What Does a "Full STD Panel" Actually Test For?
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
A 12-marker molecular panel. Ten PCR targets plus HIV antibody and p24 antigen.CLIA #45D2048957 · CAP #8722734 · Same-day results · Walk-ins welcome
A full panel at Auspicious Laboratory covers 12 targets: chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomonas, HSV-1, HSV-2, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and parvum, Gardnerella vaginalis, plus HIV 1&2 antibody with p24 antigen. Results the same day at 4:30 PM. The word "full" is doing a lot of work at most clinics — many so-called full panels are two tests, chlamydia and gonorrhea, on a urine sample.
Not sure what you need? Text us and we will set it up.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome
What is on the panel, and what sample does each target need?
| Target | Method | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia trachomatis | PCR (NAAT) | Urine · vaginal/cervical · throat · rectal swab |
| Neisseria gonorrhoeae | PCR (NAAT) | Urine · vaginal/cervical · throat · rectal swab |
| Treponema pallidum (syphilis) | Serology (two-step) | Blood |
| Trichomonas vaginalis | PCR | Urine · vaginal swab |
| HSV-1 / HSV-2 | PCR from a lesion | Lesion swab (best while the sore is fresh) |
| Mycoplasma genitalium | PCR | Urine · vaginal swab |
| M. hominis · Ureaplasma spp. · Gardnerella | PCR | Urine · vaginal swab |
| HIV 1 & 2 | 4th-generation antibody + p24 antigen | Blood |
A urine sample tells you nothing about your throat or your rectum. If exposure was oral or anal, chlamydia and gonorrhea at those sites are missed by a urine-only test — and they are frequently asymptomatic.
Why the extra organisms matter — and why they also mislead
Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma and Gardnerella are not on a basic clinic panel, which is exactly why they get missed in people with persistent symptoms after "everything came back negative." But detection is not the same as disease: these organisms are frequently part of normal flora. A positive is a data point for a physician, not an automatic prescription. See why a positive is not always a disease.
Same day, start to finish. Sample by 1:00 PM → results at 4:30 PM → if treatment is clinically appropriate, a licensed physician in our partner network sees you between 4:30 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.
FAQ
- Is this the same as the panel at an urgent care?
- Usually not. Most urgent-care panels are chlamydia and gonorrhea on urine, sent out to a reference lab, with results in two to five days. Ours is 12 targets, run in-house, with results the same day at 4:30 PM.
- Do I need to fast or prepare?
- No fasting. For a urine sample, try not to urinate for about one hour beforehand. Walk in Monday to Friday; no appointment and no insurance are required.
- Can I choose only some markers?
- Yes. Text us what happened and we will tell you which targets and which collection sites are actually indicated, so you are not paying for tests that cannot answer your question.
- Does a full panel include HPV?
- No. HPV screening is done through cervical cytology and HPV co-testing in a gynecology setting, not through this panel. We will tell you that rather than sell you something that does not exist.
Not sure what you need? Text us and we will set it up.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome