STD Preventive Service Coverage Tables

For Health Care Providers

At a glance

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes several provisions aimed at improving coverage of, and access to, certain STD preventive health services. These services and the health insurance plans that cover them without cost-sharing are summarized here in these Preventive Services Coverage Tables.

An STD doctor advises a male patient.

Chlamydia testing

Recommending Authority Eligible Populations and Service Specifics Plans That Cover Without Cost-Sharing
USPSTF (Grade “B”, September 2021) Screen the following groups for chlamydia:
  • Sexually active women (including pregnant women) age 24 years and younger
  • Sexually active older women (including pregnant women) who are at increased risk for chlamydia infection1
(See Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: Screening  for additional information.)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicare

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans*
Bright Futures/AAP Recommendations for Pediatric Preventive Health Care (December 2024) Adolescents should be screened for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) per recommendations in the current edition of the AAP Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases)2

(See Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care for additional information.)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans

* Optional for adults, depending on state policy; however, preventive services for children are often covered as part of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for children.

Syphilis testing

Recommending Authority Eligible Populations and Service Specifics Plans That Cover Without Cost-Sharing
USPSTF (Grade “A”; September 2022) Screen asymptomatic nonpregnant adolescents and adults at increased risk for syphilis infection.3

(See Syphilis Infection in Nonpregnant Adolescents and Adults: Screening for additional information)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicare

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans*
USPSTF (Grade “A”, September 2025)

Early, universal screening for syphilis infection during pregnancy.4

(See Syphilis Infection in Pregnant Women: Screening for additional information)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicare

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans*
Bright Futures/AAP Recommendations for Pediatric Preventive Health Care (December 2024) Adolescents should be screened for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) per recommendations in the current edition of the AAP Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 2

(See Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care for additional information.)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans

* Optional for adults, depending on state policy; however, preventive services for children are often covered as part of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for children.

Gonorrhea testing

Recommending Authority Eligible Populations and Service Specifics Plans That Cover Without Cost-Sharing
USPSTF (Grade “B”; September 2021) Screen the following groups for gonorrhea:
  • Sexually active women (including pregnant women) age 24 years and younger;
  • Sexually active women 25 years and older (including pregnant women) who are at increased risk for chlamydia infection1
(See Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: Screening for additional information.)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicare

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans*
Bright Futures/AAP Recommendations for Pediatric Preventive Health Care (December 2025) Adolescents should be screened for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) per recommendations in the current edition of the AAP Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases.2

(See Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care for additional information.)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans

* Optional for adults, depending on state policy; however, preventive services for children are often covered as part of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for children.

Ocular prophylaxis for gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum

Recommending Authority Eligible Populations and Service Specifics Plans That Cover Without Cost-Sharing
USPSTF (Grade “A”; January 2019) Provide prophylactic ocular topical medication to all newborns for the prevention of gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum.5

(See Ocular Prophylaxis for Gonococcal Ophthalmia Neonatorum: Preventive Medication for additional information.)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans*

* Optional for adults, depending on state policy; however, preventive services for children are often covered as part of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for children.

Cervical cancer/human papillomavirus (HPV): testing

Recommending Authority Eligible Populations and Service Specifics Plans That Cover Without Cost-Sharing
Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines (May 2025) Screen average-risk women aged 21 to 65 years.
  • Women aged 21 to 29 years, cervical cancer screening using cervical cytology (Pap test) every 3 years.
  • Women aged 30 to 65 years should be screened with primary hrHPV testing every 5 years (preferred) or cytology and hrHPV testing (co-testing) every 5 years. If hrHPV testing is not available, continue screening with cytology alone every 3 years.6
(See Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines for additional information.)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicaid expansion plans
USPSTF (Grade “A”; August 2018)
  • Women aged 21 to 29 years: screen for cervical cancer every 3 years with cervical cytology alone.
  • Women aged 30 to 65 years screen every 3 years with cervical cytology alone, every 5 years with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing alone, or every 5 years with hrHPV testing in combination with cytology (cotesting).7
(See Cervical Cancer: Screening for additional information)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicare

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans*

* Optional for adults, depending on state policy; however, preventive services for children are often covered as part of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for children.

Human papillomavirus: vaccination

Recommending Authority Eligible Populations and Service Specifics Plans That Cover Without Cost-Sharing
ACIP (August 2019) Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) is routinely recommended at age 11 or 12 years.
  • For persons initiating vaccination before their 15th birthday, the recommended immunization schedule is 2 doses of HPV vaccine.
  • For persons initiating vaccination on or after their 15th birthday, or for persons with certain immunocompromising conditions, the recommended immunization schedule is 3 doses of HPV vaccine.8
(See Human Papillomavirus Vaccination for Adults: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for additional details)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans*

* Optional for adults, depending on state policy; however, preventive services for children are often covered as part of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for children.

Sexually transmitted infection and HIV prevention counseling

Recommending Authority Eligible Populations and Service Specifics Plans That Cover Without Cost-Sharing
USPSTF (Grade “B”; August 2020) Provide behavioral counseling for all sexually active adolescents and for adults who are at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).9

(See Sexually Transmitted Infections: Behavioral Counseling for a discussion of risk factors.)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicare

Medicaid expansion plans

Traditional Medicaid plans*
Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines (November 2021) Behavioral counseling by a health care clinician or other appropriately trained individual for sexually active adolescent and adult women at an increased risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).6

(See Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines for additional information.)

Non-grandfathered private health insurance plans

Medicaid expansion plans

* Optional for adults, depending on state policy; however, preventive services for children are often covered as part of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for children.

Preventive services coverage

Review provision summaries by market segment.

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National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention
About This Page
Published: May 15, 2024
Updated: August 14, 2026

This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.

Reviewed: August 14, 2026

The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.

  1. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: Screening; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. September 2021.
  2. Bright Futures/AAP Recommendations for Pediatric Preventive Health Care; American Academy of Pediatrics. December 2024.
  3. Syphilis Infection in Nonpregnant Adults and Adolescents: Screening; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. September 2022.
  4. Syphilis Infection in Pregnant Women: Screening; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. May 2025.
  5. Ocular Prophylaxis for Gonococcal Ophthalmia Neonatorum: Preventive Medication; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. January 2019.
  6. Women's Preventive Services Guidelines; Health Resources and Services Administration. November 2021.
  7. Cervical Cancer: Screening; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. August 2018.
  8. Human Papillomavirus Vaccination for Adults: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR 2019; 68(32);698–702.
  9. Sexually Transmitted Infections: Behavioral Counseling; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. September 2020.