Ouachita County reports about 106 syphilis cases per 100,000 residents, well above the US average. You might want STI testing before starting a new relationship or as part of ongoing care in Bearden, Arkansas. Consider whether you'd prefer answering questions and starting treatment at a clinic or mailing in samples collected at home.
Available testing centers
6 testing options are listed for Bearden, AR. The nearest, Cabun Rural Health Services, is about 0.3 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.
Cabun Rural Health Services in Bearden is a rural health clinic where appointments are required: plan ahead and a single visit covers the full panel, sliding-scale fees, same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, and HPV, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B vaccines.
Cabun Rural Health Services maintains Spanish-language services and interpretation access as part of its clinical staffing, not an add-on arranged after scheduling. That means the intake, counseling, and treatment conversation happen in the language the provider and patient share. No relay, no delay in the room.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Cabun's testing protocol extends to herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C: each ordered, collected, and followed up through the same clinic. That means results and any necessary management, including hepatitis counseling, stay within a single care relationship rather than scattered across referrals.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A safety-net rural health clinic about 12 miles from Bearden. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Arkansas Department of Health in Fordyce runs on a sliding-scale fee and accepts both insurance and Medicaid, with no appointment required. The standard panel covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB. With same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs and care available in Spanish.
Spanish-language services at the Arkansas Department of Health in Fordyce are built into clinical operations: counseling, test results, and treatment conversations happen directly in Spanish rather than routed through an add-on service. That means a patient's care is delivered, not mediated.
Arkansas Department of Health in Fordyce tests for herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C alongside the bacterial and viral STI panel, which means a single visit can surface infections that a narrower screen would leave undetected and unaddressed.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 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 Bearden, 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 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 Ouachita 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.
638 California Avenue Southwest, Camden, AR 71701
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 1 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Bearden. 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, 14 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Bearden. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit.
Kaitlin Mcnamara, DO
Family medicine · 201 North Clifton Street, Fordyce
David Foscue, MD
General practice · 110 North Clifton Street, Fordyce
Michael Campbell, MD
OB-GYN · 476 Hospital Drive, Camden
Richard Davis, MD
Family medicine · 1400 Pershing Highway, Smackover
John Harris, MD
Family medicine · 217 North Main Street, Rison
Kimberly Golden, MD
Family medicine · 505 Sycamore Street, Rison
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 Bearden, AR 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.
Totty Enterprises
0.3 miBrookshires Pharmacy
12 mi
12 mi The Prescription Store
13 miWatson Pharmacy
13 miHampton Pharmacy
16 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Bearden, AR.
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 Bearden, 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 $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
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
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 Ouachita County, the county that includes Bearden, compare with Arkansas and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~17% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#11 of 75 Arkansas counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 85% of the state
| Infection | Ouachita County | Arkansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 904 197 cases ▲ 56% | 579.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 403.8 88 cases ▲ 109% | 193.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 105.5 23 cases ▲ 261% | 29.2 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 18.4 4 cases ▲ 6% | 17.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 68.8 15 cases ▲ 43% | 48 | 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 Ouachita County, chlamydia has risen from 662.3 to 904 per 100,000 (36%), gonorrhea has risen from 348.8 to 403.8 per 100,000 (16%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 30.9 to 105.5 per 100,000 (241%).
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 Ouachita County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Arkansas is one of the U.S. jurisdictions prioritized under the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative: targeted federal funding to expand local HIV testing, PrEP, and prevention.
Ouachita County HIV care continuum (2023)
Among Ouachita County residents living with HIV, 15.4% are in care · 15.4% 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 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 Ouachita County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Bearden draws young adults who've landed jobs at regional companies or chosen to stay rooted after college, people building lives here rather than passing through. That stability brings a particular kind of responsibility: staying on top of sexual health without fanfare. Confidential STI testing is available in and around Bearden through the clinics listed on this page, and the straightforward approach most offer means you can schedule discreetly and get results without the weight of local gossip. The community's character (financially comfortable, established) can make candid health conversations feel unnecessary until they become urgent. That's precisely when testing matters.
Bearden residents with access to private insurance often have the luxury of using their regular provider, but the testing sites available locally also serve people who prefer a different setting, no questions asked. Getting screened early and routinely isn't about drama or crisis; it's basic maintenance for anyone sexually active. The clinics in and around town understand that, and they're set up to make the process straightforward: appointment, test, results delivered confidentially to you alone. That's the standard here, as it should be everywhere.
Getting there
At 3.97/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Bearden 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 71720 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 71720 area around Bearden: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Bearden alone.
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Bearden? 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 Ouachita County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Arkansas 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 Bearden-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 Bearden 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Arkansas 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 ArkansasSource: 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 3 options within a 30-mile drive.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Public health clinics nearby provide free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Ouachita County reported ~904 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Arkansas average.
In Arkansas, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
Teen and campus health clinics and public health departments offer youth-friendly, low-cost testing.
Public and community clinics test everyone; several provide LGBTQ-affirming services.
No, most STIs have no visible signs, so the only way to know is to test.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.