About 43% fewer HIV cases diagnosed in St. Tammany Parish than in the US overall, those in Abita Springs, Louisiana testing for STIs face options of clinics with insurance or sliding-scale fees, versus private labs that charge a flat self-pay price. Whether you need routine care or testing after a possible exposure, see our list below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Abita Springs, LA. The nearest, Ochsner Health Center, is about 0.6 miles away. Compare community and public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits below.
Listings tagged Community health center are federally funded health centers and rural clinics that treat everyone regardless of insurance or ability to pay: required to bill on a sliding fee scale and provide confidential care, and in many states minors may consent to their own STI testing. A Title X tag flags centers funded for confidential family-planning services; confirm current participation when you call.
Source: CMS FQHC & Rural Health Clinic enrollment files (data.cms.gov), refreshed quarterly. Title X status reflects the latest OPA grantee list.
Ochsner Health Center in Abita Springs tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, TB, and HIV, treating bacterial STIs the same visit, on a fee schedule that accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. Appointments are required, and Spanish-language care is available on-site.
Plenty of STI clinics cap their panel at gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. Leaving herpes and hepatitis as a separate errand. Ochsner Health Center in Abita Springs runs all of it in a single appointment, adding herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C to the standard four without routing any piece of the workup elsewhere.
Without Spanish-language capacity at the clinic itself, a patient navigating a reactive result or a treatment decision can lose critical details, and those gaps translate directly into delayed care or a medication not taken correctly. Ochsner Health Center in Abita Springs handles STI counseling and care in Spanish on-site, so nothing critical gets lost between the test and what happens next.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Start Community Health Center in Covington tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and TB on a sliding-scale fee open to all, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and appointments required, and care is delivered in Spanish.
Without a Spanish-speaking provider in the room, a patient often leaves with instructions they can't act on. Labs unread, treatment delayed, follow-up missed. At Start Community Health Center, clinical care itself is conducted in Spanish, so nothing essential gets lost between diagnosis and recovery.
Start Community Health Center prescribes both PrEP and PEP on-site, which means ongoing HIV prevention is managed within the same relationship as your STI testing. No separate infectious-disease appointment needed to get started or stay on it.
A hepatitis C diagnosis that requires a specialist referral can mean months of scheduling, cost, and uncertainty before treatment even starts, and active infection continues the entire time. Start Community Health Center treats hepatitis C on-site, closing that gap at the point of diagnosis.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Nov 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Lakeview Hospital LCMC Health in Covington accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, with sliding-scale fees and donations accepted for those paying directly. The panel covers rapid and conventional HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, with HPV and hepatitis A vaccines available by appointment.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Baptist Community Health Services in Mandeville tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis C, HIV, and TB (with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections on a sliding-scale fee accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance, no appointment required) and delivers that care in Spanish.
Spanish-language care at Baptist Community Health Services operates through staff capacity: clinical counseling, HIV test counseling, medication adherence education, and treatment conversations are conducted directly in Spanish, so the clinical relationship, the instructions, and the follow-up plan all land in the same language.
When prevention requires a prescription, PrEP for ongoing HIV risk reduction or PEP after an exposure, leaving Baptist Community Health Services without one means finding a separate provider willing to prescribe, which adds time the medication's effectiveness doesn't accommodate. Both are initiated and managed on-site in Mandeville.
Baptist Community Health Services carries hepatitis C care through the entire clinical arc: after a positive antibody result, prescribing and monitoring direct-acting antivirals happens within the same practice, rather than requiring a separate gastroenterology or infectious disease referral to access the drugs themselves.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
St. Tammany Mandeville CHC in Mandeville meets patients where they are (uninsured, underinsured, or paying out of pocket) through federally qualified status that ties fees directly to income. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening, with no fixed price standing between anyone and a result.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Free tool · not a clinic
Testing too soon can miss an infection. Enter the date of possible exposure to see the earliest a test can reliably detect each STI.
