In Putnam County, reported gonorrhea runs about 74% lower than the US average. Whether you live in Baxter, Tennessee, for a one-time concern or regular check-ups, you can choose from public clinics, which keep costs down, private labs that prioritize speed, and at-home kits that trade a clinic visit for convenience. Find your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Baxter, TN. The nearest, Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC, is about 0.3 miles away. Compare community and public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits below.
Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC in Baxter covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, conventional HIV, and hepatitis A, B, and C testing, with bacterial STI treatment available at the same visit. Fees run on a sliding scale, and both Medicare and Medicaid are accepted. Appointments are required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Tennessee Department of Health in Cookeville brings public health infrastructure to STI care: the full bacterial and viral panel, same-visit treatment for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis, HPV and hepatitis vaccines, and an appointment-based visit, all at no charge on a sliding scale.
For anyone managing care without insurance, without a regular provider, or simply paying out of pocket, the Tennessee Department of Health in Cookeville removes every dollar figure from the equation: testing, treatment, and vaccines all carry no charge, so the decision to come in is never a financial one.
For a Spanish speaker navigating STI testing, treatment decisions, or partner notification, this clinic delivers the entire clinical encounter in Spanish: not routed through a secondary resource, but as the primary mode of care, which matters most when discussing treatment options and follow-up.
Plenty of clinics will detect a hepatitis C infection and leave the treatment path to someone else entirely, Tennessee Department of Health in Cookeville closes that gap, managing hepatitis C on-site from diagnosis through treatment rather than handing the work off downstream.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Choice Health Network, a Positively Living Company in Cookeville, is a dedicated HIV and sexual health organization: meaning STI testing, treatment, and prevention are its core work, not a side service. The standard panel covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis B and C, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, all at no fee. Appointments are required.
Every test, treatment, vaccine, and prevention service at Choice Health Network costs nothing, which means PrEP, PEP, and hepatitis C treatment are as financially reachable as a basic HIV screen.
Leaving a testing appointment without a prevention prescription means an extra provider visit, extra time, and often extra cost before protection begins. Choice Health Network carries both PrEP and PEP on-site, so prevention doesn't stall between diagnosis and pharmacy.
Choice Health Network treats hepatitis C on-site, so a reactive test doesn't hand patients a specialist's name and a waiting period; clearance of the virus begins within the same organization that found it.
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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Baxter, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & up
Best range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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 Putnam 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.
435 North Cedar Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501
CMS-certified lab
115 North Peachtree Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1 Medical Center Boulevard, Cookeville, TN 38501
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Baxter. 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, 122 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Baxter. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 44 offer telehealth.
Stuart Ross, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 1225 South Willow Avenue, Cookeville
Lori Thomas-Steward, DO
Internal medicine · 753 Humble Drive, Cookeville
John Bassel, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 920 South Willow Avenue, Cookeville
Steven Alexander, MD
Family medicine · 768 South Willow Avenue, Cookeville
Adrian Vinas, MD
Family medicine · 335 West Spring Street, Cookeville
Audrey Tolbert, MD
Internal medicine · 345 West Broad Street, Cookeville
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 Baxter, TN 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.
Nunally Drug Store
0.4 miBaxter Pharmacy
1.3 miGenoa Healthcare
5.9 mi
6.7 mi 
6.7 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Baxter, TN.
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 Baxter, 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
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
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 Putnam County, the county that includes Baxter, compare with Tennessee 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.
#59 of 95 Tennessee counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 38% of the state
| Infection | Putnam County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 227.8 191 cases ▼ 56% | 517.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 46.5 39 cases ▼ 75% | 186.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 9.5 8 cases ▼ 36% | 14.8 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 4.8 4 cases ▼ 58% | 11.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 17.9 15 cases ▼ 32% | 26.4 | 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 Putnam County, chlamydia has fallen from 339.4 to 227.8 per 100,000 (33%), gonorrhea has fallen from 155.3 to 46.5 per 100,000 (70%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 2.5 to 9.5 per 100,000 (280%).
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 Putnam County.
Local HIV snapshot
Putnam County HIV care continuum (2022)
Putnam County recorded 7.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 14.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Putnam County residents living with HIV, 80.2% are in care · 73% 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 Putnam County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Baxter City Park anchors the quieter side of town off SR 56, and it's a useful reference point for understanding how daily life, and daily errands, actually move here. That competition is real for a lot of households here. Nearly two-thirds of residents own their homes, but the third who rent are managing on modest budgets, and with a meaningful share of working-age adults outside the labor force entirely, schedules aren't always predictable in the ways that make advance planning easy.
Large average households mean one car often serves multiple people's needs, and when unemployment touches a noticeable slice of the community, out-of-pocket costs, even modest ones, factor into decisions. For residents working irregular hours or juggling household responsibilities, the range of providers listed here (varying in hours, fees, and distance along the US 70N corridor) means there's likely a slot that fits a Wednesday afternoon as readily as a Saturday morning.
Getting there
At 4.24/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Baxter 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 38544 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 38544 area around Baxter: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Baxter alone.
Baxter sits in Putnam County, ZIP 38544. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Baxter? 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 Putnam County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Tennessee 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 a Baxter-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 Baxter 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Tennessee 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 TennesseeSource: 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 Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC (0.3 mi); 4 options are within 30 miles.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Yes, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 228 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Tennessee average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Tennessee, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
HPV and hepatitis B vaccines prevent those infections, ask a provider if you're due.
Yes, test after the window period, and if HIV exposure is a concern, ask about PEP within 72 hours.
Most STIs have no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know your status, get early treatment, and avoid passing one on.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.