Welcome
Sexual health is a natural part of life, and getting tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a healthy, normal part of sexual health. This page is here to help you identify when you need STI testing and find on-campus and off-campus STI testing services.
When do I need to get tested for STIs?
One of the risk factors of sexual activity is contracting an STI, which stands for sexually transmitted infection. You may also have heard the terms “STD” or “sexually transmitted disease.” You can read more about the difference in terminology here: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To help mitigate the stigma around STIs, we use the term “STI” instead of “STD.”
Some STIs are asymptomatic (no symptoms) at the start of the infection, so you or your partner(s) may not always know that you or they have an STI. Anyone can be infected with any STI. Therefore, you should get tested with every new sexual partner even if you are asymptomatic. If you have any questions about which tests you should get done or when you need to get tested, consult with your doctor. You can read more about symptoms of the most common STIs here.
If you have symptoms of or a possible or known exposure to an STI, you need to get tested as soon as possible. Go to the POSSE clinic on campus at Deacon Health (see below for hours) or call Deacon Health at 336.758.5218 to schedule an off-campus testing appointment, whichever can happen first.
How do I talk to my partner(s) about STIs?
It may feel scary to talk about or to get tested for STIs, but it doesn’t need to be. Talking about your STI history, status, and testing is a normal conversation to have with every sexual partner before engaging in sexual activity and as an ongoing conversation. Talking about the methods of protection you want to use is also important.
- Ask each partner when they were last tested and what their results were. Share the same information with them about yourself. Having these conversations might be awkward at first, but again, sexual health is a normal part of life. Having these conversations demonstrates that you care about your health and the health of your sexual partner(s).
- Ex. “I was tested last month, and the results came back negative. What about you?”
On-campus testing
Off-campus testing
Where: Deacon Health
When: 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
Confidential? Yes
Do I need an appointment? No, it is walk-in. This testing is available for current WFU undergraduate and graduate students.
Who can get tested? You can get testing done if you are asymptomatic or symptomatic.
What can I get tested for? The types of tests that are conducted range from urine tests and swabs to blood tests, and they vary based on your number of partners, sexual history, symptoms, and protection methods used. Even if a comprehensive panel is not suggested, you can still request one.
- Comprehensive panel available upon request
Who conducts the tests? The tests are conducted by medical professionals from the Forsyth County Health Department.
Questions? You can call Deacon Health at 336.758.5218 for more information.
Where: Deacon Health
When: To schedule an appointment, log in to your Deacon Health portal or call 336.758.5218.
Cost: Ask during your visit, depends on the number of tests
How do I pay? You can pay through your student account or with cash. The charge will show up as “Deacon Health Fee” on your student account and will not mention STI testing.
Confidential? Yes
Do I need an appointment? Yes. This testing is available for current WFU undergraduate and graduate students. To schedule an appointment, log in to your Deacon Health portal or call 336.758.5218.
Who can get tested? You can get testing done if you are asymptomatic and have no known exposure to an STI. Please note that testing recommendations vary based on the date of unprotected sexual contact, if applicable. All tests are available as screening tests upon request, regardless of whether unprotected sex has occurred.
What can I get tested for?
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Syphilis
- Comprehensive panel available if determined necessary
Who conducts the tests? Deacon Health
How do I prepare for my appointment?
- Complete the STIX Questionnaire in the Deacon Health Portal at least 24 hours prior to your appointment.
- Do not urinate for at least 1 hour prior to your appointment.
- Arrive on time – appointments over 5 minutes late may be rescheduled.
- If you don’t show up for your appointment, it may result in a no-show fee being charged to your student account. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, call Deacon Health at 336.758.5218.
Questions? You can call Deacon Health at 336.758.5218 for more information.
Where: 799 Highland Avenue, Winston-Salem
When:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Every fourth Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
*Closed for lunch from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. every day except Friday
Cost: Free
Confidential? Yes
Do I need an appointment? Yes – call 336.703.3324 to schedule your appointment.
Who can get tested? Anyone, regardless of insurance
What can I get tested for? HIV and STI testing (see here for more information and click on Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing/Treatment and HIV Counseling)
Questions? You can call 336.703.3324 for more information.
Below are some additional resources for off-campus HIV and STI testing:
- Planned Parenthood
- Novant Health Urgent Care
- FastMed Urgent Care
- Contact an OBGYN
- Contact a primary care physician
You can also search for HIV and STI testing at a location near you through the CDC’s Get Tested page.
Talking With Your Doctor About STIs
Communication is important for your sexual health, so it is best to be honest with your medical provider. Asking questions and clarifying anything you don’t understand are also good practices.
Below are some questions that your doctor may ask you if you are requesting STI testing:
- Do you have any symptoms?
- What symptoms brought you in today? How long have you had these symptoms?
- Who are you sexually active with?/Are you sexually active with men, women or both?
- How many sexual partners do you currently have?
- How many sexual partners have you had in the past year? In the past two months?
- When was your most recent sexual encounter?
- How long have you been with your current partner(s)?
- What do you do to protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
- What do you do to prevent pregnancy? (if applicable)
- Have you ever injected yourself with drugs?
- Have you ever had sex with someone who has injected drugs?
- Has a doctor or nurse ever told you that you have chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis or HIV?
- Have you ever been treated for a genital discharge, genital sores, painful urination or an infection of your sex organs?
Below are some questions that you can ask your doctor if you test positive for an STI:
- What’s the medical name of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) I have?
- How is this STI transmitted?
- Is it possible to contract this STI again?
- Could I have contracted this STI from someone I had sex with only once?
- Could I give this STI to someone by having sex with that person only once?
- How long have I had this STI?
- Should I not be sexually active while I’m being treated?
- How do I let any potentially affected current and past partners know about this STI?
- Do any of my current and/or past partners need to go to a doctor to be treated?
- I have other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Will this STI prevent me from having children?
- If I get pregnant, could I give it to my baby?
If you have symptoms of or exposure to STI or desire testing not listed above, please call Deacon Health at 336.758.5218 to make an appointment.