What is in a full STD panel?

There is no standard full panel. 'Full panel' is a phrase used by labs, clinics and home-kit sellers, and each decides what it includes, so two 'full' panels can test for different things. CDC's advice is to ask your healthcare provider to test you, and it says asking is the only way to know if you are receiving the right tests (CDC, How to Prevent STIs, 2024).

What a routine check usually includes: chlamydia and gonorrhoea, tested with a urine sample or a vaginal swab, and HIV and syphilis, tested with a blood sample, with hepatitis B and C sometimes added (Brook, Getting tested for STIs). CDC's general guidance says everyone aged 13 to 64 should be tested for HIV at least once, and most sexually active adults should be tested for syphilis based on where they live (CDC, Getting Tested for STIs, 2026). Its clinical screening guidance recommends hepatitis C screening for all adults over 18 except where infection is very rare, and hepatitis B testing for women who have had more than one partner in the previous six months and for men at increased risk (CDC STI Treatment Guidelines, screening recommendations).

What is often left out: the sites you did not mention, and infections with no routine test. A urine sample checks the genitals only, so if you have had oral or anal sex, CDC says to talk with your provider about throat and rectal testing (CDC, Getting Tested for STIs, 2026). Herpes blood tests are not recommended for the general population, although CDC's clinical guidance says they can be considered for people with several partners who come in for an STI check, and a herpes blood test cannot tell you who you got it from or when (CDC, About Genital Herpes, 2024). There is no test for a person's HPV status; HPV tests are used for cervical cancer screening in women aged 30 and over (CDC, About Genital HPV Infection, 2025). CDC's clinical guidance also suggests considering trichomoniasis screening for women with multiple partners (CDC STI Treatment Guidelines, screening recommendations).

How to ask for the right tests: tell the clinician the kinds of sex you have had (oral, vaginal, anal) and roughly how many partners, then ask two questions: 'Which infections does this cover?' and 'Which sites are you testing?' If you have symptoms, say so, because a symptom check is different from a screen. Keep a note of the date and what was tested, since a result is a snapshot of that day, and share it with the partners who need it rather than with any app or platform.

Where to go and what it costs varies. CDC notes that many clinics offer confidential free or low-cost testing, and that FDA-approved self-collection kits exist for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea, with self-tests for some infections (CDC, Getting Tested for STIs, 2026). Commercial 'full panel' packages differ in what they include and cost; JoinTheSwing does not endorse any lab or kit. Whatever route you use, CDC advises talking your results through with a healthcare provider.

JoinTheSwing does not provide testing or verify anyone's sexual health, and identity verification confirms who someone is, not their health or consent. This is general information, not medical advice. For how often to test and how the lifestyle handles results, see the JoinTheSwing STD testing guide and the play-safe guide.