There were 95% more syphilis cases in Pierce County in recent years than the national average. If you're starting a new relationship in Alder, Washington, or maintaining your sexual health as part of ongoing care, you'll need to weigh cost and wait times. Community and public clinics often offer low-cost or free services, while private labs may provide quicker results and more scheduling flexibility.
Available testing centers
4 testing options are listed for Alder, WA. The nearest, Labcorp, is about 20.0 miles away. Compare private labs and at-home kits below.
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 about 20 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Alder, 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 value: single tests
$49 & 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 Pierce 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.
209 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Tacoma, WA 98405
CMS-certified lab
7502 Lakewood Drive West Suite A, Lakewood, WA 98499
CMS-certified lab
11567 Canterwood Boulevard Northwest, Gig Harbor, WA 98332
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Alder. 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, 433 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Alder. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 105 offer telehealth.
Fabiola Puga Duenas, MD
Family medicine · 521 Adams Avenue, Morton
Mark Hansen, MD
Family medicine · 521 Adams Avenue, Morton
Erin Flynn, MD
Family medicine · 201 Tahoma Boulevard, Yelm
Bethany Sweet, MD
Family medicine · 201 Tahoma Boulevard, Yelm
James Buttitta, MD
Internal medicine · 1301 Orting Kapowsin Highway East, Orting
Milagros Arocho, MD
OB-GYN · 9144 Burnett Road Southeast, Yelm
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 Alder, WA 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.
Demarest
16 mi
18 mi 
18 mi Orting Valley Pharmacy
18 miThrifty Payless
19 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Alder, WA.
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 Alder, 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.
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
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 Pierce County, the county that includes Alder, compare with Washington and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~13% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#6 of 39 Washington counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 85% of the state
| Infection | Pierce County | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 466.8 4,335 cases ▲ 32% | 354.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 164.7 1,530 cases ▲ 27% | 129.6 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 30.8 286 cases ▲ 45% | 21.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 14.6 136 cases ▲ 17% | 12.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 28.6 266 cases ▲ 25% | 22.9 | 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 Pierce County, chlamydia has fallen from 607.7 to 466.8 per 100,000 (23%), gonorrhea has fallen from 239.7 to 164.7 per 100,000 (31%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 11.8 to 30.8 per 100,000 (161%).
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 Pierce County.
Local HIV snapshot
Pierce County HIV care continuum (2023)
Pierce County recorded 8.4 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 6.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Pierce County residents living with HIV, 79.3% are in care · 72.4% 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 Pierce County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Those who work or hike near Stahl Mountain and Hugo Peak know Alder as a place where the landscape pulls people outdoors and into each other's orbit. That closeness (the kind that comes naturally when a community shares trails, work sites, and gathering spots) is exactly why confidential STI testing deserves the same straightforward access as any other health need. Testing in and around Alder listed on this page reflects what residents actually need: reliable screening without unnecessary delay or visibility. Young adults in Alder often move through predictable rhythms: seasonal work, outdoor recreation, shifting relationships.
STI screening fits into these rhythms best when it's uncomplicated and genuinely private. A test result stays with you alone; clinics here don't broadcast outcomes to employers, neighbors, or anyone else. That separation between your health decisions and community awareness is real, not theoretical. It's built into how testing works.
The providers and clinics available locally understand that getting tested is a routine health choice, not a confession. Whether you're managing a new relationship, being responsible after a gap in screening, or simply keeping current, the testing process itself is straightforward. What matters is that Alder residents can access it without friction or shame, on their own timeline.
Getting there
At 4.99/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Alder 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 98328 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 98328 area around Alder: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Alder alone.
Alder sits in Pierce County, ZIP 98328. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Alder? 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 Pierce County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Washington 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 Alder-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 Alder 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 Washington 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 Washington, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Washington 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 WashingtonSource: 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.
Some clinics and labs take walk-ins for same-day testing; call ahead to confirm hours.
Private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 467 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Washington average.
In Washington, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, most chlamydia infections cause no symptoms, so screening is the only reliable way to catch it.
You self-collect a sample at home, mail it in, and view results online, no clinic visit needed.
Start treatment, tell recent partners so they can test, avoid sex until cleared, and retest if advised, most STIs resolve with care.
Likely yes, if you were past the window period; otherwise retest, and keep up routine screening with new partners.
A urine sample or a swab (genital, throat, or rectal) detects gonorrhea, often tested alongside chlamydia.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.