Who This Helps: Any New Yorker age 12 or older who needs STI or HIV testing, treatment, or HIV-prevention medication (PrEP) — regardless of insurance or immigration status. Especially useful for students, young professionals, the uninsured, and anyone who wants confidential, low-cost sexual health care.
One of the most useful — and least talked about — health resources in New York City is its network of public Sexual Health Clinics. They offer testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, at little or no cost, and you do not need insurance or a particular immigration status to be seen. Here’s exactly how they work and how to use one.
What NYC Sexual Health Clinics Offer
NYC Sexual Health Clinics, run by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, provide low- to no-cost services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. According to the Health Department, anyone who is 12 or older can receive services at any clinic, regardless of immigration status.
Services generally include:
- Testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV
- Treatment for many STIs
- HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) — a safe, effective medicine that prevents HIV — including counseling on how to start it
- Other sexual and reproductive health services
The Fast Option: Sexual Health Express
If you have no symptoms and just want to get tested quickly, the city offers Sexual Health Express service at certain clinics. Per the Health Department, patients who do not have symptoms can get tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV without having to see a nurse or doctor — which makes the visit much faster. Express service provides rapid testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea and rapid HIV results in minutes, with syphilis and additional HIV results available about 10 days after your visit.
The Chelsea and Fort Greene Sexual Health Express clinics are typically open Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Because hours and walk-in availability can change, confirm before you go.
How to Take Action
Here’s how to find a clinic and get seen:
- Find a clinic and check hours: visit the official NYC Sexual Health Clinics page, which lists clinic locations across the boroughs and current hours.
- Call the hotline: the NYC Sexual Health Clinic hotline is 347-396-7959 for questions, locations, and guidance on walk-in versus appointment service.
- Interested in PrEP? PrEP initiation and counseling is available at the clinics; the Health Department notes appointments are preferred for PrEP, so call ahead.
- Bring an ID if you have one, but a lack of ID or insurance should not stop you from being seen.
Why This Matters
Cost, immigration fears, and not knowing where to go are the three biggest reasons people skip sexual health care. NYC Sexual Health Clinics were built specifically to remove all three barriers: services are low- or no-cost, immigration status doesn’t matter, and the express option means you can often be in and out quickly. Routine testing is one of the simplest things you can do to protect both your own health and your partners’.
If you are HIV-negative and want to stay that way, ask about PrEP. If you think you may have been exposed to HIV very recently, time matters — call the hotline or go to a clinic or emergency room right away to ask about post-exposure prevention.
This article provides general health information and is not medical advice. Contact a healthcare provider or a NYC Sexual Health Clinic for advice and care specific to your situation.
Quick Resource Recap
- Who can be seen: anyone 12+, any immigration status, with or without insurance.
- Cost: low to no cost.
- Services: STI and HIV testing and treatment, PrEP counseling and initiation.
- Fast track: Sexual Health Express for people with no symptoms — no need to see a nurse or doctor.
- Find a clinic: nyc.gov/health (Sexual Health Clinics page).
- Hotline: 347-396-7959.
The Bottom Line
New York City quietly runs one of the most accessible sexual health systems in the country. Whether you need a fast, no-symptom screening, treatment, or HIV-prevention medication, a NYC Sexual Health Clinic will see you regardless of your insurance or immigration status. Save the hotline — 347-396-7959 — and check the clinic page before your visit.
