Free STD Testing Near You in Minneapolis, MN

Spend your free time engaged in activities you enjoy, like taking in the beauty of Minnehaha Park, rather than waiting and worrying about your STD status. When you choose STDtest.com, same-day testing is available, with results available usually within three business days or less. If you’re concerned about discretion, the name of our service will never appear in your email inbox or on your billing statement. If embarrassment is a barrier to STD testing for you, our confidential service should encourage you to get the results you need. While privacy of our patience is a top concern, this is not an anonymous service.

Statewide, the cases of chlamydia have tripled in the last two decades, and rates continue to climb. 2015 reports show rate of 528 cases per 100,000, up from 500/100,000 in 2014. Another STD on the rise in Minneapolis and the Hennepin County area is gonorrhea, which saw a jump in case rate from 130 cases per 100,000 people in 2012 to compared to 165/100,000 in 2013. One infection with rates that look to be stabilizing are new infections of HIV, which has hovered around the 300 number mark for the past several years statewide, according to reports from the Minnesota Department of Health. In Hennepin County, numbers of new infections are slowly trending downward. ^2-5

Over the past two decades, the state of Minnesota has seen a marked rise in the number and rate of STD infections, with a large number affecting the Twin Cities 7-county metro area. Hennepin County and Minneapolis account for a large percentage of all the STIs reported in the state, according to reports published by the Minnesota Department of Health. The Minneapolis and greater Hennepin County area accounts for 32% of all HIV cases, 19% of all chlamydia cases, 35% of all gonorrhea cases and 51% of all primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis cases reported in the state of Minnesota in 2014. ^2-6

One in eight P&S syphilis cases are reported by residents of Hennepin County, with 29 cases total in the area. This STD sees the fewest reported numbers in the state, aligning with national trends. Syphilis is diagnosed less frequently than other sexually transmitted infections, and left untreated, can lead to the development of ocular or neurosyphilis, two severe conditions.⁷

The most commonly reported STD in Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota is chlamydia, with 2014 reported numbers of 3,328 cases and a rate of 999 cases per 100,000 people. Following chlamydia as the next most frequently reported disease is gonorrhea, with 1,442 cases reported in 2014. Regarding HIV, the Minneapolis area reported 97 new infections in 2014. ^2-8

State law in Minnesota mandates for all public schools to administer sexual education curriculum that focuses on preventing and reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, per Minnesota Statute 121A.23. The curriculum entails medically accurate, age-appropriate instruction on a variety of topics including HPV, HIV, abstinence as a birth control and STD preventive option, and more. If a public school district fails to develop curriculum with an aim to prevent and reduce the risk of STDs, the Minnesota Department of Education is obliged to intervene and assist.⁹

This progressive stance toward preventive sexual education helps students to form the connection between risky behavior and its results, be it STDs or teen pregnancy. This link between cause and effect is established to help adolescents, a group disproportionately affected by STDs in Minneapolis and around the country, know the risk factors. Getting tested doesn’t need to be a taboo topic. Many STDs present without any symptoms at all, which makes it even easier for these infections to spread. Getting tested, especially in the 15-24 age demographic, is key to keeping the local community’s sexual health on track.

The demographic distribution of sexually transmitted diseases in Minneapolis shows disproportion in both the minority population and in the 15-24 demographic. In the case of chlamydia infections, in Minnesota, the number of women affected since 1996 has tripled and the number of men has quadrupled. In the state, the African American population in 9 times more likely to test positive than the caucasian population for this condition. Of the 3,283 cases reported in Minneapolis in 2014, 2,278 were reported by women, compared to 1,538 reported by men. ^2&3

From 2004-2014, the rate of gonorrhea infections in males decreased by about 76%. One demographic group that saw a marked rise of this infection were American Indians, whose occurrence rate increased 64% in 2014. Of the 1,442 cases reported in the Minneapolis area in 2014, 924 were reported by men and 509 were reported by women. The state of Minnesota reports that African Americans account for 37% of all infections with an infection rate of 556 per 100,000 people. Regarding P&S syphilis, this STD has seen an 860% increase in Minnesota over the past decade. Men account for a large number of infections. Of the 130 cases reported in Minneapolis, 119 were reported by men. ^{2, 4&5}

The impact of HIV for the gay community is apparent in Minnesota and Minneapolis. According reports from Hennepin County, 78 out of 157 cases were contracted by the MSM community. Of those 157 cases, 68 were reported in Caucasians and 59 reported in African Americans, however, African Americans accounted for a rate of infection at 37/100,000 compared to the Caucasian rate of 8/100,000.

Getting tested in Minneapolis and the greater Hennepin County area should be simple, confidential and affordable. Setting up an appointment with your primary care physician weeks in advance or waiting in line at a clinic for a potentially undetermined amount of time can be time consuming. With STDtest.com, you have a different option for testing that is tailored to your schedule.

Get started by answering a few brief questions online to receive your doctor-recommended panel of STD tests. Next, you’ll select a testing option. You can choose the lab location most convenient for you, with same-day options available and no appointment required. If available in your area, you can can get tested at home, work or another convenient location with In-Home Collection that same day with only an hour’s notice. 

For both options, you’ll be notified of your results within three business days or less. Our medical team is available for to answer follow up questions, discuss your diagnosis and prescribe treatment if appropriate and allowed by state law. It’s simple, professional, affordable healthcare. Get tested. Your health is worth it.

References:
1 United States Census Bureau Quick Facts – Minneapolis and Hennepin County
2 2014 Minnesota Sexually Transmitted Disease Statistics Minnesota Department of Health
3 Chlamydia Rate (2014) – Hennepin County
4 Gonorrhea Rate (2014) – Hennepin County
5 HIV Rate (2014) – Hennepin County
6 Early Syphilis Rate (2014) – Hennepin County
7 Syphilis – CDC Fact Sheet
8 Minnesota Department of Health HIV Surveillance Report, 2014
9 121A.23 Programs to Prevent and Reduce the Risks of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Diseases