm quietly. The CDC explains that untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea can travel to the uterus and fallopian tubes without noticeable warning signs.

That is why screening exists. Screening means testing people who feel fine, on a schedule based on age, pregnancy status and personal history. The schedule is covered later in this guide.

If you have symptoms, testing is still the right next step. If you have none, testing can still be right for you. A clinician can help you work out which tests fit your situation.

STD symptoms in women, by infection

Many STD symptoms in women overlap with each other and with common non-STI problems. Yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, urinary tract infections, skin irritation and hormonal changes can all look similar. A symptom is a reason to get checked. It is not a diagnosis.

The table below summarizes what the CDC describes for each infection. Remember that each one may also cause no symptoms.

Infection	Signs that may occur	Can it be cured?
Chlamydia	Often none. When present: unusual vaginal discharge, burning with urination, bleeding between periods or after sex, lower belly pain, pain during sex.	Yes, with treatment from a clinician.
Gonorrhea	Often none. When present: more discharge, burning with urination, bleeding between periods, pelvic pain. Throat and rectal infections can occur too.	Yes, with treatment from a clinician.
Trichomoniasis	Often none. When present: itching, burning, soreness, a change in discharge, discomfort with urination.	Yes, with treatment from a clinician.
Syphilis	A painless sore (often unnoticed inside the vagina or on the cervix), later a rash that can appear on the palms and soles, and other body-wide signs. Some stages have no signs.	Yes, with treatment from a clinician. Earlier treatment prevents more serious problems.
Genital herpes	Often none or very mild. When present: blisters or sores, pain, itching, sometimes flu-like feeling with the first outbreak.	Not curable. Treatable and manageable.
HPV	Usually none. Some types cause genital warts. Some types can cause cell changes on the cervix that are found by screening.	The infection often clears on its own. Warts and cell changes can be treated.
HIV	Some people have a flu-like illness weeks after infection. Many have no early signs.	Not curable. Treatable with ongoing care from a clinician.
Hepatitis B and C	Often none for years. Tiredness, nausea or yellowing of the skin can occur.	Hepatitis C can be cured with treatment. Hepatitis B can be managed. Vaccination prevents hepatitis B.

Discharge, itching and odor

A change in discharge is one of the most common reasons people look into STD symptoms in women. Color, amount and smell vary through your cycle, so the useful question is whether something is new or different for you.

Yellow or green discharge, a strong odor, or discharge with itching, burning or pelvic pain are all worth raising with a clinician. They can come from an STI. They can also come from bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection, which are treated differently. Treating the wrong thing at home can delay the right care, so a test is useful either way.

Burning, pain and bleeding

Burning with urination can point to a urinary tract infection or to chlamydia, gonorrhea or trichomoniasis. A urine test and a swab can help sort this out.

Pain during sex, bleeding after sex and bleeding between periods deserve attention. The CDC lists them among the signs that may come with cervical infection. They can also have other causes, such as hormonal birth control changes, cervical polyps or dryness. A pelvic exam can look for the cause.

Sores, bumps and rashes

Sores, blisters, warts or an unusual rash in the genital area, mouth or around the anus should be looked at by a clinician. Sores are not always painful. A syphilis sore, for example, is typically painless, which is one reason it can go unnoticed.

A rash on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, with or without other symptoms, is one of the signs the CDC describes for secondary syphilis. It is worth asking about.

Throat, rectal and eye symptoms

STIs can affect the throat and rectum if there was oral or anal sexual contact. A sore throat that will not settle, rectal pain, discharge or bleeding can sometimes be related. Many throat and rectal infections cause no symptoms. If you have had that kind of contact, tell the clinician so they can choose the right swab sites.

Signs that mean test soon, and signs that mean same day

Not every symptom is urgent. Some are a reason to book a visit this week. A few are a reason to be seen today.

Reasons to book a test soon

A new or unusual vaginal discharge, odor or itching.
Burning with urination that does not clearly fit a urinary tract infection, or that keeps returning.
Bleeding between periods or after sex.
Pain during sex.
A sore, bump, blister or wart in the genital, anal or mouth area.
A new rash, especially on the palms or soles.
A partner who tells you they tested positive for an STI, or who has symptoms.
A new partner, or more than one partner, since your last test.
A condom that broke or slipped, or sex without a condom with someone whose status you do not know.

If you are worried about a recent exposure, a clinician can tell you which tests make sense now and when to repeat them. Different infections show up on tests at different times, so a single early test may not tell the whole story.

