Syphilis in Alameda County runs about 27% lower than the US average. If you have symptoms or just want peace of mind, weighing your options is key in Alameda County, California. Private labs may offer a flat self-pay price, but clinics might bill insurance or utilize sliding-scale fees. See the options we list below.
Available testing centers
10 testing options are listed for Alameda, CA. The nearest, Quest Diagnostics, is about 0.9 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.
Covenant House California in Oakland provides STI testing, treatment, PrEP, PEP, and HIV counseling at no charge (appointments required, sliding-scale fees replaced entirely by zero-cost care) covering HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis, and TB, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections.
When a fee stands between someone and STI treatment, the infection doesn't wait. At Covenant House that gap doesn't exist: every service, from initial testing through treatment and prevention counseling, carries no charge, so cost never becomes the reason care gets delayed or skipped.
When care isn't available in the language someone reasons in, clinical details get lost and follow-through suffers. Covenant House California delivers STI services, counseling, and prevention education directly in Spanish, so nothing critical gets filtered or mistranslated between a patient and their care.
Covenant House California prescribes both PrEP and PEP, meaning patients can establish continuous HIV prevention rather than managing it reactively. A standing PrEP prescription turns protection into a daily routine instead of a crisis response.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
La Clinica in Oakland pairs same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs with testing across a fuller panel, all on a sliding-scale fee that applies regardless of insurance status. Appointments are required, and Spanish and Chinese are spoken on staff.
For patients whose primary language is Spanish or Chinese (whether navigating a new diagnosis, discussing prevention options, or asking detailed questions about a medication) La Clinica's staff work in those languages directly. That means the clinical conversation, not just the check-in, happens without an intermediary.
La Clinica prescribes both PrEP and PEP, which means a patient can leave with a prevention medication in hand rather than waiting for a separate specialist appointment to initiate it.
Plenty of STI clinics test for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia and nothing further. Leaving herpes and hepatitis C outside the visit entirely. La Clinica's panel covers both, so a single appointment can account for infections that would otherwise go undetected.
Languages
Chinese, English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Artthaus/Oakland Family Health Center, in Oakland, earned its federally qualified designation by anchoring care for people paying out of pocket, between providers, or working around insurance gaps. Sliding-scale fees bring syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening within reach for nearly any budget, no appointment needed.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A community safety-net federally qualified health center about 2 miles from Alameda. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A safety-net federally qualified health center about 2 miles from Alameda. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Asian Health Services in Oakland accepts walk-ins and covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis C testing in a single visit (with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, sliding-scale fees, and HPV and hepatitis vaccines available) all at no charge.
The no-fee structure here isn't a waiver applied after billing: Asian Health Services operates with funding that covers the full cost of testing, treatment, and prevention services at the point of care. Sliding scale exists for services with a fee, but STI testing and HIV care carry no charge to begin with.
Asian Health Services maintains on-site interpretation across multiple languages rather than routing through external services, which means clinical conversations about dosing, diagnosis, and follow-up happen directly: without lag, without a third party filtering the exchange between patient and provider.
Asian Health Services carries the full prevention stack: PrEP initiation, ongoing PrEP management, and PEP: making it a practical option for anyone paying cash, without an established primary care provider, or needing to start a prevention regimen without the delay of a specialist referral.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
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 Alameda, 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 Alameda County, 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.
2070 Clinton Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
965 Atlantic Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1640 South Loop Road, Suite 250, Alameda, CA 94502
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Alameda. 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, 5,409 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Alameda. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 2,422 offer telehealth.
Denise Tukenmez, MD
OB-GYN · 2070 Clinton Avenue, Alameda
Richard Kochenburger, MD
OB-GYN · 2111 Whitehall Place, Alameda
Naomi Torgersen, MD Telehealth
OB-GYN · 430 Willow Street, Alameda
Hon-Wai Lam, MD
Family medicine · 501 South Shore Ctr West, Alameda
Olivia Butt, MD Telehealth
OB-GYN · 501 South Shore Ctr West, Alameda
Jenna Brimmer, MD
Internal medicine · 815 Atlantic Avenue, Alameda
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 Alameda, CA 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.
Webster Pharmacy
0.7 mi
1.0 mi 
1.1 mi Showing the 3 closest pharmacies to Alameda, CA.
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 Alameda, 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.
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or 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 Alameda County, the county that includes Alameda, compare with California and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~22% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#17 of 58 California counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 71% of the state
| Infection | Alameda County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 453.4 7,355 cases ▼ 8% | 491.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 198.8 3,225 cases ▲ 5% | 190.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 11.5 186 cases ▼ 29% | 16.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 10.3 167 cases ▼ 46% | 19.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 18.9 307 cases ▼ 60% | 46.7 | 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 Alameda County, chlamydia has risen from 432.2 to 453.4 per 100,000 (5%), gonorrhea has fallen from 207.6 to 198.8 per 100,000 (4%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 12.7 to 11.5 per 100,000 (9%).
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 Alameda County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Alameda County is one of 48 U.S. counties prioritized under the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative: targeted federal funding to expand local HIV testing, PrEP, and prevention.
Alameda County HIV care continuum (2023)
Alameda County recorded 13.9 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.9 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Alameda County residents living with HIV, 90.1% know their status · 80.3% are in care · 73.5% 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 Alameda County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Along Central Avenue, where CA 61 cuts through the heart of Alameda, the $1,836 median monthly rent has a way of front-loading every decision: when a significant share of residents are stretching to cover housing costs on this island, a clinic fee or an afternoon away from a second job can feel like a genuine obstacle to following through on a health appointment. That tension is real here, even in a city where more than half of households clear six figures, because the gap between earning well and living affordably is narrower than the numbers suggest. The practical geography helps.
For younger adults (people in their late teens and twenties, the very group most likely to encounter a new STI) that low-effort access matters most, because their lives tend to involve irregular hours, shared apartments near South Shore, and schedules that don't have obvious slack built in. With roughly two-thirds of adults in the labor force and unemployment tight, the window for a screening visit often comes down to proximity and hours rather than intention. Clinics that stay open past standard business hours, or that sit close to Webster Street's transit corridor, are the ones that actually get used.
Getting there
Alameda scores 15.51/20 on the EPA walkability index, so many trips are walkable or a short ride, though a car still gives you the widest choice of testing centers.
Source: EPA National Walkability Index 2021.
ZIP 94501 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 94501 area around Alameda: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Alameda alone.
Alameda sits in Alameda County, ZIP 94501. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Alameda? 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 Alameda County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under California 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 Alameda-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 Alameda 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 California 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 California, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
California 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 CaliforniaSource: 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.
The closest is Quest Diagnostics (0.9 mi); 10 options are within 30 miles.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Public clinics nearby offer free HIV testing.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 453 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the California average.
In California, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 94501; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
Medical records are protected under federal HIPAA law, ask the clinic how it handles your information.
It means an infection was found; a provider confirms it and starts treatment, most STIs are curable or manageable.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.