This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

Getting a gonorrhea test in Boston is a short visit with a few practical choices. You pick a clinic, book or walk in, give a sample, and wait for results.

This guide walks through those steps in order. It is built around one question: which Boston clinic fits your schedule, your insurance situation and your comfort level.

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection. The CDC says it is curable with treatment prescribed by a clinician. The test is what tells you and a clinician where things stand.

Why Boston residents get tested

Many gonorrhea infections cause no symptoms, so testing is the only way to find out. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend yearly screening for sexually active women under 25 and for older women with risk factors such as a new partner. The CDC also recommends at least yearly screening for men who have sex with men, with more frequent screening for people at higher risk.

For local context, a March 2024 Boston 25 News report republishing CDC county data put Suffolk County's 2021 gonorrhea rate at 298.0 per 100,000 people, or 2,298 cases. Suffolk County is larger than the city, so this is not a Boston-only figure. It does show that testing is routine here.

What you need before you go

You do not need much. Here is a short checklist.

Your insurance card, if you have one. Fenway Health says it bills insurance when you have it. Several other clinics list free or sliding-scale options, so ask before you assume a cost.
A phone. Some clinics book by phone, and results may come by phone or portal.
A list of where you may have been exposed. Genital, throat and rectal sites can each be tested. Knowing which sites apply helps the clinician choose the right samples.
A few questions written down. Costs, result timing and what happens if a test is positive are all fair to ask.
About an hour. Clinic hours vary, and some are first-come, first-served.

The sources for this article do not list ID requirements at any of the clinics below. Ask when you call.

Step 1: Decide which kind of clinic suits you

Boston has several options, and they differ in how you get in the door. Think about three things first: whether you want to walk in or book, whether cost is a concern, and whether you want a setting built around a specific community.

If you want to walk in

Fenway Health's Sexual Health Clinic at 1340 Boylston Street, 4th floor, takes walk-ins on a first-come, first-served basis. Its page lists Tuesday 1 to 7 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 3 to 7 p.m., and Friday 9 a.m. to noon. Monday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. is by appointment only. Check-in closes 30 minutes before the end time. The clinic phone is 617-267-0159.

Fenway's page describes the clinic as open to gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, transgender and gender diverse people, and their partners.

TrueCare@MAC, run by the Multicultural AIDS Coalition at 9 Palmer Street in Roxbury, lists free testing, and an appointment is optional. Its page lists testing hours of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday 12:30 to 6 p.m., and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 617-442-1622 to confirm.

The X-Clinic at Codman Square Health Center, 637 Washington Street in Dorchester, offers walk-in Express visits for people with no symptoms and no known exposure. It uses a sliding fee schedule and accepts all insurance. Codman's own pages list different schedules, so call 617-822-8350 before you go.

If you prefer to book ahead

The Boston STD Clinic at Boston Medical Center is at 725 Albany Street, 9th Floor, Suite 9C. The clinic page lists free routine testing for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and hepatitis C, with cost assistance for people without insurance. Appointments are made by phone at 617-414-2803 or through MyChart for established patients. The page does not say whether walk-ins are accepted.

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Greater Boston Health Center, is at 1055 Commonwealth Avenue. The CDC GetTested directory lists it as appointment-only with a sliding scale. The number is 617-295-7235.

DotHouse Health, at 1353 Dorchester Avenue, is listed in the same directory with sliding-scale fees and Spanish and Portuguese services. The number is 617-288-3230. The directory lists appointments as required, while Codman's resource list mentions walk-in testing through urgent care. Call and ask which applies.

The Boston Public Health Commission also appears in the CDC GetTested directory at 774 Albany Street, with free testing listed. The directory does not list hours or confirm walk-ins. The listed number is 617-534-3976.

Step 2: Confirm the details by phone

Hours and policies change. Before you travel, call and ask these questions:

Do you test for gonorrhea at all three sites (urine or genital, throat, rectum) if I need that?
Is the visit free, or what will my cost be with or without insurance?
Do I need an appointment, or can I walk in today?
How and when will I get results?