| Infection | Earliest reliable test | Conclusive after |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 7 days after exposure | 14 days after exposure |
| Gonorrhea | 7 days after exposure | 14 days after exposure |
| Trichomoniasis | 7 days after exposure | 28 days after exposure |
| HIV (NAT / RNA) | 10 days after exposure | 33 days after exposure |
| HIV (4th-gen Ag/Ab) | 18 days after exposure | 45 days after exposure |
| HIV (antibody) | 21 days after exposure | 84 days after exposure |
| Syphilis | 21 days after exposure | 42 days after exposure |
| Hepatitis B | 21 days after exposure | 42 days after exposure |
| Hepatitis C | 56 days after exposure | 77 days after exposure |
| Herpes (HSV) | 28 days after exposure | 112 days after exposure |
Guidance only, confirm timing with a clinician. A negative result before the conclusive date may need a repeat test.
Typical out-of-pocket ranges by option, actual cost depends on which tests you need.
Public / community clinic
Free HIV testing is common
Private lab (self-pay)
Never billed to insurance
At-home kit
Mailed to your door, private
Doctor / urgent care
Often $0 preventive with insurance
No centers match those filters. Clear the service-type filter or the opening-hours filters to see every center.
Every other option
Beyond the dedicated testing centers above: at-home kits by mail, hospital labs certified for STI testing, local clinicians who can order a panel during a regular visit, pharmacies for self-test kits and prescriptions, and online PrEP & treatment.
Test from home
The nearest testing center is less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Abita Springs, you collect the sample privately, and mail it back to a CLIA-certified lab. Results come online in days, with a clinician available if anything is positive. Same labs as a clinic, no waiting room, and you can read how accurate at-home STD tests are before you order.
Want a free option first? The CDC-supported TakeMeHome (opens in a new tab) program mails free at-home HIV self-test kits, and, in many areas, free STI kits, to your door, with no insurance or payment needed. The paid kits below add broader panels and faster turnaround.
In-home collection
$79 & up
Best range: couples & full panels
$79 & up
Best for simplicity & support
$89 & up
Every kit uses CLIA-certified labs. At-home testing is for screening; a reactive result should be confirmed and treated by a clinician. Prices and panels shown are illustrative and change often, confirm current details on the provider's site.
Also in the area
Beyond the public testing sites above, these federally certified (CLIA) labs serve St. Tammany Parish, each lab's town is shown on its card below. Many test through a doctor's order or by appointment rather than walk-in, so call ahead to confirm STD/STI testing and availability before visiting.
2929 Highway 190, Mandeville, LA 70471
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
1700 Lindberg Drive, Slidell, LA 70458
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
800 North Causeway Boulevard, Suite 2C, Mandeville, LA 70448
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Abita Springs. A CLIA certificate records only that a laboratory is federally certified — it does not confirm the site performs STD testing, nor its hours, price or access. Inclusion is not an endorsement; always call to verify.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 344 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Abita Springs. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 84 offer telehealth.
Richelle Schiro, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 22070 Hwy 59, Abita Springs
Cynthia Kudji Sylvester, NP
Family medicine · 229 Saint John Lane, Covington
Raquel Castellanos Gonzalez, MD
Internal medicine · 66 Park Place Drive, Covington
Eric Wendel, MD Telehealth
Urology · 215 East Gibson Street, Covington
Marcus Pittman, MD
Family medicine · 307 South Jefferson Avenue, Covington
Hilary Watson, MD Telehealth
Urology · 1665 Dove Park Road, Mandeville
These are registry-listed clinicians, not dedicated STD-testing clinics. CMS records do not independently verify current licensure, testing services, availability, price, or new-patient status. Confirm each detail before booking. Source: CMS Doctors & Clinicians.
Nearby pharmacies
No pharmacy near Abita Springs, LA publishes an STD-related service or holds a current CLIA testing certificate, so these are simply the closest. Contact a location directly to confirm counter hours, services, prices, and availability before visiting.
1.3 mi 
3.3 mi Medicine Shoppe
3.3 miShowing the 3 closest pharmacies to Abita Springs, LA.
Directory records identify nearby pharmacies. Service, stock, price, and hours information is shown only when supported by current location-specific evidence.
