Getting tested for STIs can feel a little overwhelming—and sometimes even scary. Many people think they would know if they had an STI, but the truth is that many STIs show no signs or symptoms. The only way to know for sure if you or your partner(s) have an STI is to get tested.
The Student Health Center offers two methods of STI testing:
STI testing nurse clinic: Our nurse-staffed STI clinic is for students who have no symptoms but want to be tested for various reasons (for example: general self-care or concerns about a particular sexual experience). To be seen in this clinic, you can typically make a same-day appointment online for the “STI (no symptoms) testing–nurse clinic.” Tests available through this clinic include: chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and syphilis. In this clinic, you will not be seen by a healthcare provider and will not be examined. If any of the following apply, this nurse supervised STI clinic is not the correct option for you:
You are experiencing symptoms (i.e., unusual discharge, pain during urination, lumps or rash, itchy genitals, warts, blisters, and/or unusual bleeding)
You want to be tested for a STI other than the four stated above
You want to see a medical provider or require an examination
In addition to being tested for STIs through this clinic, you can also get the HPV vaccine, get tested for pregnancy, and receive information about PrEP and Doxy PEP.
STI symptoms appointment: This choice would be for students who have symptoms, need an examination, or want to see a medical provider for any reason to help address their sexual health concerns.Make an appointment online or call 812-855-7688. If you are scheduling online, look for the “STI symptoms” appointment type.
How do I get tested?
Make an appointment for a "STI (no symptoms) testing–nurse clinic" or "STI symptoms" using our online scheduler.
Arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time and head to the second floor check-in desk to complete paperwork.
After your appointment, your insurance will be billed to pay for the visit if you are using insurance. If you want to avoid using your insurance, you can have the costs charged to your bursar bill, or you can pay out of pocket with cash or card at a cashier.
Check your test results by logging into the Student Health Center Patient Portal. If your results are positive, you will receive a call from one of our nurses who will schedule a follow-up appointment with one of our healthcare providers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
As long as you’re sexually active, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that you should get tested for STIs at least once a year. If you have a new partner, more than one partner, anonymous sex partners, share intravenous needles, or infrequently use barrier methods such as condoms or dental dams, you should consider getting tested every three to six months.
After you return your sample, your results will be available in three to five business days. You will only receive a call from one of our nurses if your result is positive. However, you can view your results—negative or positive—in the online patient portal once they become available. No worries—your results will remain confidential.
If your test is positive, a Student Health Center nurse will call you and talk to you about what to do next.
You might feel a little embarrassed or even afraid if you receive a positive result, but we promise that you’re not alone. It just means you’re a human who happened to get an infection. The sooner you get tested and treated for an STI, the better. Some STIs have a high reinfection rate, so it’s important that all partners get tested and treated.
The best thing to do when you find out you have an STI is to follow your health provider’s direction for treating it by taking all your medication as prescribed, and refrain from any sexual contact while you are being treated.
Be sure you are not requesting a test too soon. The results from this screening may not be accurate if you have had sex with a new partner recently.
Chlamydia/gonorrhea can take up to 48–72 hours to detect
HIV antibody and syphilis results take up to four weeks to detect
All health records are strictly confidential and are considered protected health information. In compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the university’s HIPAA Compliance Program, only the appropriate Student Health Center personnel shall have access to protected health information. Learn more about confidentiality at the Student Health Center.
No. If you are experiencing symptoms (i.e., unusual discharge, pain during urination, lumps or rash, itchy genitals, warts, blisters, and/or unusual bleeding), have concerns that you may have been exposed to an STI in the past week, or have been a victim of a sexual assault, you may require additional testing and treatment. Do not use this option for testing. You can instead make an appointment to see one of our healthcare providers.
Drop-off STI testing is $25 per test, per location. This program is supported (in part) by the Student Health Fee.
Students can choose either to self-pay or bill their insurance.
Self-pay: Charge your student account or pay by cash or card by visiting a cashier on the second floor when checking out.
Bill insurance: Some insurance companies will cover the cost of this screening as a preventative care service, others will not. Please check with your insurance company for more details. Learn more about insurance at the Student Health Center. If you are on your parent’s insurance, we cannot guarantee the amount of detail the Explanation of Benefits will provide. Therefore, if you are worried about a parent or guardian finding out about the lab test, self-pay might be a better option for you to choose.
Yes! The Student Health Center offers HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication that can help significantly reduce a person's HIV risk from sex. If you feel you are at risk for HIV/AIDS, you can learn more here.
Have questions? Make an appointment to discuss PrEP with a medical provider.