Reasons to be seen the same day

Contact a clinician, urgent care or an emergency department the same day for any of the following.

Severe or worsening lower abdominal or pelvic pain.
Pelvic pain with fever or chills.
Pelvic pain with nausea or vomiting, or pain that makes it hard to stand up straight.
Pain with sex that is sudden and severe.
Symptoms of any kind while you are pregnant.
Painful sores with fever, or a rash with fever.

Go to an emergency department right away if you could be pregnant and have sudden sharp pain on one side of your belly, shoulder pain, heavy bleeding, or feel faint. These can be signs of an ectopic pregnancy, which needs urgent care.

If you have been sexually assaulted, an emergency department can provide care, testing and medicine to lower the chance of infection, and can connect you with support. You decide what happens next.

PID, fertility and pregnancy

This is the part of the topic that worries people most. It helps to state it plainly and carefully.

What pelvic inflammatory disease is

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries. The CDC states in its STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) that PID often develops when bacteria, commonly those that cause chlamydia and gonorrhea, travel upward from the cervix. Not all PID is caused by an STI, but many cases are linked to one.

PID can cause lower abdominal pain, fever, unusual discharge, pain during sex and bleeding. It can also cause mild symptoms or none, which is part of why it can go unrecognized.

How it can affect fertility

The CDC says PID can lead to scarring in the fallopian tubes. That scarring can cause long-term pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. The risk goes up when PID is not treated or treatment is delayed.

Two points keep this in proportion.

Having had chlamydia or gonorrhea does not mean you will develop PID, and having PID does not mean you cannot become pregnant.
PID is treated by a clinician, and the CDC emphasizes that early treatment lowers the chance of lasting damage.

If you are hoping to become pregnant now or later, regular screening is one of the practical ways to protect that option. If you have symptoms, do not wait for them to pass.

STIs and pregnancy

Some infections can be passed to a baby during pregnancy or birth, and some raise the chance of complications. Syphilis is the clearest example. The CDC describes congenital syphilis as preventable when the pregnant person is tested and treated in time.

Texas law reflects this. Texas Health and Safety Code Sec. 81.090 calls for syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B tests at the first prenatal visit. It calls for syphilis and HIV tests in the third trimester, not earlier than the 28th week. It also calls for testing at delivery when a result is missing. The law lets the pregnant person object to the HIV tests, but not the syphilis tests. Metro Health's Healthy Beats Initiative advises syphilis testing at least three times during pregnancy: the first prenatal visit, late pregnancy and delivery.

The Texas picture makes this timely. The CDC's 2023 surveillance data count 930 cases of congenital syphilis in Texas, a rate of 238.6 per 100,000 live births. If you are pregnant or planning to be, ask your prenatal provider to confirm which tests you have had.

When to get an STD test for women

An STD test for women is not one test. It is a set of tests chosen for your age, symptoms, sexual contact, pregnancy status and history. Here is what national guidance recommends.

Routine screening recommendations

Chlamydia and gonorrhea: The CDC (2021) and the USPSTF recommend screening every year for sexually active women under 25. They also recommend it for women 25 and older who have risk factors, such as a new partner, more than one partner, or a partner with an STI.
HIV: The CDC recommends that everyone aged 13 to 64 be tested for HIV at least once, with more frequent testing for people with ongoing risk. The USPSTF also recommends HIV screening for adolescents and adults aged 15 to 65.
Syphilis: The CDC recommends testing during pregnancy, and for anyone with a partner who has syphilis or with symptoms. A clinician can advise on other reasons to test.
Hepatitis B and C: The CDC recommends screening at least once for adults, and for every pregnancy. Ask your clinician how it applies to you.
Cervical cancer screening: The USPSTF recommends Pap testing every three years for ages 21 to 29. For ages 30 to 65, it offers three choices: a Pap test every three years, an HPV test every five years, or both together every five years. This screening looks for cervical cell changes linked to HPV. It is not the same as a chlamydia or gonorrhea test.
Trichomoniasis: The CDC suggests considering testing for women with a higher chance of infection or who are living with HIV. A clinician can tell you whether it applies.
Herpes: The CDC does not recommend routine herpes blood testing for people without symptoms. If you have sores, a swab from the sore is the most useful test. If you are unsure whether a test is right for you, talk it through with a clinician.

