STD Program - Public Health

Phone: 206-296-4600 TTY Relay: 711

Click here to email us

Instructions to submit a Public Records Request

Instructions to report a concern

Your private health care provider.

Most private providers can provide testing for a fee. Health insurance may cover the costs. If you do not have health insurance, ask about fees first. If you are a teen, ask if an explanation of benefits detailing your HIV testing will be sent home to your parents.

Public Health STD Clinic at Harborview Medical CenterNinth and Jefferson Building908 Jefferson St, 11th Floor Seattle, WA Phone: 206-744-3590

The STD Clinic is open:

If you need to be seen later than 3:30 p.m. please talk to our staff to make sure we are still accepting patients for the day. Learn more.

Other Public Health clinics

The following Public Health Center Clinics offer HIV and other STD testing, including services for teens. These clinics accept all forms of insurance. All HIV and STD testing services are low or no cost, based on client's income.

Several community-based organizations provide HIV and STD testing.

Most of the following organizations offer both HIV and STD tests. Some offer incentives for testing. Click on the agency name in the left column for contact details. Days and times may change. Please call to confirm when testing is available.

* Testing provided by Gay City

The time it takes from infection to illness for each STD is different, from days to several weeks. Most STDs show no symptoms at all. Talk to a health care provider to find out what is right for you.

You can be exposed to STDs through skin contact (herpes, syphilis, HPV) or by exchanging body fluids like semen and vaginal fluid (chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, and possibly hepatitis C) or by fecal matter (hepatitis A). Condoms work very well at preventing most of these exposures. If you think you have STD symptoms, get tested right away. If someone you have had sex with recently told you they were infected or if someone from Public Health called you about your sex partner testing positive, get tested right away. A health care provider may treat you before test results are back if your partner already tested positive for an STD.

Exposure to HIV is only possible by exchange of body fluids like blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. No matter what kind of HIV test you get, there is a short period of time right after infection when the tests won't be able to detect signs of HIV, even if you are infected. This is called a "window period." If you get tested too soon (during the window period), your results may be wrong. How long you must wait depends on the type of test you take. Talk to your doctor.

NOTE: if you think you had an exposure to HIV, ask about PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis). Getting PEP within 72 hours of exposure can prevent HIV from establishing itself in your body.

For RNA or 4th generation antigen test:

These tests can usually detect HIV within 2 weeks after the infection. RNA/4th generation test are not available for in home use. It is important to see your doctor or health care provider as quickly as you can if you think you have been exposed to HIV. Starting treatment very soon after infection can help one’s health. If you think you may have been infected, get tested right away. This is particularly important if you think you have symptoms that might come from acute HIV (fever, fatigue, sore throat, muscle aching, rash).

For antibody testing in a clinic setting:

It's best to test three to four weeks after a possible exposure and again at three to six months.

For antibody testing using a home testing kit:

Home HIV test kits can give accurate results three months after infection. If a home test is positive, go to your doctor or a clinic right away for second test to confirm the result.

Getting tested has more benefits than not knowing if you have HIV or an STD. It is a part of routine health care if you are sexually active.

Benefits for your partner:

This fact sheet is formatted to be printed as a two sided flyer in color or black and white on letter size paper (8½" x 11"). It is available in Adobe PDF format in these languages:

For all STDs, there is treatment. For most STDs, there is a cure.

Some STDs like syphilis and chlamydia are easily cured with treatment. Some STDs like HPV may clear on their own. Others like herpes and HIV can be chronic and ongoing and require regular medical treatment.

HIV treatment and emotions around a diagnosis of HIV can be more complex than other STDs. It's a good idea to think ahead about getting your results. Do you think you'll need extra support? If so, arrange to call a friend, partner, or family member after you get your results. That person might be willing to go with you to your appointment.

If you do test positive, here are some tips on what to do next:

Primary Focus of the Provider

• Substance Abuse Treatment Services
• Mental Health Treatment Services
• Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• General health services

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Type of Care

• Mental health treatment
• Substance abuse treatment
• Detoxification
• Methadone maintenance
• Methadone maintenance for predetermined time
• Methadone detoxification
• Buprenorphine maintenance
• Buprenorphine maintenance for predetermined time
• Buprenorphine detoxification
• Relapse prevention from naltrxone
• Buprenorphine used in treatment
• Naltrexone (oral)
• Vivitrol (injectable Naltrexone)
• Methadone
• Transitional housing or halfway house
• Do not treat opiod addiction
• Use methadone/buprenorphoine for pain management or emergency dosing
• Do not use medication for opioid addiction
• Accepts clients on opioid medication
• Prescribes/administer buprenorphine and/or naltrexone
• All Clients in Opioid Treatment Program
• SAMHSA-certified Opioid Treatment Program