Prevention & treatment
Testing is one step. For residents of Abita Springs, telehealth covers the rest: HIV-prevention medication (PrEP) and DoxyPEP to lower future risk, and discreet online treatment if a result comes back positive. All prescribed by licensed U.S. clinicians.
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
Pricing varies by insurance and changes often, confirm on the provider's site. These services are not a substitute for emergency care.
STD stats & rates
How reported STI rates in St. Tammany Parish, the parish that includes Abita Springs, compare with Louisiana and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~20% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#61 of 64 Louisiana counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 5% of the state
| Infection | St. Tammany Parish | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 417.7 1,151 cases ▼ 47% | 792.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 116.1 320 cases ▼ 60% | 288.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 8.3 23 cases ▼ 68% | 26.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 6.9 19 cases ▼ 65% | 19.6 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 16.3 45 cases ▼ 69% | 52.6 | 29.5 |
Rates per 100,000 population, 2023. Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus (county, state & U.S., all-ages basis). Population figures: U.S. Census Bureau ACS. These figures are the latest available surveillance estimates. Bars are scaled to the highest rate shown.
Reading these numbers: reported case rates only count infections that were actually tested for and diagnosed, so they track local screening effort as much as true spread: a higher rate can reflect more testing, a lower one less. Either way, most STIs cause no symptoms, so treat the figures above as context rather than a verdict, and test on the CDC's schedule regardless of how your area looks.
Between 2020 and 2023 in St. Tammany Parish, chlamydia has risen from 367.4 to 417.7 per 100,000 (14%), gonorrhea has fallen from 130 to 116.1 per 100,000 (11%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 4.9 to 8.3 per 100,000 (69%).
The 2020 dip reflects reduced pandemic-era screening, not lower transmission. Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus (county, state & U.S., all-ages basis).
Community health context
Sources: CDC PLACES (ZIP), County Health Rankings, CDC/ATSDR SVI, HRSA HPSA, HRSA MUA/P, Neighborhood Atlas ADI. Lower insurance coverage, fewer routine checkups, and a thin primary-care ratio all raise the value of low-cost public clinics and at-home testing in St. Tammany Parish.
Local HIV snapshot
St. Tammany Parish HIV care continuum (2023)
St. Tammany Parish recorded 7.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 22.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among St. Tammany Parish residents living with HIV, 84.8% are in care · 78.3% are virally suppressed. Early, routine testing is what moves these numbers: it is the entry point to PrEP, treatment, and viral suppression.
Sources: AIDSVu (Emory/Gilead) · CDC AHEAD · CDC AtlasPlus · CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus (county care continuum). The CDC recommends everyone aged 13–64 test for HIV at least once: every lab and clinic listed above offers HIV testing, and free rapid HIV testing is available at a local health department.
Congenital syphilis, passed from parent to baby in pregnancy, is the fastest-rising STI in the country. U.S. cases climbed from 2,163 in 2020 to 3,882 in 2023. It is almost entirely preventable: the CDC recommends a syphilis test at the first prenatal visit, and every clinic and lab listed for St. Tammany Parish tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Along Highway 36, where the lots run deep and most households have owned their place for years, the younger adults who do rent here are a distinct minority, and the financial reality of that rent, set against a town where nearly a third of households earn well into six figures, can quietly sharpen the calculus around discretionary spending on health. People in their late teens and twenties are navigating new relationships, shifting living arrangements, and all the ordinary reasons that routine screening tends to get deferred. Not from indifference but from the accumulated weight of a full calendar.
Abita Springs skews toward settled family households, with average household sizes that reflect couples and children sharing space rather than solo renters cycling through short leases. That profile is real and meaningful, but it doesn't erase the younger slice of the population, and for them the county's STI picture is a genuine reason to stay current on testing rather than assume stability means low risk. That changes the equation from "I'll go when I get around to it" to "I need to block a window in my week", which is exactly why knowing the hours and distance of each listed option before you need them is worth doing now, from your driveway on Highway 36, before the need feels urgent.
Getting there
At 6.53/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Abita Springs generally mean driving: plan on a car or rideshare to reach a clinic, and check each listing's hours and phone before you go.
Source: EPA National Walkability Index 2021.
