New HIV diagnoses in Gaston County run about 31% higher than the US average. Whether you're thinking about the next step in your relationship or managing your health over time in Belmont, North Carolina, consider the trade-off between clinics, with their insurance options or sliding-scale fees, and private labs, which usually charge a flat self-pay fee. We have a list of options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Belmont, NC. The nearest, CaroMont Health, is about 2.5 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.
CaroMont Health in Gastonia delivers STI testing (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis C) alongside family planning and vaccines, with appointments required and all services provided at no fee, with sliding-scale fees and major insurance also accepted.
When cost is the reason someone delays or skips follow-through, an infection goes unmanaged and a partner goes unwarned. CaroMont Health in Gastonia removes that brake entirely, every service, from initial testing to STI treatment, carries no charge.
Leaving herpes or hepatitis C undetected means living with transmission risk and, for hepatitis C, missing the window for curative treatment. CaroMont Health's panel covers both, so the answer, and the path to management, comes from a single visit in Gastonia.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Kintegra at CaroMont Women Health - Belmont, in Belmont, welcomes walk-in patients without an appointment. Federally qualified status ties fees to a sliding income-based scale, and a single visit can cover screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Novant Health-GoHealth Urgent Care in Charlotte tests for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and hepatitis, treats bacterial STIs the same visit, and accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance, with a fee scale that adjusts to income. Walk-ins welcome, no appointment needed.
Leaving herpes or hepatitis undetected means a separate referral, a second scheduling wait, and an infection continuing unmanaged in the gap. Novant Health-GoHealth Urgent Care in Charlotte runs hepatitis A, B, and C testing alongside the standard bacterial panel, plus herpes, so a single visit closes the diagnostic picture instead of opening more questions.
PrEP at Novant Health-GoHealth Urgent Care in Charlotte isn't a prescription handed off without context: the clinic pairs it with medication adherence education and counseling, meaning dosing consistency and follow-up are built into the care plan. PEP is also available for post-exposure management when prevention needs shift.
Without language access on-site, a patient who doesn't speak English fluently walks out with instructions they can't fully act on. A prescription misunderstood, a follow-up missed, treatment delayed. Novant Health-GoHealth Urgent Care in Charlotte offers interpretation services so that the clinical conversation, the treatment plan, and the medication guidance all land clearly the first time.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Charlotte Community Health Clinic covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, HIV, and TB, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, all at no fee on a sliding scale, by appointment in Charlotte.
Charlotte Community Health Clinic charges nothing for any service it provides, testing, vaccines, treatment, prevention. That means a patient leaves with results and, when applicable, a prescription in hand, without settling a bill on the way out.
Charlotte Community Health Clinic holds Ryan White funding, which means HIV care doesn't stop at a positive test result. It extends through ongoing treatment and medication management. For someone without a regular HIV provider or paying out of pocket, that continuity is the clinic's standing offer.
Plenty of testing sites leave prevention medication to someone else's prescription pad. Charlotte Community Health Clinic writes PrEP and PEP prescriptions directly, keeping HIV prevention in the same hands as HIV testing.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Kintegra Health Admin - New Hope in Gastonia welcomes walk-ins for STI screening without an appointment. Federally qualified status means fees slide with income, so a single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing at a cost that adjusts to what a patient actually earns.
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 3 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Belmont, 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 Gaston 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.
1000 Caromont Parkway, Belmont, NC 28012
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
451 East Charlotte Avenue, Mount Holly, NC 28120
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2544 Court Drive Suite C, Gastonia, NC 28054
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Belmont. 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, 1,696 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Belmont. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 641 offer telehealth.
Sarah Kabemba Tshitenge, MD
Family medicine · 1223 Spruce Street, Belmont
David Rinehart, MD
Family medicine · 1220 Spruce Street, Belmont
Logan Proffitt, MD
Family medicine · 1220 Spruce Street, Belmont
James Griggs, MD
Family medicine · 420 Park Street, Belmont
Cristian Pantea, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 4235 South New Hope Road, Gastonia
Donna Baldassare, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 6327 Jepson Court, Charlotte
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 Belmont, 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.
Harris Teeter Pharmacy
0.3 miBelmont's Drug Store
1.6 miCramerton Drug Company
2.1 mi
2.2 mi 
2.2 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Belmont, 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 Belmont, 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 $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or 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 Gaston County, the county that includes Belmont, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~30% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#32 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 68% of the state
| Infection | Gaston County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 592.2 1,405 cases ▼ 3% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 249.5 592 cases ▲ 3% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 26.6 63 cases ▲ 34% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 17.7 42 cases ▲ 12% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 30.8 73 cases ▲ 28% | 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 Gaston County, chlamydia has fallen from 686.1 to 592.2 per 100,000 (14%), gonorrhea has fallen from 318.5 to 249.5 per 100,000 (22%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 12.7 to 26.6 per 100,000 (109%).
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 Gaston County.
Local HIV snapshot
Gaston County HIV care continuum (2023)
Gaston County recorded 18 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Gaston County residents living with HIV, 84.7% are in care · 74.6% 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 Gaston County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Belmont runs decidedly owner-heavy, with roughly two-thirds of residents holding mortgages on homes near Lakewood or the Riverfront Homes & Marina corridor, and that tenure split matters more than it might seem. Owners tend to stay put, build routines around their neighborhood, and sometimes delay healthcare appointments that feel optional. The third of the community that rents, managing a monthly cost that leaves little buffer, often faces different math: fewer flexible hours, tighter budgets, and less certainty about what local clinics actually charge. Add in a workforce where a meaningful share of adults are juggling employment, and discretionary appointments, including STI screening, can drift.
That drift is worth naming because Belmont's younger adults, the late-teen and twenty-something crowd still figuring out relationships and health habits, are the ones for whom delayed testing carries the steepest consequences. The options listed on this page vary enough in cost, hours, and location that the right one is genuinely findable. For households where over a third are bringing in six figures but nearly half are stretched across families averaging three-plus people, cost and time matter differently to different residents. The clinics listed here reflect that range, which is exactly why browsing them specifically, rather than assuming any single option fits, is the practical move in Belmont.
Getting there
At 8.96/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Belmont 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 28012 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 28012 area around Belmont: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Belmont alone.
Belmont sits in Gaston County, ZIP 28012. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Belmont? 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 Gaston 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 Belmont-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 Belmont 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 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+.
CaroMont Health, about 2.5 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Gaston County reported ~592 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.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
Usually urine or a swab for chlamydia/gonorrhea, and blood for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis.
Go to an ER or call RAINN (800-656-4673); they provide testing, PEP, and support right away.
It can: too soon and a real infection may not show yet. Retest after the window to be sure.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.