In Boone County, Arkansas, reported gonorrhea runs about 99% lower than the national average. Whether you are in Alpena, Arkansas, looking for STI testing after a possible exposure or as part of routine care, weigh public clinics for low cost, private labs for quick results, and at-home kits for convenience. See the options listed below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Alpena, AR. The nearest, Mercy, is about 8.0 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.
Mercy in Green Forest tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C on a sliding scale that accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance. Appointments are required, and same-visit treatment is available for bacterial infections.
Plenty of clinics cap their testing at the four-infection bacterial panel and call the rest someone else's problem. Mercy tests for herpes and all three hepatitis strains (A, B, and C) alongside the standard panel, so one appointment maps a fuller picture of what's actually going on.
Mercy prescribes DoxyPEP for bacterial STI prevention, which means patients who want to use it after potential exposure can leave with an actual prescription rather than guidance to seek one elsewhere.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Nov 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Boston Mountain Rural Health Center in Green Forest runs on appointments, so showing up prepared means leaving with results and same-visit treatment for bacterial infections like gonorrhea, chlamydia, or syphilis: all on a sliding scale, with HIV testing free, and every service provided at no fee.
When cost becomes the reason someone delays a follow-up or skips treatment altogether, an untreated infection lingers and spreads. Boston Mountain Rural Health Center eliminates that outcome entirely, every STI service, from testing through treatment, is provided at no fee to the patient.
PrEP at Boston Mountain Rural Health Center means an ongoing clinical relationship: prescriptions written on-site, labs monitored at regular intervals, and PEP available when needed. Uninsured patients access PrEP through dedicated coverage, so cost doesn't interrupt the regimen.
Getting a hepatitis C diagnosis and then being pointed toward a specialist elsewhere is where a lot of care stalls. Boston Mountain Rural Health Center in Green Forest closes that gap, antiviral treatment is managed on-site, so a positive result moves directly into a treatment plan without changing providers.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
A safety-net rural health clinic about 11 miles from Alpena. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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 8 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Alpena, 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 value: single tests
$49 & up
Best range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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 Boone 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.
825 North Main Street, Suite 1, Harrison, AR 72601
CMS-certified lab
1417 Gladden Street, Harrison, AR 72601
CMS-certified lab
520 North Spring Street, Harrison, AR 72601
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Alpena. 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, 129 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Alpena. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 37 offer telehealth.
Kevin Jackson, MD
Family medicine · 1420 Hwy 62 65 North, Harrison
Ronald Revard, MD
Internal medicine · 1420 Hwy 62 65 North, Harrison
Joseph Graves, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 1401 Hwy 62 65 North, Harrison
Ross Halsted, MD
Family medicine · 1401 Hwy 62 65 North, Harrison
Evan Branscum, MD
Family medicine · 1401 Hwy 65 North 200, Harrison
Daniel Decker, MD
Urology · 1401 Hwy 62 65 North, Harrison
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 Alpena, AR 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.
Dusty's Green Forest Pharmacy
7.8 miHarps Pharmacy
8.5 mi
9.3 mi 
11 mi Country Mart
11 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Alpena, AR.
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 Alpena, 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
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
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 Boone County, the county that includes Alpena, compare with Arkansas and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~30% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#47 of 75 Arkansas counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 37% of the state
| Infection | Boone County | Arkansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 334.8 129 cases ▼ 42% | 579.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 2.6 1 cases ▼ 99% | 193.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 10.4 4 cases ▼ 64% | 29.2 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 5.2 2 cases ▼ 70% | 17.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 2.6 1 cases ▼ 95% | 48 | 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 Boone County, chlamydia has risen from 203.4 to 334.8 per 100,000 (65%), gonorrhea has fallen from 99 to 2.6 per 100,000 (97%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 2.7 to 10.4 per 100,000 (285%).
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 Boone County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Arkansas is one of the U.S. jurisdictions prioritized under the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative: targeted federal funding to expand local HIV testing, PrEP, and prevention.
Boone County HIV care continuum (2021)
Boone County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2021), against 11.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Boone County residents living with HIV, 33.3% are in care · 25% 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 Boone County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Pine Mountain rises above a town where most households have lived long enough to put down roots: ownership rates here run well above national norms, and the settled character of Alpena shows in its larger-than-average household sizes and the preponderance of married adults. But that domestic stability sits alongside a labor market where a meaningful share of residents aren't working at all, and the households pulling in comfortable incomes are genuinely rare. When rent runs under six hundred dollars and home values reflect a community that hasn't seen speculative pressure, everyday budgets are tight in a specific, grinding way. Not catastrophic, but consistently thin.
That economic texture shapes how young adults in their late teens and twenties approach healthcare decisions. With unemployment running high and few employers offering comprehensive coverage, a fee that seems modest elsewhere can be the reason a test gets postponed. The options listed on this page include sliding-scale and low-cost appointments that bend to what Boone County residents can actually spend, not what a fully insured patient in a larger city would pay. For a resident renting near Pilot Knob on $583 a month with no employer coverage, confirming that a listed clinic accepts uninsured patients at reduced cost is the practical first step before anything else.
Getting there
At 5.18/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Alpena 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 72611 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 72611 area around Alpena: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Alpena alone.
Alpena sits in Boone County, ZIP 72611. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Alpena? 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 Boone County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Arkansas 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 Alpena-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 Alpena 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Arkansas 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 ArkansasSource: 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.
Mercy, about 8 mi away, with 4 options within 30 miles.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Yes, free HIV testing is available at public clinics in the area.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Boone County reported ~335 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Arkansas average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In Arkansas, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, when FDA-approved and used correctly, follow up any positive with a confirmatory lab test.
For people with a cervix, HPV is screened via Pap/HPV testing; no standard screening test exists for men.
Teen and campus health clinics and public health departments offer youth-friendly, low-cost testing.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.