In Altoona, Pennsylvania, Blair County's syphilis rate runs about 89% lower than the US average. If you've had a recent risk or test on a regular schedule, you can choose between visiting a clinic for immediate support or using an at-home kit for convenience. The options listed below have these trade-offs.
Available testing centers
12 testing options are listed for Altoona, PA. The nearest, Station Medical Center-UPMC Altoona, is about 0.3 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.
Primary Health Network in Altoona runs a panel covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis C, and TB: fees scale to income and insurance is accepted, with treatment for bacterial infections available and an appointment required to be seen.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Altoona Behavioral Health, in Altoona, welcomes walk-ins for STI screening without an appointment. Federal qualification underpins its sliding-scale fee structure, making a single visit for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing affordable based on what patients actually earn.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Umpc, in Altoona, schedules appointments for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis testing, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, sliding-scale fees accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance, and Spanish-language care available throughout.
Many clinics hand off language access to an outside service that neither knows your chart nor stays on the line long enough. At Umpc, Spanish is a native capacity of the care itself: the conversation about symptoms, history, and next steps happens directly, in Spanish, with the people actually treating you.
Umpc carries Ryan White funding, which means HIV testing doesn't terminate at a result: it opens a pathway to ongoing, funded HIV treatment and management within the same system. For someone establishing care, that continuity is built into how the clinic operates.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Crossroads Pregnancy Center in Altoona charges nothing for any of its services (no sliding scale, no insurance required) and offers gonorrhea and chlamydia testing with treatment available on-site. An appointment is required to be seen.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Glendale Area Medical Association in Coalport runs by appointment, so calling ahead is the entry point: once you're in, a single visit covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing alongside same-visit bacterial treatment, family planning, and hepatitis A and B vaccines on a sliding-scale fee.
When a language gap interrupts STI care at Glendale Area Medical Association in Coalport, treatment stalls: a prescription goes unfilled, a follow-up gets skipped, and an infection persists longer than it should. Care delivered in Spanish here closes that gap at the appointment itself, not afterward.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Pennsylvania Department of Health in Huntingdon covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis, and TB testing at no charge to anyone who walks through the door: appointments are required, and bacterial STIs are treated same visit.
When cost becomes the reason someone postpones a test or leaves a treatment unfinished, the gap between diagnosis and care widens. Pennsylvania Department of Health in Huntingdon charges nothing (not for the visit, not for the test, not for treatment) so that gap never opens in the first place.
Pennsylvania Department of Health in Huntingdon serves Spanish speakers directly and extends interpretation to other languages as well, meaning the clinical conversation (symptoms, treatment instructions, prevention options) happens in full, not in shorthand. That's a standing capability, not a workaround arranged after arrival.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Broad Top Area Medical Center in Huntingdon tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB on a sliding-scale fee structure open to any income level. Insurance and Medicare are also accepted. Appointments are required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A community safety-net rural health clinic about 19 miles from Altoona. 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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Altoona, 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 Blair 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.
2907 Pleasant Valley Boulevard, Altoona, PA 16602
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
800 Howard Avenue, Suite 1, Altoona, PA 16601
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2525 9th Avenue Suite 2B, Altoona, PA 16602
CMS-certified lab
800 Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601
CMS-certified lab
501 Howard Avenue Suite F4, Altoona, PA 16601
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Altoona. 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, 257 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Altoona. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 54 offer telehealth.
James Jaques, DO
Family medicine · 300 East Plank Road, Altoona
Michael Pedone, DO
Family medicine · 1414 9th Avenue, Altoona
Janaye Schwartz, MD
Family medicine · 1400 9th Avenue, Altoona
Sarah Schroeder, MD
OB-GYN · 1321 11th Avenue, Altoona
Heather Hohmann, MD
OB-GYN · 1701 12th Avenue, Altoona
John Reinhardt, DO
Family medicine · 1701 12th Avenue, Altoona
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 Altoona, PA 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.
0.4 mi The Medicinne Shoppe
0.5 miThompson Pharmacy
0.5 miShowing the 3 closest pharmacies to Altoona, PA.
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 Altoona, 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
$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
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 Blair County, the county that includes Altoona, compare with Pennsylvania and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~26% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#24 of 67 Pennsylvania counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 64% of the state
| Infection | Blair County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 255.3 307 cases ▼ 39% | 421.2 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 39.1 47 cases ▼ 73% | 144.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 1.7 2 cases ▼ 81% | 9.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 1.7 2 cases ▼ 83% | 10.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 5 6 cases ▼ 56% | 11.4 | 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 Blair County, chlamydia has fallen from 317.5 to 255.3 per 100,000 (20%), gonorrhea has fallen from 40.7 to 39.1 per 100,000 (4%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 2.4 to 1.7 per 100,000 (29%).
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 Blair County.
Local HIV snapshot
Blair County HIV care continuum (2023)
Among Blair County residents living with HIV, 74.6% are in care · 68.6% 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 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 Blair County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Broad Avenue cuts through a city where most households own their homes and a lot of them have been on the same block for years, which shapes how health decisions get made: quietly, within families, often deferred until something feels urgent. With an average household running close to three people and a majority of adults married, conversations about sexual health tend to happen between partners rather than providers, and that dynamic can delay routine screening longer than it should. The economic picture adds its own texture.
Typical rents are low enough that even tighter budgets can stabilize around housing, but with fewer than one in eight households earning six figures and a labor-force participation rate that leaves a meaningful share of working-age adults outside steady employment, out-of-pocket costs and irregular schedules both factor into whether an appointment actually gets made. Young adults still building relationships, people in their late teens and twenties, are the years when chlamydia and gonorrhea move fastest, and in a city with this profile, options that keep cost and travel predictable remove the most concrete obstacle between intention and a test on the calendar. Blair County's STI figures are visible in the tables above, and for anyone living here, keeping current on screening is simply what keeps those numbers from becoming personal.
Getting there
At 8.95/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Altoona 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 16601 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 16601 area around Altoona: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Altoona alone.
Altoona sits in Blair County, ZIP 16601. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Altoona? 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 Blair County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Pennsylvania 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 Altoona-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 Altoona 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Pennsylvania 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 PennsylvaniaSource: 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 11 options within a 30-mile drive.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
Crossroads Pregnancy Center, about 1.9 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Blair County reported ~255 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Pennsylvania average.
In Pennsylvania, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Your results are part of your HIPAA-protected medical record; you can ask any clinic about its own privacy practices.
Negative is good news, just retest later if the test was soon after a possible exposure.
Yes, most STIs cause no symptoms for a long time, which is exactly why routine screening matters.
A blood draw screens for syphilis, with a confirmatory test if it's reactive.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.