Does a throat swab hurt?

It is a few seconds of gagging at most. Far less unpleasant than an untreated pharyngeal infection that you pass to someone else.

Can I collect the swabs myself?

Vaginal and rectal swabs are routinely self-collected and perform as well as clinician-collected ones. We will show you how.

If I test one site, is that enough?

Only if that was your only site of exposure. Otherwise a single-site negative is a partial answer being read as a complete one.

How much more does adding sites cost?

Adding sites is modest — and far cheaper than a missed infection. We do not publish prices online; text us and we will tell you exactly what your situation requires.

Which Site Needs to Be Swabbed — Urine, Throat, Rectal, or a Lesion?

Medically reviewed by our MD Laboratory Director (a role required by CLIA; the director's name is on file in the CMS CLIA database, #45D2048957, and can be verified independently) · Editorial policy

Molecular fluorescence imaging — Auspicious Laboratory, Houston

Test the site of exposure. Urine does not speak for the throat or the rectum.CLIA #45D2048957 · CAP #8722734 · Same-day results · Walk-ins welcome

Chlamydia and gonorrhea live where they were deposited. If exposure was oral, the infection can sit in the pharynx; if anal, in the rectum — and a urine sample will read negative while both are positive. Extragenital infections are usually asymptomatic, which is what makes them so easy to miss and so easy to pass on.

Not sure what you need? Text us and we will set it up.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808

3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome

Match the sample to what actually happened

Exposure	What to collect	Why
Vaginal / penile sex	Urine, or vaginal/cervical swab	Standard genital NAAT
Receptive oral sex	+ Throat (pharyngeal) swab	Pharyngeal gonorrhea is common and nearly always silent
Receptive anal sex	+ Rectal swab	Rectal chlamydia is missed entirely by a urine test
Visible sore or blister	Lesion swab for HSV PCR	Swab it while it is fresh — see lesion PCR vs. antibody
Possible HIV / syphilis exposure	Blood draw	Serology and 4th-generation antigen/antibody

CDC recommends screening at every site of exposure. In practice, most walk-in clinics collect urine only — and then tell the patient they are clear.

Our video on testing the throat after oral sex explains why a urine sample alone cannot rule out an infection there.

You do not have to explain anything you would rather not say out loud

Text us the sites you need and we will have the collection kits ready when you arrive. No one will ask you to narrate your sex life at a front desk. That is a deliberate design choice: sites get skipped mostly out of embarrassment, and skipped sites are missed infections.

Whichever sites you need, you can review our Houston STD panel and its sample types before you text us.

Same day, start to finish. Sample by 1:00 PM → results at 5:00 PM → if treatment is clinically appropriate, a licensed physician in our partner network sees you between 5:00 and 6:00 PM, a few minutes away. That window is reserved for patients tested here, and your slot is held the moment we take your sample — the slot is held, not hunted. On your own, a same-day appointment is nearly impossible; at an urgent care, you wait in the queue. STAT: ~2 hours, sample in by 3:00 PM.

The sample has to match where you were exposed. Watch: why the exposure site matters (1:39 video) →

FAQ

Does a throat swab hurt?: It is a few seconds of gagging at most. Far less unpleasant than an untreated pharyngeal infection that you pass to someone else.
Can I collect the swabs myself?: Vaginal and rectal swabs are routinely self-collected and perform as well as clinician-collected ones. We will show you how.
If I test one site, is that enough?: Only if that was your only site of exposure. Otherwise a single-site negative is a partial answer being read as a complete one.
How much more does adding sites cost?: Adding sites is modest — and far cheaper than a missed infection. We do not publish prices online; text us and we will tell you exactly what your situation requires.

Not sure what you need? Text us and we will set it up.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808

3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome

References

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