In Beaufort, North Carolina, reported gonorrhea in Carteret County runs about 62% lower than the U.S. average. If you're wondering about your health, whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind, consider that clinics may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, while many private labs let you pay a flat self-pay price. See your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Beaufort, NC. The nearest, Labcorp at Walgreens, is about 4.8 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.
Goshen Medical Center - Morehead City, serving Morehead City, welcomes walk-ins for STI screening without an appointment. Federally qualified status ties fees to a sliding income scale, making a single visit cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing at a cost shaped by what you actually earn.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Carteret County Health Department in Morehead runs appointment-based STI care covering the full standard panel, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia. All on a sliding-scale fee structure with every service available at no cost.
The sliding-scale fee schedule here reaches all the way to zero, no minimum charge, no service excluded from that floor. That means TB testing, herpes testing, hepatitis panels, STI treatment, and vaccines like Mpox and HPV all fall under the same no-cost ceiling when income warrants it.
Spanish is a supported language at Carteret County Health Department, which means clinical conversations (exposure history, treatment instructions, follow-up guidance) happen directly in Spanish rather than being relayed through a secondary channel.
Testing here extends beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV to include herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C, so a single visit can produce a more complete picture of sexual health status without scheduling additional appointments elsewhere.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
MainStreet Family Care in Havelock sees patients without an appointment, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and TB in a single visit, with fees on a sliding scale and same-visit treatment for bacterial infections. Closing on PrEP and PEP for ongoing and immediate prevention.
MainStreet Family Care carries both PrEP and PEP as standing clinical services, meaning anyone who needs ongoing HIV prevention or a time-sensitive post-exposure course can get a prescription here without first establishing care elsewhere. For patients who pay out of pocket or lack a regular primary provider, that direct access removes a real barrier.
Beyond the standard four, MainStreet tests for herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, which means a single visit can surface infections that a narrower panel would leave undetected and unaddressed. Catching hepatitis B here also connects directly to the clinic's on-site adult hepatitis B vaccination.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Craven County Community Health Center- Havelock earns its federally qualified designation partly through a sliding-scale fee structure tied to household income, making STI screening financially reachable across income levels. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing. No appointment needed to get started.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Contentnea Health Pamlico in Bayboro meets patients where other options fall short: whether they're uninsured, between providers, or paying out of pocket. Federal qualification backs its sliding-scale fees, making syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening genuinely affordable regardless of income or insurance status.
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 5 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Beaufort, 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 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 Carteret 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.
3500 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC 28557
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2900 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC 28557
CMS-certified lab
302 Medical Park Court, Morehead City, NC 28557
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Beaufort. 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, 96 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Beaufort. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 20 offer telehealth.
James Crosswell, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 97 Campen Road, Beaufort
Kerry Willis, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 1620 Live Oak Street, Beaufort
Charles Stafford, MD
Family medicine · 3004 Bridges Street, Morehead City
Joseph Mccabe, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 505 North 35th Street, Morehead City
Theresa Johnson, MD
OB-GYN · 3511 John Platt Drive, Morehead City
Kathryn Lucas, MD
Internal medicine · 623 North 35th Street, Morehead City
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 Beaufort, NC 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.
Lookout Pharmacy
0.4 miBeaufort Drug
0.4 mi
0.5 mi Realo Drugs
0.7 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Beaufort, NC.
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 Beaufort, 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
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
$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
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 Carteret County, the county that includes Beaufort, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~20% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#81 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 19% of the state
| Infection | Carteret County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 227 158 cases ▼ 63% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 67.5 47 cases ▼ 72% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 10.1 7 cases ▼ 49% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 4.3 3 cases ▼ 73% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 8.6 6 cases ▼ 64% | 24 | 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 Carteret County, chlamydia has fallen from 297 to 227 per 100,000 (24%), gonorrhea has fallen from 76.8 to 67.5 per 100,000 (12%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 1.5 to 10.1 per 100,000 (573%).
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 Carteret County.
Local HIV snapshot
Carteret County HIV care continuum (2023)
Carteret County recorded 8.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Carteret County residents living with HIV, 75.3% are in care · 63.5% 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 Carteret County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
US 70 rolling across the Grayden Paul Bridge into Beaufort puts the nearest clinic a real drive from town, and for a place where more than half of residents rent rather than own, that drive is a genuine calculation against a tight monthly budget. The rental majority here, paying modest rents by coastal Carolina standards, and the relatively small share of households bringing in six figures, means cost and time both weigh on health decisions. Layer in a labor-force participation rate that leaves a notable portion of adults outside traditional nine-to-five schedules, and an unemployment rate that adds financial unpredictability, and it becomes clear why the options listed on this page matter: low-cost or sliding-scale access cuts two barriers at once.
People in their late teens and twenties, already navigating early-career instability, are the group for whom a complicated or expensive screening process most reliably becomes something postponed rather than done. Beaufort also skews toward smaller households and a sizable share of unmarried adults, which means more people are at life stages where new relationships, changing circumstances, or simply getting an annual baseline makes routine testing genuinely relevant. A household of two or three near Fort Macon State Park, one partner working irregular hours, finds that a same-day or low-cost appointment a drive up US 70 can fit between the practical demands of an ordinary Wednesday.
Getting there
At 6.02/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Beaufort 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 28516 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 28516 area around Beaufort: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Beaufort alone.
Beaufort sits in Carteret County, ZIP 28516. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Beaufort? 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 Carteret County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under North Carolina 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 Beaufort-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 Beaufort 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
North Carolina 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 North CarolinaSource: 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 6 options within a 30-mile drive.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
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.
Carteret County reported ~227 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the North Carolina average.
In North Carolina, 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.
Wait roughly 1–2 weeks after exposure for a reliable chlamydia result.
Go to an ER or call RAINN (800-656-4673); they provide testing, PEP, and support right away.
Usually urine or a swab for chlamydia/gonorrhea, and blood for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.