ZIP 70420 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 70420 area around Abita Springs: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Abita Springs alone.
Abita Springs sits in St. Tammany Parish, ZIP 70420. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Abita Springs? These nearby communities have their own testing guides: clinics, at-home kits, and free screening close to home.
Reference
Everything to know before you test in St. Tammany Parish: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Louisiana law. If you have symptoms right now, our confidential symptom checker maps them to the tests worth considering.
Based on current CDC screening recommendations.
| Group | Tests | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone aged 13–64 | HIV | At least once |
| Sexually active women under 25 | Chlamydia, gonorrhea | Every year |
| Women 25+ with new or multiple partners | Chlamydia, gonorrhea | Every year |
| Pregnant people | HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B & C, chlamydia | Early in pregnancy |
| Gay & bisexual men (MSM) | Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV | Every 3–6 months |
| Anyone who shares injection equipment | HIV, hepatitis B & C | At least yearly |
| All adults at least once | Hepatitis C | At least once |
Testing too early can return a false negative, confirm timing with an Abita Springs-area provider.
| Infection | Earliest reliable test | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 1–2 weeks | Urine or swab |
| Gonorrhea | 1–2 weeks | Urine or swab |
| Trichomoniasis | 1–4 weeks | Urine or swab |
| HIV (NAT / RNA) | 10–33 days | Blood |
| HIV (4th-gen Ag/Ab) | 18–45 days | Blood |
| HIV (antibody) | 3–12 weeks | Blood / oral |
| Syphilis | 3–6 weeks | Blood |
| Hepatitis B | 3–6 weeks | Blood |
| Hepatitis C | 8–11 weeks | Blood |
| Herpes (HSV) | 4–16 weeks (antibody); swab a sore | Blood / swab |
These are the federal Medicare reference prices for processing each lab test. Public clinics and the community health centers serving Abita Springs often test free or on a sliding scale; private labs and at-home kits bundle several tests into one fee. Use this as a per-test benchmark before you pay out of pocket, or see the full guide to STD test costs for insurance, free, and at-home options.
| Test | Reference price | CPT / HCPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia (NAAT) | $47.80 | 87491 |
| Gonorrhea (NAAT) | $47.80 | 87591 |
| Trichomoniasis (NAAT) | $47.76 | 87661 |
| HIV-1/2 antigen/antibody | $26.87 | 87389 |
| HIV-1/2 antibody | $22.44 | 86703 |
| Syphilis (RPR/VDRL) | $5.61 | 86592 |
| Syphilis (treponemal antibody) | $17.49 | 86780 |
| Herpes (HSV NAAT) | $47.76 | 87529 |
| Hepatitis B surface antigen | $15.33 | 87340 |
| Hepatitis C antibody | $29.16 | 86803 |
Source: Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, CMS, 2025 rates (data.cms.gov). Reference rate for the lab assay only: a clinic visit, sample collection, or a bundled multi-test panel may cost more. Medicaid and most insurers cover STD screening at no out-of-pocket cost.
Two things that actually depend on Louisiana law: who can consent, and whether partners can be treated without their own visit. Everything else about testing privately is the same nationwide (see below).
In Louisiana, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Louisiana permits Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT): if you test positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea, your provider can give you medication (or a prescription) to pass to your partner, no separate exam or appointment needed for them.
Keeping a test private works the same in every state. Whether an STD test shows on insurance (the EOB), how to test anonymously, and self-pay options that leave no insurance trail don’t change by location.
Learn more about confidential STD testing in LouisianaSource: Guttmacher Institute, Minors' Access to STI Services; CDC, Legal Status of Expedited Partner Therapy. General information, not legal advice.
Good to Know
Answers to the questions people ask most before getting tested.
There are 9 options within a 30-mile drive.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
Public health clinics nearby provide free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
St. Tammany Parish reported ~418 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Louisiana average.
In Louisiana, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
Yes, a syphilis sore can heal while the infection stays and silently progresses, so a blood test is the only way to be sure.
Many STIs are fully cured with antibiotics; others, like HIV and herpes, are well managed with treatment.
Yes, most STIs cause no symptoms for a long time, which is exactly why routine screening matters.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.