In Polk County, new HIV diagnoses run about 59% higher than the US average. If you've had a recent risk or simply test on a regular schedule in Auburndale, Florida, consider the trade-offs: public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience. See the options for testing below.
Available testing centers
8 testing options are listed for Auburndale, FL. The nearest, Labcorp at Walgreens, is about 3.4 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.
Florida Department of Health in Polk County, Auburndale's public health department, delivers the full bacterial and viral STI panel (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, HIV, and TB) with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, by appointment, at no fee.
When a fee stands between a person and follow-up care, infections go untreated and spread. At Florida Department of Health in Polk County, every service on the list (testing, treatment, vaccines, PrEP) carries no charge, so cost never becomes the reason a diagnosis goes unaddressed.
A language gap in STI care means delayed understanding of a diagnosis, missed treatment steps, and lost follow-up. Florida Department of Health in Polk County delivers care directly in Spanish, so clinical conversations (about results, treatment plans, and prevention) happen without delay or distortion.
Florida Department of Health in Polk County prescribes both PrEP and PEP on-site: meaning ongoing HIV prevention is managed within the same appointment structure that handles testing and STI treatment, without sending patients elsewhere for the prescription or the monitoring labs that keep PrEP effective.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
A public safety-net federally qualified health center about 6 miles from Auburndale. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Central Florida Health Care in Winter Haven tests for gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, HIV, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C on a sliding-scale fee open to everyone, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and appointments required to be seen.
Central Florida Health Care prescribes both PrEP and PEP on-site, which means a single appointment can move a patient from testing to an active prevention strategy without a separate provider or a gap in coverage.
Plenty of clinics will confirm a hepatitis C infection and leave the rest to someone else, Central Florida Health Care carries hepatitis C treatment through to completion on-site, alongside hepatitis B treatment, so the diagnosis doesn't become a starting point for an entirely separate care journey.
The standard four-infection screen misses herpes entirely and rarely includes hepatitis A, B, or C: Central Florida Health Care tests for all of them, giving a fuller picture of exposure without requiring separate appointments or outside labs.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
The Haley Center in Winter Haven tests for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB, treating bacterial infections the same visit. All of it free, no sliding scale required, walk-ins welcome.
The Haley Center carries no charge for any service on its list, not the rapid HIV test, not the hepatitis B vaccine, not PrEP, not TB treatment. That zero applies uniformly: donations are accepted but never expected, and nothing here is gated behind a fee tier.
Prevention prescribing rarely lands in the same clinic that does the testing, most people walk out with paperwork toward a separate provider. The Haley Center writes PrEP and PEP prescriptions directly, keeping the prevention continuum inside one location rather than splitting it across appointments.
The Haley Center carries hepatitis C care through to treatment, prescribing direct-acting antivirals and monitoring response in-house, with hepatitis B treatment handled the same way. Diagnosis triggers a treatment pathway at the same clinic, not a handoff to a specialist elsewhere.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
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 3 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Auburndale, 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.
2000 Osprey Blvd Suite 204 Room P1, Bartow, FL 33830
CMS-certified lab
40100 Hwy 27, Davenport, FL 33837
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
560 Ave K Southeast, Winter Haven, FL 33880
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Auburndale. 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, 779 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Auburndale. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 177 offer telehealth.
Byron Dean, DO
Family medicine · 215 Orange Street, Auburndale
Amaury Diaz, MD
Infectious disease · 1749 Holt Road, Auburndale
Andrew Hein, DO
Family medicine · 1514 1st Street North, Winter Haven
Pramjeet Ahluwalia, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 603 6th Street Northwest, Winter Haven
Michael Keown, MD
Internal medicine · 635 1st Street North, Winter Haven
Alfreda Hampton, MD
OB-GYN · 200 Ave F Northeast, Winter Haven
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 Auburndale, FL 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.
2.3 mi 
2.8 mi 
2.8 mi Benzer Pharacy
3.0 miMedicine Shoppe Pharmacy
3.0 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Auburndale, FL.
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 Auburndale, 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.
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
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
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 Auburndale, compare with Florida 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.
#17 of 67 Florida counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 75% of the state
| Infection | Polk County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 519.8 4,254 cases ▲ 4% | 498.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 175.8 1,439 cases ▼ 15% | 206.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 15.9 130 cases ▼ 18% | 19.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 15.2 124 cases ▼ 39% | 25.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 21.5 176 cases ▼ 43% | 37.7 | 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 risen from 501.2 to 519.8 per 100,000 (4%), gonorrhea has fallen from 202.2 to 175.8 per 100,000 (13%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 12 to 15.9 per 100,000 (32%).
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 21.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 22.7 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Polk County residents living with HIV, 81.4% are in care · 73.7% 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
Lake Myrtle Sports Complex draws families and weekend crowds from across the county, and that visible, community-rooted side of Auburndale reflects something real: the majority of residents here own their homes, and households average more than three people, which means health decisions rarely affect just one person. Nearly half of adults are married, so conversations about routine screening often involve partners and shared schedules, not just individual choices. That household scale matters because roughly a quarter of Auburndale's population sits in the years when STI transmission is most common, the late teens through mid-twenties when relationships are forming and testing habits are still being established.
With most earning power concentrated below six figures and a significant share of the labor force working conventional or shift-based hours, carving out time on Dixie Highway or Old Lake Alfred Road for a clinic visit can genuinely compete with other obligations. Rent that stays under nine hundred dollars a month keeps housing costs manageable for renters, but it also signals a community where budgets are watched closely, making low-cost and no-cost options more than a nice-to-have. Finding one that opens early or stays open past five gives the many residents who are clocked in most of the day a window that doesn't require trading a shift for a test.
Getting there
At 6.56/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Auburndale 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 33823 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 33823 area around Auburndale: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Auburndale alone.
Auburndale sits in Polk County, ZIP 33823. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Auburndale? 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 Florida 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 Auburndale-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 Auburndale 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 Florida 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 Florida, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Florida 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 FloridaSource: 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.
The closest is Labcorp at Walgreens (3.4 mi); 8 options are within 30 miles.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Yes, Florida Department of Health in Polk County (3.9 mi) offers free testing, and public clinics serve the uninsured.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 520 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Florida average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Florida, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
A clinic offers same-day answers and on-site treatment; an at-home kit trades that for privacy and convenience, both use real lab testing.
Yes, the CDC recommends STI screening early in pregnancy, since untreated infections can affect the baby.
Expedited partner therapy lets a provider treat a partner without an exam, where state law allows.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.