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Facility Type

• Psychiatric hospital or psychiatric unit of a general hospital
• Residential treatment center (RTC) for children
• Residential treatment center (RTC) for adults
• Other residential treatment facility
• Partial hospitalization/day treatment
• Outpatient mental health facility
• Community mental health center
• Multi-setting mental health facility (e.g., residential plus outpatient)

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Treatment Approaches

• Individual psychotherapy
• Couples/family therapy
• Group therapy
• Cognitive/behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavioral therapy
• Behavior modification
• Integrated dual disorders treatment
• Trauma therapy
• Activity therapy
• Electroconvulsive therapy
• Psychotropic medication
• Telemedicine therapy
• Substance abuse counseling approach
• Trauma-related counseling
• Rational emotive behavioral therapy

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Facility Smoking Policy

• Smoking not permitted
• Smoking permitted in designated area
• Smoking permitted without restriction

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Service Setting (e.g., Outpatient, Residential, etc.)

• Hospital inpatient
• Residential
• Partial hospitalization/day treatment
• Outpatient
• Short-term residential
• Long-term residential
• Residential detoxification
• Outpatient detoxification
• Outpatient methadone/buprenorphine or vivitrol
• Outpatient day treatment or partial hospitalization
• Intensive outpatient treatment
• Regular outpatient treatment
• Hospital inpatient detoxification
• Hospital inpatient treatment
• Computerized treatment
• General Hospital(including VA hospital)
• Psychiatric hospital

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Facility Operation (e.g. Private, Public)

• Private organization
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• State mental health authority
• Other state government agency
• Regional/district or county, local or municipal government
• Tribal government
• Indian Health Service
• State Government
• Local, county, or community government
• Department of Defense
• State substance abuse agency
• State mental health department
• State department of health
• Hospital licensing authority
• The Joint Commission
• Commission on Accreditation and Rehabilitation
• National Committee for Quality Assurance
• Council on Accreditation
• Healthcare Facilitiues Accreditation Program
• Other national oraganization

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Payment/Insurance Accepted

• No payment accepted
• Cash or self-payment
• Medicaid
• Medicare
• State financed health insurance plan other than Medicaid
• Private health insurance
• Military insurance (e.g., TRICARE)
• IHS/Tribal/Urban (ITU) funds
• Access to recovery (ATR) voucher
• State mental health agency (or equivalent) funds
• State welfare or child and family services funds
• State corrections or juvenile justice funds
• State education funds
• Other State funds
• County or local government funds
• Community Service Block Grants
• Community Mental Health Block Grants
• U.S Department of VA funds
• Federal, or any government funding for substance abuse programs

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Emergency Mental Health Services

• Crisis intervention team
• Psychiatric emergency walk-in services

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Payment Assistance Available

• Sliding fee scale (fee is based on income and other factors)
• Payment assistance (check with facility for details)

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Language Services

• Services for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Spanish
• Native American Indian or Alaska Native languages
• Other languages(excluding Spanish)

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Special Programs/Groups Offered

• Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) clients
• Veterans
• Active duty military
• Military families
• Clients referred from the court/judicial system
• Seniors or older adults
• Adolescents
• Pregnant/postpartum women
• Adult women
• Adult men
• Persons with HIV or AIDS
• Persons who have experienced trauma
• Persons who have experienced sexual abuse
• Persons who have experienced intimate partner violence, domestic violence
• Children with serious emotional disturbance (SED)
• Persons with serious mental illness (SMI)
• Persons with Alzheimer's or dementia
• Persons with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Transitional age young adults
• Persons with eating disorders

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Ancillary Services

• Assertive community treatment
• Intensive case management
• Case management
• Chronic disease/illness management
• Consumer-run (peer-support) services
• Court-ordered outpatient treatment
• Diet and exercise counseling
• Education services
• Family psychoeducation
• Housing services
• Illness management and recovery
• Integrated primary care service
• Legal advocacy
• Nicotine replacement therapy
• Non-nicotine smoking/tobacco cessation medications
• Psychosocial rehabilitation services
• Screening for tobacco use
• Suicide prevention services
• Supported employment
• Supported housing
• Therapeutic foster care
• Smoking/tobacco cessation counselling
• Vocational rehabilitation services
• Alcohol Detoxification
• Benzodiazepines Detoxification
• Cocaine Detoxification
• Methamphetamines Detoxification
• Opiods Detoxification
• Treatment for gambling disorder
• Treatment for internet use disorder
• Individual counseling offered
• Group counseling offered
• Family counseling offered
• Marital/couples counseling offered
• 12-step faciltitation approach
• Brief intervention approach
• Contingency management/motivational incentive
• Motivational interviewing
• Anger management
• Martix Model
• Community reinforcement plus vouchers
• Relapse prevention
• Residential beds for clients children

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Age Groups Accepted

• Children/adolescents
• Young adults
• Adults
• Seniors (65 or older)

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Gender Accepted

• Female
• Male

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Exclusive Services

• Methadone and buprenorphine clients only
• Methadone clients only
• DUI/DWI clients
• Serve only DWI clients

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