If you are unsure where to start, the City of Boston's Mayor's Health Line at 617-534-5050 offers free, confidential, multilingual health information and referrals. The Boston Public Health Commission's Infectious Disease Bureau is at 617-534-5395.

For a side-by-side look at costs across the city, see our guide to STD testing in Boston and what it costs. You can also browse the local testing list.

Step 3: Go to your visit

A gonorrhea test is usually quick. A clinician or staff member will ask about your symptoms, if any, and about sexual contact so they can choose the right samples.

According to the CDC, testing can use a urine sample, a swab of the throat or rectum, or a swab from the vagina or cervix. Many people can collect a swab themselves in a private room. Staff can explain how if you are unsure.

Many clinics test for other infections at the same visit. Fenway Health lists HIV, hepatitis C, PrEP and PEP services alongside STI testing. The BMC clinic page lists the same set of routine tests as above. Ask what is included so you know what you are consenting to.

Step 4: Wait for results

Timing depends on the clinic. Fenway Health's page says results take 3 to 5 business days. For other clinics, ask when you check in.

Ask how you will be contacted and whether you should call if you have not heard back by a certain day. Not hearing anything is not the same as a negative result.

What the results may show

A negative result may mean no gonorrhea bacteria were found in the samples tested. It does not rule out an exposure that happened very recently, or a site that was not sampled. A clinician can tell you when a repeat test would be useful.

A positive result means the test found gonorrhea bacteria. The CDC says gonorrhea is curable with the right antibiotic treatment, which a clinician chooses and prescribes. A positive result is common and medical, not a judgment about you.

The clinic will likely talk with you about telling recent partners so they can be tested too. In Massachusetts, state law on expedited partner therapy is written around chlamydia, according to the CDC, so ask your clinician what applies to gonorrhea and your partners.

The CDC also advises that people who have been treated for gonorrhea get retested about three months later, because repeat infection is common. Your clinician will say what makes sense for you.

Tips and common mistakes to avoid

Assuming no symptoms means no test. The CDC notes many gonorrhea infections cause no symptoms. A clinician can talk with you about whether and when testing makes sense.
Testing only one site. A urine test does not check the throat or rectum. If those sites could be involved, say so.
Skipping the phone call. Codman's pages list conflicting hours, and the BMC page is not fully clear about Tuesday hours. A two-minute call can save a trip.
Arriving late to a walk-in clinic. Fenway closes check-in 30 minutes before the end of its walk-in hours.
Using an outdated address. One Codman page lists an older Multicultural AIDS Coalition address. Use 9 Palmer Street in Roxbury.
Stopping after a negative result. A negative result reflects one point in time. Ask about a recheck if you have a new exposure.
Not asking about cost. Fenway says patients without insurance can be seen free through grant funding. Codman offers a sliding fee. The BPHC page does not list a price for every service, so ask directly.

If you are under 18

Massachusetts General Laws chapter 112, section 12F lets a minor who reasonably believes they are at risk of exposure through sexual activity consent to care to diagnose or treat the infection without a parent's consent. The City of Boston's Getting Tested page tells people 13 or older they can get a confidential STI test without parental permission. Codman also says teen testing is confidential.

The law has limits. Under section 12F, a provider must tell a parent or guardian if the minor's life or limb is seriously endangered.

Quick comparison

Clinic	How you get in	Cost listed
Fenway Health Sexual Health Clinic	Walk-in on set days; Monday by appointment	Bills insurance; free for uninsured through grant funding
TrueCare@MAC	Appointment optional	Free
X-Clinic at Codman Square	Walk-in Express visits; appointments and telehealth	Sliding scale
Boston STD Clinic (BMC)	Appointment by phone or MyChart	Free routine testing listed; assistance for the uninsured
Planned Parenthood, Greater Boston	Appointment required (CDC directory)	Sliding scale
DotHouse Health	Call to confirm	Sliding scale

The short version

Pick the clinic whose access style fits your week. Call to confirm hours and cost. Tell staff which body sites to test. Ask when and how you will hear back.

If a result is positive, treatment from a clinician cures gonorrhea. If it is negative, ask when a recheck would make sense for your situation.

Gonorrhea Testing Near You in Boston: Where to Go