Franklin County reports about 446 chlamydia cases per 100,000 residents, near the US average. Whether you need testing after a possible exposure or as part of routine care in Alexander, Iowa, you'll find that clinics may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, while many private labs let you pay a flat self-pay price; you'll find both on this list.
Available testing centers
6 testing options are listed for Alexander, IA. The nearest, Franklin General Hospital, is about 6.2 miles away. Compare 3 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.
A safety-net rural health clinic about 6 miles from Alexander. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A community safety-net rural health clinic about 7 miles from Alexander. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Community Health Center in Clarion requires an appointment, so scheduling ahead is the move, and that single visit covers rapid HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis B and C, bacterial treatment on the spot, and sliding-scale fees for everyone, with care available in Spanish.
Chase down herpes or hepatitis B and C elsewhere and you're looking at a separate appointment, a separate facility, and gaps in care while you wait. Community Health Center in Clarion runs both on the same panel (herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C) so nothing gets deferred to a second visit.
Many clinics patch together Spanish support after the fact, a stopgap that leaves clinical nuance on the table. At Community Health Center in Clarion, Spanish is a language of care, not an accommodation, meaning counseling, education, and the full visit happen in Spanish without degrading the conversation.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
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 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Alexander, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & 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 Franklin 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.
1720 Central Avenue East, Hampton, IA 50441
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Alexander. 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, 121 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Alexander. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 18 offer telehealth.
Steven Harmer, MD
Internal medicine · 403 1st Street Southeast, Belmond
Michael Mcloughlin, MD
Internal medicine · 403 1st Street Southeast, Belmond
Joshua Baker
Family medicine · 215 13th Avenue Southwest, Clarion
Adam Andrews, DO
Family medicine · 1316 South Main Street, Clarion
Lisa Kapler, MD
Family medicine · 203 South 2nd Street, Sheffield
Rosemarie Freymark, MD
Family medicine · 1720 Central Avenue East, Hampton
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 Alexander, IA 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.
Bloemke Pharmacy
7.3 miThrifty White Pharmacy
14 miClarion Pharmacy
14 miKoerner Whipple Pharmacy
14 miRicks Pharmacy
14 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Alexander, IA.
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 Alexander, 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
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
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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 Franklin County, the county that includes Alexander, compare with Iowa and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~24% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#15 of 99 Iowa counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 85% of the state
| Infection | Franklin County | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 445.6 44 cases ▲ 4% | 426.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | — no data | 116.8 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | — no data | 10.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | — no data | 9.2 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 10.1 1 cases ▲ 2% | 9.9 | 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 Franklin County, chlamydia has risen from 389.3 to 445.6 per 100,000 (14%), gonorrhea has fallen from 119.8 to 50.4 per 100,000 (58%), and P&S syphilis has held roughly steady from 10 to 10 per 100,000.
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 Franklin County.
Local HIV snapshot
Franklin County HIV care continuum (2023)
Franklin County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 5.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. 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 Franklin County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Loomis Memorial Park sits at the center of Alexander's life, a place where neighbors gather and the town's rhythm steadies itself. That same openness, the comfort of being known, can make health decisions feel more complicated. STI testing in and around Alexander is available through the providers listed on this page, and the confidentiality built into each screening means what you learn stays yours alone, separate from the casual talk that follows you elsewhere. Young adults in Alexander, those in their late teens through their thirties, often find themselves at turning points where knowing their status matters most: starting work, moving in with someone, or simply wanting the clarity that comes from routine screening.
Testing here is straightforward and discreet; you don't have to explain why you're going, and the results don't flow back into town gossip. The distance between privacy and visibility in a smaller community can feel sharp, but the clinics and health services listed here are built to honor both. Getting tested isn't about shame or drama, it's about the same everyday care you'd give any other part of your health.
Getting there
At 5.07/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Alexander 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 50420 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 50420 area around Alexander: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Alexander alone.
Alexander sits in Franklin County, ZIP 50420. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Alexander? 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 Franklin County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Iowa 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 Alexander-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 Alexander 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 Iowa 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 Iowa, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own; a parent may be notified only in the case of a positive HIV test result.
Iowa 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 IowaSource: 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.
Yes, several local labs offer same-day walk-in testing; best to call first.
Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
Public clinics serve people without insurance, often on a sliding scale.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Franklin County reported ~446 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Iowa average.
In Iowa, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
At-home kits mail to 50420: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
Your results are part of your HIPAA-protected medical record; you can ask any clinic about its own privacy practices.
A positive means treatment is the next step; many STIs are cured with antibiotics, and all are treatable.
No, standard bloodwork doesn't include STIs unless you ask, so request STD testing specifically.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.