Luzerne County’s reported syphilis rate is 27% lower than the national average. In Avoca, Pennsylvania, whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening, you'll find both community and public clinics that often offer low-cost or free testing, and private labs that may provide faster results and more flexible scheduling. To compare your options, see the list below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Avoca, PA. The nearest, Labcorp, is about 3.7 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.
The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Counseling Practice, in Scranton, carries federally qualified status, meaning STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) is priced on a sliding scale tied to your income. As a Title X grantee, it also provides legally confidential family-planning services for minors. No appointment needed.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
The Wright Center for Community Health School Based Practice in Scranton welcomes walk-ins for STI screening under its federally qualified health center charter, with fees scaled to income. A single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing, making same-day care straightforward for anyone who walks through the door.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Scranton Primary Health Care Center pairs gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis C, conventional HIV, and TB testing with same-visit bacterial STI treatment, sliding-scale fees accepted by all, and appointment-based care delivered with full clinical capacity in Spanish.
Spanish-speaking staff handle the clinical encounter directly (history, diagnosis, treatment instructions, and follow-up planning) without relay through a secondary service. That means prescriptions written, dosing explained, and monitoring scheduled in Spanish from the same provider running the visit.
Scranton Primary Health Care Center treats hepatitis C on-site, which means a confirmed diagnosis moves directly into a managed treatment plan at the same clinic. No handoff to a separate specialist to begin antiviral therapy.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, the panel at Scranton Primary Health Care Center includes hepatitis C and TB testing, so infections that share transmission routes or co-occur with STIs get caught in the same appointment rather than requiring a separate clinical encounter.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
The Wright Center for Community Health in Scranton requires an appointment, and that single visit covers rapid and conventional HIV testing, hepatitis C, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, all at no fee on a sliding scale.
For anyone managing cash expenses (no employer coverage, no regular provider, no prescription budget) The Wright Center absorbs the full cost of testing, treatment, and ongoing care. Free HIV and STI testing, free mpox vaccine, and PrEP covered for the uninsured means the financial side simply doesn't enter the equation.
Ryan White funding at The Wright Center staffs the full arc of HIV care: antiretroviral prescribing, viral load and CD4 monitoring, and medication adherence counseling are coordinated within the same clinic. That continuity means treatment isn't handed off, the clinical relationship that starts at diagnosis is the one that manages it.
PrEP (typically Truvada or its generic, requiring HIV testing and renal labs at initiation and every three months) is prescribed and monitored directly at The Wright Center, with coverage extended to uninsured patients. PEP is also available, giving the clinic a continuous prevention range from pre-exposure daily dosing through post-exposure intervention.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
McKinney Clinic in Wilkes Barre was built for people who are uninsured, between providers, or paying out of pocket, and its federally qualified status means sliding-scale fees follow income, not circumstance. Walk-in STI screening covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia without an appointment required.
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 4 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Avoca, 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 Luzerne 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.
675 Baltimore Drive, Wilkes Barre, PA 18702
CMS-certified lab
1054 Wyoming Avenue, Suite #16, Wyoming, PA 18644
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
1201 Oak Street, Pittston, PA 18640
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Avoca. 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, 454 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Avoca. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 182 offer telehealth.
Paul Rutkowski, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 526 Main Street, Dupont
James Kosik, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 824 Mcalpine Street, Avoca
Martin Moran, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 217 Lackawanna Avenue, Dupont
Mark Lyons, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 532 Main Street, Moosic
Guy Fasciana, MD
Internal medicine · 605 Main Street, Duryea
Michael Jalowiec, DO
Internal medicine · 821 South Main Street, Old Forge
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 Avoca, 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.
Llewellyns Drugs
0.0 miKonicki Pharmacy
1.2 miFamily Prescription CTR
1.4 miCapitano's Pharmacy
1.7 miOld Forge Pharmacy
1.7 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Avoca, 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 Avoca, 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 $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
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 Luzerne County, the county that includes Avoca, compare with Pennsylvania 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.
#10 of 67 Pennsylvania counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 85% of the state
| Infection | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 360.7 1,181 cases ▼ 14% | 421.2 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 70.6 231 cases ▼ 51% | 144.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 11.6 38 cases ▲ 27% | 9.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 10.1 33 cases ▼ 2% | 10.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 15 49 cases ▲ 32% | 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 Luzerne County, chlamydia has fallen from 384.8 to 360.7 per 100,000 (6%), gonorrhea has fallen from 81.1 to 70.6 per 100,000 (13%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 4.9 to 11.6 per 100,000 (137%).
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 Luzerne County.
Local HIV snapshot
Luzerne County HIV care continuum (2023)
Luzerne County recorded 6.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 8.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Luzerne County residents living with HIV, 81% are in care · 61.9% 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 Luzerne County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
The anthracite legacy runs through Avoca's bedrock, and so does a practical sense of looking after what matters: homes, families, and the health decisions that keep life on track. Young adults who've stayed in town or moved back understand that routine STI screening fits seamlessly into regular checkups, without fanfare or fuss. Testing clinics and providers in and around Avoca listed on this page offer the straightforward, confidential appointments that fit into ordinary life here, where people tend to know their doctors and value their trust. What makes screening accessible in Avoca is the absence of performance or spectacle. You schedule when it suits you, results stay private, and the conversations stay between you and the medical professionals who see you.
For residents in their twenties and thirties (whether they're building careers, settling into partnerships, or simply being cautious about their bodies) that combination of convenience and discretion removes the barriers that sometimes keep people from getting tested elsewhere. The community's stability means many people have long-term relationships with local healthcare providers, a foundation that makes health decisions feel less isolating. Testing isn't framed as crisis management or scandal avoidance; it's part of the same routine that brings you in for a physical or a dental cleaning. That ordinary framing, paired with real confidentiality and the medical competence you'd expect, is what testing in Avoca offers.
Getting there
At 8/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Avoca 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 18641 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 18641 area around Avoca: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Avoca alone.
Avoca sits in Luzerne County, ZIP 18641. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Avoca? 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 Luzerne 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 Avoca-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 Avoca 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.
Yes, several local labs offer same-day walk-in testing; best to call first.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
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.
Luzerne County reported ~361 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.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
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, syphilis is cured with antibiotics (usually penicillin), and earlier treatment prevents long-term damage.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.