In Polk County, reported chlamydia runs about 25% higher than the US average. Whether you need testing after a possible exposure or as part of routine care in Ankeny, Iowa, you can choose between community clinics and private labs. Community clinics may offer lower costs, while private labs may provide faster results and more scheduling options. Consult the directory below to explore options.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Ankeny, IA. The nearest, Primary Health Care, is about 7.4 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.
A public STD-testing site about 7 miles from Ankeny.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Polk County Health Department in Des Moines runs every service at no fee, accepting Medicare alongside its free structure, and tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis C, and TB. With same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and appointments required.
When a bill arrives after care, or when cost quietly shapes which services a patient accepts, gaps open up that delay treatment. At Polk County Health Department, every service carries no fee: testing, treatment, vaccines, and counseling all land at the same price of nothing, so nothing goes undone for financial reasons.
Clinics that route non-English speakers through a phone line during a sensitive appointment often leave critical details half-communicated. Polk County Health Department provides care directly in Spanish and extends interpretation services to other languages, so the conversation about symptoms, results, and next steps happens with the same clarity for every patient.
Polk County Health Department prescribes DoxyPEP, doxycycline taken after a potential bacterial STI exposure, which, used consistently, measurably lowers rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis reinfection over time.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
MercyOne in Des Moines charges a standard fee with insurance accepted, and PrEP is available for the uninsured, making prevention medications reachable beyond the testing visit itself. The clinic tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and TB, treating bacterial STIs the same day by appointment.
MercyOne carries PrEP for patients without insurance, which means the medication that stops HIV transmission before exposure doesn't stall at a coverage gap. Both PrEP and PEP are prescribed on-site, keeping prevention continuous rather than dependent on a separate provider relationship.
Without on-site hepatitis C treatment, a positive result often opens a months-long gap. A specialist referral, a new intake, a delayed prescription. At MercyOne in Des Moines, that gap closes: diagnosis and treatment for hepatitis C both happen within the same practice, so the condition is managed rather than deferred.
For anyone without a regular primary care provider, MercyOne's panel covers ground that a bare-minimum clinic leaves untested. Herpes and hepatitis B and C sit alongside the standard four. That standing capability matters for someone piecing together their full sexual-health picture without multiple separate appointments.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Planned Parenthood North Central States in Des Moines runs on a sliding-scale fee structure and accepts Medicaid and private insurance, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, rapid and conventional HIV, herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. No appointment required, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections.
The testing panel here runs blood and swab work for herpes simplex and both hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the same visit as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV: meaning the lab order is written once, the specimen is collected once, and results come back as a complete picture rather than a partial one.
Without a clinic that writes PrEP prescriptions directly, the gap between a negative HIV test and actually starting prevention can stretch into weeks of separate appointments. Planned Parenthood North Central States initiates and monitors PrEP here, and PEP is also prescribed on-site. No secondary provider required to move from testing to prevention.
Title X funding at this clinic carries a federal confidentiality mandate for minors: meaning the clinic is legally required to keep a young patient's family planning services, STI testing, and contraception separate from any parental billing or disclosure. That protection is built into the funding structure itself, not a policy choice the clinic can waive.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Proteus, Inc. in Des Moines welcomes walk-in patients for STI screening without an appointment. Federally qualified status anchors its sliding-scale fee structure, so costs adjust to income. A single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing for anyone who walks through the door.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
UnityPoint Health in Des Moines requires an appointment, so scheduling ahead unlocks same-visit bacterial treatment alongside testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C (all on a sliding-scale fee with Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance accepted) with care available in Spanish.
The panel here covers six infections: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Adding both hepatitis markers to a single visit means chronic infections that often go undetected alongside bacterial STIs aren't left off the order.
Many STI clinics screen for HIV but stop short of prescribing prevention medication themselves. UnityPoint Health writes PrEP and manages PEP directly, so ongoing HIV prevention doesn't require tracking down a separate prescriber.