A Pap test does not check for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis or HIV. This is a common mix-up. If you have had a Pap test recently, it does not mean you have had an STI screening. Ask directly.

What the window period means

A window period is the time between an exposure and when a test can reliably detect an infection. Testing too early can come back negative even if the infection is present.

For HIV, the CDC gives these general windows, depending on the test type:

Nucleic acid tests (NAT): 10 to 33 days after exposure.
Antigen/antibody tests done on blood from a vein: 18 to 45 days.
Antigen/antibody tests done on a fingerstick: 18 to 90 days.
Antibody tests: 23 to 90 days.

For other infections, windows vary by test and by infection. A clinician can tell you whether to test now, test again later, or both. Ask when to come back for a repeat.

Testing again after treatment

The CDC advises that people treated for chlamydia or gonorrhea be retested about three months later, because repeat infection is common. This is true even when the original partner was treated as well.

Prevention options to ask about

A clinician can talk with you about condoms and dental dams, hepatitis B and HPV vaccination, and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The CDC's 2024 guidance on doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy-PEP) addresses gay and bisexual men and transgender women who have had a bacterial STI in the past year. It does not currently recommend doxy-PEP for cisgender women, because the evidence is not strong enough yet. Whether it fits you is a conversation for a clinician.

San Antonio context

Local numbers show why routine screening matters here. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) 2022 STD Surveillance Report counts 12,305 reported chlamydia cases in Bexar County. It counts 5,983 reported gonorrhea cases, a rate of 290.5 per 100,000 people, compared with 207.0 for Texas as a whole that year. It also counts 500 primary and secondary syphilis cases in Bexar County, a rate of 24.3 per 100,000, compared with 15.5 statewide.

For HIV, CDC surveillance tables for 2024 show 373 new diagnoses in Bexar County, a rate of 21.1 per 100,000 people aged 13 and older.

These are reported cases. Because many infections have no symptoms and go untested, they are likely to understate the total. They are not a reason for alarm. They are a reason for regular testing to be treated as ordinary health care.

Where to get tested in San Antonio

San Antonio has several places that offer an STD test for women at no cost or a reduced cost. Hours and services change, so call before you go. The full list, with details, is in our guide to STD testing in San Antonio. The options below are a summary.

Metro Health STI Walk-In Clinic

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) runs a walk-in clinic at 512 E. Highland, Suite 150, San Antonio, TX 78210. The phone number is 210-207-8830. Its services include STI and HIV testing, treatment and counseling, according to University Health's Institute for Public Health.

Cost: Metro Health lists a $15 office visit administrative fee. It says other fees vary by service.
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the latest check-in at 3 p.m. Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with the latest check-in at 10:30 a.m. Check-in may close early when the clinic is at capacity.
Who it serves: Metro Health says the clinic serves residents of San Antonio and Bexar County, and people with no other means of getting STI services.
ID: A photo ID is required. The clinic does not offer anonymous testing. Patients take a number on arrival.

San Antonio AIDS Foundation (SAAF)

SAAF is at 818 E. Grayson Street, San Antonio, TX 78208. Phone: (210) 225-4715. Its testing page lists rapid HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia testing. It says screening and confirmatory services are free and no appointment is needed. Gonorrhea and chlamydia results take 7 to 10 days through the DSHS lab.

Listed hours: Monday 8:30 to 4:00; Tuesday 12:00 to 8:00; Wednesday and Thursday 8:30 to 4:00; Friday 9:00 to 1:00; Saturday 11:00 to 3:00; closed Sunday. SAAF also lists PrEP and doxy-PEP.

Alamo Area Resource Center (AARC)

AARC is at 303 N. Frio, San Antonio, TX 78207. Phone: (210) 625-7200. Its page lists free testing for HIV, hepatitis C, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, with rapid HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C results by fingerstick. Walk-ins are listed Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Wednesday until 8 p.m. AARC also offers PrEP and PEP.

Kind Clinic, San Antonio

Kind Clinic is at 730 Isom Road, San Antonio, TX 78216. It lists HIV and STI testing, STI treatment, PrEP and PEP, and walk-in testing at no cost. Its listed clinic hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the 2nd and 4th Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kind Clinic says walk-in testing hours differ from clinic hours, and no location-specific phone is listed. The general support line is 833-937-5463. Kind Clinic says doxy-PEP is available to its patients only.

BEAT AIDS

BEAT AIDS lists free, confidential HIV testing and confidential testing and treatment for common STIs. Its site lists several San Antonio locations and does not say which one offers testing, so call 210.212.2266 to confirm the location and whether walk-ins are accepted.

