This is Part 3 of our five-part Sexual Health & STI Awareness Series. If you missed them, start with Part 1: STI Testing 101 and Part 2: The Most Common STIs in Brooklyn & NYC: Symptoms & Treatment.
You Feel Fine. Could You Still Have an STI?
The short answer: yes. And it is far more common than most New Yorkers realize.
According to the New York City Department of Health, the majority of sexually transmitted infections are asymptomatic, meaning most people who have an STI have no idea they are carrying one. They feel completely normal. There is no rash, no discharge, no burning, no pain. The infection is still there — it can still be passed to a partner, and it can still cause serious damage over time.
At AG Urgent Care, we test and treat thousands of patients a year across our Brooklyn and Queens locations, and STI/STD testing is consistently one of our highest-volume services. A large share of the positive results we deliver come from patients who walked in feeling perfectly healthy — they were testing because of a new partner, a routine checkup, a request from a doctor, or simply because they had not been screened in a while.
This post explains why so many STIs are silent, which ones to be most aware of, what untreated infection actually does to the body, and how to get tested confidentially at any AG Urgent Care location in Brooklyn or Queens.
How Often Are STIs Silent? The Numbers Are Striking
Most people picture STIs as obvious — visible sores, painful urination, unmistakable discharge. The reality is that the majority of infections produce no symptoms at all, especially in the early stages. The CDC and NYC Department of Health both emphasize that screening, not symptoms, is what catches most infections.
| Infection | How Often It’s Asymptomatic | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | Most infections are asymptomatic — up to 70% in women and roughly 50% in men | Untreated chlamydia is a leading preventable cause of infertility |
| Gonorrhea | A large share of cervical, rectal, and throat infections produce no symptoms | Can spread silently and progress to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) |
| HSV-2 (Genital Herpes) | About 81% of infections are unrecognized or asymptomatic | Most transmission happens between outbreaks, when no sores are visible |
| HPV | The vast majority of infections cause no signs or symptoms | High-risk strains can cause cervical, throat, and anal cancers years later |
| Syphilis | Early sores are often painless and easy to miss; later stages can be silent for years | Untreated syphilis can damage the heart, brain, and nervous system |
| HIV | Many people have no symptoms for years after infection | Early diagnosis and treatment are life-changing — and reduce transmission |
| Trichomoniasis | An estimated 70% of infections cause no noticeable symptoms | Easily curable with one course of antibiotics once detected |
Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) STI Treatment Guidelines; NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; New York State Department of Health.
Why Asymptomatic STIs Are So Common in NYC
New York City reports tens of thousands of STIs every year — and those are only the ones that get diagnosed. In 2024, the NYC Department of Health recorded 44,965 gonorrhea diagnoses alone, with neighborhoods including Williamsburg-Bushwick showing notably elevated rates. Chlamydia rates were even higher across most of Brooklyn and Queens. Because most of these infections cause no symptoms, the actual number of New Yorkers carrying an STI at any given time is significantly larger than what shows up in surveillance data.
A few factors make silent transmission especially common in dense urban areas like ours:
- Higher partner turnover in a young, single, mobile population means more opportunities for an asymptomatic carrier to pass an infection along.
- Gaps in routine screening. Without symptoms, people often skip testing entirely — even when guidelines recommend it.
- Healthcare access disparities. NYC DOH data shows STI rates roughly three times higher in very high-poverty neighborhoods compared to low-poverty ones, in part because screening is harder to access.
- Reinfection from untreated partners. A treated patient whose partners are not tested often gets reinfected within months.
In short, the absence of symptoms is not evidence of an absence of infection. It is one of the main reasons STIs continue to spread.
What Happens If a Silent STI Is Left Untreated?
This is the part of the conversation that rarely gets enough attention. People often assume that if an infection is not causing problems, it cannot be causing harm. With STIs, the opposite is frequently true: damage accumulates quietly, sometimes over years, before any signs appear.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), Infertility, and Ectopic Pregnancy
Roughly 10 to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea will develop pelvic inflammatory disease, according to the CDC. PID is one of the leading preventable causes of infertility in the United States. It can also cause chronic pelvic pain and life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, in which a fertilized egg implants in a fallopian tube instead of the uterus.
The cruel part is that the same silent infection that caused the damage may never produce a single symptom until a woman tries to get pregnant years later.
HIV Risk Amplification
Untreated bacterial STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis cause inflammation that significantly increases the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV. NYC saw a 5.4% increase in new HIV diagnoses in 2024 and an estimated 17% increase in new infections. Routine STI testing is one of the most effective HIV prevention tools we have.
