Chlamydia rates in Highlands County are about 38% lower than the US average. If you need testing in Avon Park, Florida, whether it's after a possible exposure or as part of routine care, you can choose between visiting a clinic for immediate answers and care, or using an at-home kit for your convenience. These are available from the options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Avon Park, FL. The nearest, Quest Diagnostics, is about 0.6 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 safety-net rural health clinic in Avon Park. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A safety-net rural health clinic about 2 miles from Avon Park. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A community safety-net federally qualified health center about 2 miles from Avon Park. 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 Avon Park delivers STI testing and treatment through a community health center that also carries family planning and TB care. Appointments are required; the standard bacterial infections are treated same visit, and fees scale to income across all payers.
PrEP at Central Florida Health Care isn't a referral destination: the prescribing, lab monitoring, and medication adherence counseling all run through the same clinical staff who handle your testing. That continuity means dosing schedules and follow-up labs stay tracked in one place, with the same providers watching for resistance or side effects over time.
Plenty of STI clinics cap their panel at gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV and send patients elsewhere for anything broader. Central Florida Health Care adds herpes, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C testing to that baseline. Covering the infections most likely to be missed when a clinic draws a hard line at four.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
J Agustin Lacson MD in Avon Park runs on a zero-fee model backed by Ryan White funding, covering rapid and conventional HIV tests, hepatitis A, B, and C, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and TB. With Medicaid and private insurance also accepted. Appointments are required.
The no-fee model at J Agustin Lacson MD is sustained by Ryan White program dollars and free HIV and hepatitis C test funding, not a waiver applied case by case. That means the billing infrastructure is built around cost elimination, so the full panel, PrEP, and treatment services operate under the same zero-fee ceiling without means testing at intake.
Spanish and Tagalog aren't accommodated through supplemental services, they're part of how clinical work at J Agustin Lacson MD actually runs. Counseling, medication adherence education, and HIV or hepatitis treatment discussions are conducted directly in either language, which shapes what gets documented, what gets understood, and what gets followed through.
For someone without a regular HIV provider or managing costs on their own, J Agustin Lacson MD holds Ryan White Program funding that covers the full arc: rapid testing, confirmation, HIV/AIDS medical treatment, and medication adherence counseling. PrEP and PEP are also on-site, meaning prevention and treatment live in the same funded practice.
Languages
English, Spanish, Tagalog
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · 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 Avon Park, 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 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 Highlands 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.
3140 US Hwy 27 South, Avon Park, FL 33825
CMS-certified lab
1396 Whisper Circle, Sebring, FL 33870
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
3600 South Highlands Avenue, Sebring, FL 33870
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Avon Park. 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, 98 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Avon Park. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 23 offer telehealth.
Juan Lacson, MD Telehealth
Infectious disease · 3300 US Hwy 27 South, Avon Park
Javier Corea, MD
Family medicine · 1006 West Pleasant Street, Avon Park
Prixit Sharma, MD
Internal medicine · 1005 West Circle Street, Avon Park
Rayda Rosado Medina, MD
Family medicine · 950 Co Rd 17A, Avon Park
Shailesh Joshi, MD
Internal medicine · 6801 US Hwy 27 North, Sebring
Dipakkumar Upadhyaya, MD
OB-GYN · 6801 US 27, Sebring
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 Avon Park, 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.
0.5 mi 
0.5 mi 
0.6 mi Avon Pharmacy
1.7 miHeartland Pharmacy Vital Care
3.3 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Avon Park, 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 Avon Park, 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
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
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
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 Highlands County, the county that includes Avon Park, compare with Florida and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~23% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#48 of 67 Florida counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 28% of the state
| Infection | Highlands County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 303.9 327 cases ▼ 39% | 498.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 79 85 cases ▼ 62% | 206.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 8.4 9 cases ▼ 56% | 19.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 7.4 8 cases ▼ 71% | 25.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 16.7 18 cases ▼ 56% | 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 Highlands County, chlamydia has fallen from 314.1 to 303.9 per 100,000 (3%), gonorrhea has fallen from 128.4 to 79 per 100,000 (38%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 6.9 to 8.4 per 100,000 (22%).
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 Highlands County.
Local HIV snapshot
Highlands County HIV care continuum (2023)
Highlands County recorded 16.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 22.7 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Highlands County residents living with HIV, 81.5% are in care · 74.1% 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 Highlands County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
US Highway 27 North stretches out of town past scrub flats and citrus groves, and the drive to a clinic from Whispering Pines or Lemon Tree can eat thirty minutes each way on a workday. A real cost when nearly half of Highlands County's residents aren't in the labor force and those who are often work schedules that don't bend easily around appointments. That economic texture shapes who gets screened and when. With almost half of Avon Park renting at rents that leave little slack, and households running larger than the national average, a testing visit isn't just a time question: it's a calculation that weighs gas, lost wages, and childcare against a routine health step.
Younger adults in their late teens and twenties, the demographic that sees the steepest STI rates everywhere, are navigating those same tradeoffs while forming new relationships and moving between jobs. In a place where high earners are rare and unemployment runs deep, low-cost or sliding-scale options aren't a convenience. They're the condition that makes screening realistic at all. The clinics listed on this page vary in hours, fees, and how far off FL 17 they sit, so the right choice here usually comes down to which one's schedule lines up with yours and whether it's reachable before the drive back through Cornell Colony feels like a second job.
Getting there
At 7.46/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Avon Park 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 33825 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 33825 area around Avon Park: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Avon Park alone.
Avon Park sits in Highlands County, ZIP 33825. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Avon Park? 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 Highlands 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 Avon Park-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 Avon Park 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.
There are 9 options within a 30-mile drive.
Free at public clinics. Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
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.
Highlands County reported ~304 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Florida average.
In Florida, 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.
A positive means treatment is the next step; many STIs are cured with antibiotics, and all are treatable.
No; "everything" means a panel of several tests, and some need a repeat later to be conclusive.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.