Care at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines is delivered in Spanish, which means the clinical exchange itself (history, results, treatment decisions) happens in the language the patient speaks, reducing the chance that critical details get lost in translation.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Primary Health Care - Bery Engebretsen Clinic in Des Moines charges on a sliding scale tied to income, so cost is never a barrier to care. Federal qualification backs that commitment, and the clinic offers STI screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia without requiring an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
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 7 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Ankeny, 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 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 Polk 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.
3625 North Ankeny Boulevard, Suite G, Ankeny, IA 50023
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
3001 Southeast Convenience Blvd Unit 104, Ankeny, IA 50021
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2220 South Ankeny Boulevard, Ankeny, IA 50023
CMS-certified lab
800 East First Street, Suite 1700, Ankeny, IA 50021
CMS-certified lab
2785 North Ankeny Boulevard, Suite 28, Ankeny, IA 50023
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 Ankeny. 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, 504 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Ankeny. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 75 offer telehealth.
Giuliana Vande Zande, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 120 Northwest 36th Street, Ankeny
Stephanie Courson Pothoven, DO
Urology · 111 Northwest 9th Street, Ankeny
Jennifer Booth, MD
OB-GYN · 111 Northwest 9th Street, Ankeny
Laura Abels, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 800 East 1st Street, Ankeny
Ricardo Bendezu, MD
Family medicine · 800 East 1st Street, Ankeny
David Dennis, DO
Internal medicine · 1275 Southwest State Street, Ankeny
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 Ankeny, 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.
0.3 mi Hy-Vee
0.3 miHy-Vee Pharmacy
0.4 mi
0.7 mi Showing the 4 closest pharmacies to Ankeny, 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 Ankeny, 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 Polk County, the county that includes Ankeny, compare with Iowa and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~29% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#4 of 99 Iowa counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 96% of the state
| Infection | Polk County | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 615.1 3,108 cases ▲ 44% | 426.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 213.2 1,077 cases ▲ 83% | 116.8 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 18.4 93 cases ▲ 79% | 10.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 16.6 84 cases ▲ 80% | 9.2 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 15.6 79 cases ▲ 58% | 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 Polk County, chlamydia has fallen from 684.2 to 615.1 per 100,000 (10%), gonorrhea has fallen from 412.3 to 213.2 per 100,000 (48%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 13.4 to 18.4 per 100,000 (37%).
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 Polk County.
Local HIV snapshot
Polk County HIV care continuum (2023)
Polk County recorded 8.6 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 5.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Polk County residents living with HIV, 90.9% are in care · 84.1% 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 Polk County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Ankeny runs at a pace its labor-force numbers make plain: nearly four in five residents are working, and most households carry two incomes or more. That schedule reality shapes when testing actually happens: evenings and Saturdays matter here far more than weekday mornings, and the clinics listed on this page reflect exactly that kind of range. The city skews toward established households: over half of adults are married, average families run well above three people, and nearly three-quarters of residents own their homes.
Prairie Trail and the corridors along South Ankeny Boulevard reflect a community that has planted itself here for the long term. But longer roots don't change the biology of younger adults still building relationships and sexual histories; that population faces the same STI exposure patterns seen everywhere, and Polk County's rates underscore that Ankeny is no exception. With nearly a third of residents earning well above median and typical rent hovering around a thousand dollars a month, cost alone rarely blocks a test, but a packed calendar can.
Getting there
Ankeny scores 10.89/20 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 50023 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 50023 area around Ankeny: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Ankeny alone.
Ankeny sits in Polk County, ZIP 50023. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Ankeny? 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 Polk 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 Ankeny-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 Ankeny 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.
Some clinics and labs take walk-ins for same-day testing; call ahead to confirm hours.
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 615 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Iowa average.
In Iowa, 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.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
Likely yes, if you were past the window period; otherwise retest, and keep up routine screening with new partners.
Resistance is rising, which is why the CDC advises a particular treatment; don't self-treat, get tested and treated correctly.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.