Sliding-fee health centers

CommuniCare Apollo Wellness Clinic, 6511 W Loop 1604 N, Ste. 105, San Antonio, TX 78254, phone (726) 224-3438. It lists STD and HIV screening and testing, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CommuniCare offers a sliding fee discount for self-pay patients with family income under 200% of federal poverty guidelines.
CentroMed, phone 210-922-7000. Its Women's Health page lists screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and a sliding fee scale by income and family size. It says no one is denied for inability to pay. Ask which clinic location offers the visit you need.

Free tests by mail

Test for Texas, a DSHS program, offers free mailed at-home kits for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia to anyone in Texas aged 13 or older, with no insurance needed. You order at testfortexas.org, and DSHS says results appear in a secure portal seven business days after the sample reaches the lab. A mailed kit does not replace an exam if you have symptoms, pelvic pain or sores. In that case, see a clinician in person.

To find other testing sites by ZIP code, the CDC runs a locator at gettested.cdc.gov.

Free HIV self-tests

The CDC-funded Together TakeMeHome program mails free HIV self-tests to people 17 and older in the U.S. Each package has two self-tests, and you can reorder every 90 days. Self-tests are for HIV only. They do not check for other infections.

What to expect: results, treatment, partners and privacy

At the visit

A clinician will usually ask about symptoms, recent sexual contact and any past infections. These questions are routine. You do not need to prepare a script. Say whatever is true, including the kinds of contact you have had, so they can pick the right swabs.

Tests may use a urine sample, a swab of the vagina, cervix, throat or rectum, a blood draw, or a fingerstick. A pelvic exam is not always needed. Many swabs for chlamydia and gonorrhea can be collected by you, with guidance from staff.

Treatment

Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are curable. A clinician prescribes the treatment, and which one depends on your results, your health history and whether you are pregnant. Do not use leftover medicine or someone else's prescription. It may not be the right choice, and it can hide symptoms while the infection continues.

Herpes, HPV and HIV are not curable, but they are treatable and manageable. People with HIV who receive ongoing care from a clinician can live long, healthy lives. A clinician can also explain medicines that help with herpes outbreaks.

Telling partners

If a test is positive, partners should be tested and possibly treated too, or the infection can pass back and forth. Many people find this the hardest part. Clinics and the health department can help you work out what to say.

Texas also allows expedited partner therapy in some cases. The CDC's page on the legal status of EPT in Texas explains that Texas Medical Board rules allow a physician to prescribe STD medication for the partner of an established patient without seeing that partner. Advanced practice nurses may do the same, and pharmacists may dispense these prescriptions. Whether it is offered depends on the clinician and the infection. Ask your clinician whether it applies to you.

Privacy, minors and reporting

Minors: Under Texas Family Code Sec. 32.003(a)(3), a minor of any age may consent to diagnosis and treatment of a reportable infectious or communicable disease. This covers reportable STIs and HIV. Parent or guardian consent is not required. The same section allows a physician to tell a parent or guardian about the treatment, with or without the minor's consent. A provider is permitted to do this, not required to, so ask the clinic how it handles this before your visit.
Reporting: According to Texas DSHS, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV and AIDS are notifiable conditions in Texas. This means labs and clinicians report positive results to public health authorities, which is how surveillance numbers like those above are produced. Health departments follow confidentiality rules for these reports.
Anonymous testing: Metro Health's walk-in clinic requires photo ID and does not test anonymously. Other sites describe their testing as confidential. Ask each clinic how your information is handled.
The law and HIV: The CDC's 2023 analysis places Texas among states with no HIV-specific or STD-specific criminal exposure law, although general criminal laws can still apply in some situations. If this concerns you, ask a clinic or a legal aid organization.

A simple plan

If you have severe pelvic pain, fever with pelvic pain, or you are pregnant and have symptoms, seek care today.
If you have milder symptoms or a recent exposure, call a clinic from the list above and ask which tests fit your situation.
If you have no symptoms, use the screening guidance above and book a routine test. Many San Antonio clinics will see you without an appointment.
Ask when to come back for a repeat test, and put it on your calendar.

Getting tested is routine preventive care, in the same category as a dental cleaning or a blood pressure check. It is a sensible thing to do whether or not anything feels wrong.

STD Symptoms in Women: Signs, When to Test and Where in San Antonio