Bienville Parish's chlamydia rate is about 54% higher than the US average, so residents of Arcadia, Louisiana, who need testing after a possible exposure or as part of routine care have several options. Public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience. See your options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Arcadia, LA. The nearest, Louisiana Department of Health, is about 0.5 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.
Louisiana Department of Health in Arcadia operates within a public health department structure, anchoring STI care (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing) alongside TB screening, family planning, and HPV and hepatitis A and B vaccination, all on a sliding-scale fee basis, by appointment.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Mercy Medical Health Center of Arcadia and Mercy Medicine of Arcadia, in Arcadia, anchors its STI care in a federally qualified framework: fees slide with income so cost isn't a barrier. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening without an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
PHSC-Grambling Family Health Center in Ruston sets fees on a sliding scale tied to income, so cost alone won't keep anyone from care. Walk-ins are welcome for STI screening that covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia under the federal health center program.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A public STD-testing location about 12 miles from Arcadia.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Trinity Community Health Centers of Louisiana in Ruston operates by appointment, so visits move with purpose: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis C testing alongside STI treatment and HPV and hepatitis A and B vaccination, all on a sliding-scale fee with insurance accepted.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · 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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Arcadia, 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 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 Bienville Parish, 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.
1175 Pine Street, Suite 200, Arcadia, LA 71001
CMS-certified lab
3342 Bienville Road, Ringgold, LA 71068
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Arcadia. 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, 63 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Arcadia. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 5 offer telehealth.
Sharon Joiner, MD
Internal medicine · 1175 Pine Street, Arcadia
Benson Grigsby, MD
Family medicine · 2916 North Trenton Street, Ruston
Stacy Conville, MD
Family medicine · 902 South Vienna Street, Ruston
Kamal Masri, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 401 East Vaughn Avenue, Ruston
Ricky Hendrix, MD
Internal medicine · 401 East Vaughn Avenue, Ruston
Kevin White, MD
OB-GYN · 411 East Vaughn Avenue, Ruston
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 Arcadia, LA 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.
Chris Cole Pharmacy
0.1 miArcadia Family Pharmacy
0.7 miFreds Stores of Tennessee
12 mi
16 mi 
16 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Arcadia, LA.
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 Arcadia, 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
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
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or 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 Bienville Parish, the parish that includes Arcadia, compare with Louisiana and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~21% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#27 of 64 Louisiana counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 58% of the state
| Infection | Bienville Parish | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 760.1 94 cases ▼ 4% | 792.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 315.4 39 cases ▲ 9% | 288.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 32.3 4 cases ▲ 24% | 26.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 16.2 2 cases ▼ 17% | 19.6 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 24.3 3 cases ▼ 54% | 52.6 | 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 Bienville Parish, chlamydia has risen from 670.2 to 760.1 per 100,000 (13%), gonorrhea has fallen from 400.6 to 315.4 per 100,000 (21%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 7.7 to 32.3 per 100,000 (319%).
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 Bienville Parish.
Local HIV snapshot
Bienville Parish HIV care continuum (2021)
Bienville Parish recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2021), against 22.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Bienville Parish residents living with HIV, 65.9% are in care · 59.1% 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 Bienville Parish tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
The old Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Pacific Railroad Depot anchors downtown Arcadia the way the town itself is anchored. By households that have largely stayed put, with six in ten residents owning their homes at values well below the national norm. That ownership majority shapes how health decisions get made here: they tend to be practical, budget-conscious calls made inside tight family units, because nearly three in ten adults are married and the average household runs close to three people. When one person decides to get screened, the cost and the calendar slot matter to everyone under that roof. What complicates follow-through is the labor picture.
With fewer than four in ten residents in the workforce at any given time, schedules aren't necessarily packed, but income headroom is slim. A typical monthly rent of under five hundred dollars signals how carefully most households here manage any out-of-pocket expense, including a clinic visit. Bienville Parish's STI figures are already displayed on this page, and they tell a story that directly concerns the young adults in their late teens and twenties who live here. Staying current with screening means those numbers stay visible rather than quietly compounding, which, in a community this size, has consequences everyone eventually notices.
Getting there
At 6.07/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Arcadia 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 71001 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 71001 area around Arcadia: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Arcadia alone.
Arcadia sits in Bienville Parish, ZIP 71001. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Arcadia? 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 Bienville Parish: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Louisiana 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 Arcadia-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 Arcadia 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Louisiana 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 LouisianaSource: 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 6 options within a 30-mile drive.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Louisiana Department of Health, about 0.5 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Bienville Parish reported ~760 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Louisiana average.
In Louisiana, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Go to an ER or call RAINN (800-656-4673); they provide testing, PEP, and support right away.
Wait roughly 1–2 weeks after exposure for a reliable chlamydia result.
Usually urine or a swab for chlamydia/gonorrhea, and blood for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis.
A urine test or swab finds trichomoniasis, one of the most treatable STIs.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.