Reported syphilis in Stoddard County runs about 34% higher than the US average. If you live in Bell City, Missouri, and need testing after a possible exposure or as part of routine care, weigh your options: public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience. See what's available in Bell City below.
Available testing centers
6 testing options are listed for Bell City, MO. The nearest, Cross Trails Medical Center, is about 7.5 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.
Cross Trails Medical Center in Advance carries federally qualified status, meaning its sliding-scale fees are tied directly to each patient's income: making syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening reachable for cash-paying patients, the uninsured, and anyone caught between providers who still needs a straight answer.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A safety-net rural health clinic about 10 miles from Bell City. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A free or low-cost STD-testing option about 10 miles from Bell City.
Languages
English
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 about 8 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Bell City, 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 Stoddard 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.
1200 North One Mile Road, Dexter, MO 63841
CMS-certified lab
307 North Gabriel Street, Advance, MO 63730
CMS-certified lab
250 South Hickman Street, Puxico, MO 63960
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Bell City. 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, 119 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Bell City. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 15 offer telehealth.
Philma Opinaldo, MD
Internal medicine · 1003, Bloomfield
Stephen Welton, MD
Internal medicine · 1126 North Main Street, Sikeston
Fred Uthoff, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 1019 North Main Street, Sikeston
Robert Dodson, MD
Internal medicine · 1102 Sikes Avenue, Sikeston
David Pfefferkorn, MD
Internal medicine · 1012 North Main Street, Sikeston
Abdel-Qader Al-Bashabsheh, MD
Internal medicine · 1008 North Main Street, Sikeston
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 Bell City, MO 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.
Advance Pharmacy
7.5 miHometown Pharmacy
12 miKiefer Thompson Pharma
14 mi
15 mi Logan & Seiler
16 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Bell City, MO.
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 Bell City, 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 Stoddard County, the county that includes Bell City, compare with Missouri and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~35% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#74 of 115 Missouri counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 36% of the state
| Infection | Stoddard County | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 193.7 55 cases ▼ 61% | 498.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 42.3 12 cases ▼ 79% | 201.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 21.1 6 cases ▼ 2% | 21.5 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 3.5 1 cases ▼ 72% | 12.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 24.7 7 cases ▼ 27% | 33.8 | 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 Stoddard County, chlamydia has fallen from 338.3 to 193.7 per 100,000 (43%), gonorrhea has fallen from 202.3 to 42.3 per 100,000 (79%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 3.5 to 21.1 per 100,000 (503%).
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 Stoddard County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Missouri 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.
Stoddard County HIV care continuum (2022)
Stoddard County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 10.6 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Stoddard County residents living with HIV, 81.8% are in care · 72.7% 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 Stoddard County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Bell City draws people who work in the region's manufacturing sector or tend to family land that's been in the same hands for generations. For young adults in that position (whether newly hired, recently back home, or balancing both) STI testing sits outside the everyday conversation, yet it's the kind of health step that fits quietly into a regular checkup. Testing in and around Bell City is available through providers listed on this page, and the confidentiality built into the process means results move no further than necessary. A town where people tend to recognize faces at the grocery store or the post office can feel like the last place to ask for screening. That tension is real, but clinics serving Bell City understand it.
The testing itself is straightforward and takes less time than most expect. Providers here keep patient information separate from casual knowledge, the person at the front desk and the person drawing blood or handling results operate in different lanes. Routine screening catches infections early, when treatment works fastest and the chance of passing something along drops sharply. Whether you grew up in Bell City, moved here recently, or pass through regularly, testing in and around the area is there when you need it, without fanfare or delay.
Getting there
At 5.44/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Bell City 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 63735 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 63735 area around Bell City: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Bell City alone.
Bell City sits in Stoddard County, ZIP 63735. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Bell City? 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 Stoddard County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Missouri 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 Bell City-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 Bell City 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 Missouri 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 Missouri, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Missouri 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 MissouriSource: 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.
Possibly, Bloomfield, MO is close; compare it by distance against Cross Trails Medical Center.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
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 194 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Missouri average.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 63735; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
In Missouri, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
It's cured with antibiotics; treating partners together prevents reinfection.
Yes, HSV-1 from the mouth can spread to the genital area through oral sex.
It depends: a blood draw covers HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis, while urine or a swab covers chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.