Cancer Risk from HPV
Most HPV infections clear on their own. Some do not — and high-risk HPV strains are responsible for nearly all cervical cancers and a growing share of throat and anal cancers. There are no symptoms in the early stages. Routine screening (Pap smears, HPV testing) is how these cancers are caught early.
Long-Term Damage from Syphilis
Syphilis often hides for years between its initial painless sore and its much more serious late stages, which can damage the heart, eyes, brain, and nervous system. Early detection through a simple blood test makes it completely curable; late detection does not undo the damage.
Pregnancy Complications
An undiagnosed STI during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm delivery, low birth weight, or transmission to the baby during delivery — including congenital syphilis, neonatal herpes, and HIV. This is why prenatal STI screening is standard, regardless of symptoms.
Who Should Get Tested — Even Without Symptoms?
The CDC and NYC DOH both recommend routine, symptom-free STI screening for several groups. If any of the following apply to you, screening is recommended even if you feel perfectly fine.
| If you are… | Recommended screening |
|---|---|
| A sexually active woman under 25 | Annual chlamydia and gonorrhea testing |
| A woman 25+ with new or multiple partners | Annual chlamydia and gonorrhea testing |
| A sexually active man who has sex with men | At least annual HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea testing (every 3–6 months if higher risk) |
| Pregnant | HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and chlamydia at the first prenatal visit; additional screening based on risk |
| Anyone aged 13–64 | HIV testing at least once in your life |
| Starting a new sexual relationship | Baseline STI panel for both partners |
| A past partner of someone who tested positive | Full STI panel, regardless of how long ago the contact was |
Not sure which of these applies to you? Walk in. Our providers will help you decide what tests make sense.
What Asymptomatic Testing Looks Like at AG Urgent Care
STI testing is one of the most-requested services across our Brooklyn and Queens clinics, and we have designed it to be fast, discreet, and accessible — no appointment required.
- Walk in any day of the week. No referral needed. You can also check in online to save time.
- Confidential conversation with a provider. We will ask a few questions about your sexual history so we can recommend the right panel — not more tests than you need, and not fewer.
- Simple sample collection. Most testing is done through a urine sample, blood draw, or a quick swab. There is no exam required for most patients.
- Results within days. We contact you discreetly with results. If anything is positive, we walk you through treatment options the same day in most cases.
- On-site treatment. For curable STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and early syphilis, we can prescribe or administer treatment at the visit.
- Partner notification support. We can guide you through how (and whether) to tell partners, and in some cases provide expedited partner therapy.
Visit us at any AG Urgent Care location in Bushwick, Flatbush Junction, Brownsville, Jamaica, or Canarsie. Most insurance is accepted, and self-pay options are available for patients without coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I don’t have symptoms, do I really need to get tested?
Yes — especially if any of the screening categories above apply to you. The majority of STIs are asymptomatic, and the only way to know your status is to test.
How often should I get tested?
For most sexually active adults, once a year is a reasonable baseline. People with new partners, multiple partners, or higher-risk exposures should test more often — every 3 to 6 months.
Will my test results be confidential?
Yes. STI testing at AG Urgent Care is fully confidential and protected by HIPAA. Results are shared only with you (or your designated provider).
What does testing cost?
If you have insurance, routine STI screening is generally covered. For self-pay patients, we offer transparent pricing — ask at check-in or call any clinic for current rates.
How long after a possible exposure should I wait to test?
Window periods vary by infection. Chlamydia and gonorrhea can usually be detected within 1–2 weeks, syphilis within 3–6 weeks, and HIV with a modern 4th-generation test within 2–4 weeks. If you are not sure when to come in, walk in anyway — we will help you decide whether to test now, retest later, or both.
Coming Up in Part 4
In Part 4 of this series, we will cover HIV in NYC: PrEP, PEP, and Modern Prevention — including how Brooklyn and Queens residents can access PrEP at AG Urgent Care and what to do in the 72 hours after a potential exposure.
And in case you missed them, here are the earlier posts in the series:
- Part 1: STI Testing 101 — What to Expect and Why It Matters
- Part 2: The Most Common STIs in Brooklyn & NYC — Symptoms & Treatment
Don’t Wait for a Symptom That May Never Come
Most STIs do not announce themselves. They quietly affect fertility, raise cancer risk, increase HIV risk, and pass between partners — all without a single warning sign. Routine testing is the only way to catch them early, and it is one of the simplest things you can do for your long-term health and the health of the people you care about.
Stop in at any AG Urgent Care location in Brooklyn or Queens, or check in online to reserve your spot. No appointment is needed, and you will be seen by a board-certified provider the same day.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare provider. If you believe you may have been exposed to an STI or are experiencing any concerning symptoms, please visit an AG Urgent Care location or speak with your primary care provider. In a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.