Bristol, Virginia reported gonorrhea runs about 30% lower than the national average. If you're considering testing before starting a new relationship or as part of ongoing care, weigh the pros and cons of public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Bristol, VA. The nearest, Virginia Department of Health, is about 1.6 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.
Virginia Department of Health in Bristol requires an appointment and covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and TB in a single visit, bacterial infections treated the same day, with every service provided at no fee.
When cost stops someone from returning for treatment or follow-up, an infection stays active longer than it should. At Virginia Department of Health in Bristol, the fee for every service (testing, treatment, vaccines, PrEP) is zero, so nothing in the billing process interrupts care.
Gaps in clinical Spanish don't just create awkward appointments, they produce missed diagnoses and undertreated infections. Virginia Department of Health in Bristol delivers care directly in Spanish, so the conversation between patient and provider carries the full weight it needs to.
DoxyPEP, doxycycline taken after a potential bacterial STI exposure, sits alongside daily oral PrEP and PEP at Virginia Department of Health in Bristol, giving providers three distinct prevention tools to match to a person's actual exposure patterns and risk profile.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems is a community health center in Bristol, VA, where STI care sits alongside ongoing primary care: meaning gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C testing come with same-visit bacterial treatment, sliding-scale fees, and appointments required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Sullivan County Regional Health Department in Blountville tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV on a sliding scale, with STI and HIV testing free, and treats bacterial infections same visit. An appointment is required.
When cost stops someone from following through (skipping treatment, skipping a follow-up) the infection continues. At Sullivan County Regional Health Department, every service, including testing, counseling, vaccines, and treatment, is provided at no fee, closing that gap before it opens.
A language barrier in a clinical setting doesn't just create discomfort: it creates missed details, misunderstood instructions, and undertreated infections. Sullivan County Regional Health Department delivers STI care directly in Spanish, so nothing critical gets lost between the question and the answer.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Bluff City Medical Center, in Bluff City, ties its STI screening fees to patient income. Federal health center status means no one is turned away for inability to pay. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening, with costs scaled to what you actually earn.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Tennessee Department of Health in Elizabethton brings the infrastructure of a public health department to STI care: conventional HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis C, and TB testing with same-visit bacterial treatment, by appointment, all at no fee.
Tennessee Department of Health in Elizabethton charges nothing for any service it provides, testing, treatment, vaccines, PrEP, DoxyPEP. That zero-cost floor means a patient can follow through on treatment, return visits, and prevention without weighing each step against a bill.
Interpretation services are available for non-English-speaking patients at Tennessee Department of Health in Elizabethton, covering the full scope of care. From intake through counseling and treatment. Access to the clinical conversation itself, not just the paperwork, is what keeps care from stalling at a language gap.
Splitting PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP across multiple providers means delays, dropped follow-through, and gaps that matter. Tennessee Department of Health in Elizabethton prescribes all three under one roof, so prevention, whether ongoing or time-sensitive, doesn't hinge on coordinating across separate practices.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 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 about 2 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Bristol, 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 Bristol city, 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.
1662 Bonham Road, Bristol, VA 24201
CMS-certified lab
743 Island Road, Bristol, VA 24201
CMS-certified lab
3130 Lee Highway, Bristol, VA 24202
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Bristol. 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, 479 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Bristol. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 83 offer telehealth.
Faraz Masood, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 245 North Street, Bristol
Nathan Varbanoff, DO
Internal medicine · 103 North Street, Bristol
Marianne Filka, MD
Family medicine · 1662 Bonham Road, Bristol
John Collins, DO
Family medicine · 308 8th Street, Bristol
Brian Maggard, MD
Family medicine · 2070 King College Road, Bristol
Mitalee Doshi
Family medicine · 2195 Euclid Avenue, Bristol
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 Bristol, VA 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.
Bristol Pharmacy
0.5 mi
0.7 mi 
0.7 mi Life Well Pharmacy
1.9 miK VA T Food Stores
1.9 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Bristol, VA.
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 Bristol, 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 Bristol city, the city that includes Bristol, compare with Virginia and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~23% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#98 of 133 Virginia counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 26% of the state
| Infection | Bristol city | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 214.2 36 cases ▼ 55% | 472.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 124.9 21 cases ▼ 21% | 158.3 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 11.9 2 cases ▲ 11% | 10.7 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 11.9 2 cases ▲ 25% | 9.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 11.9 2 cases ▼ 25% | 15.8 | 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 Bristol city, chlamydia has fallen from 331 to 214.2 per 100,000 (35%), gonorrhea has fallen from 209.1 to 124.9 per 100,000 (40%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 5.9 to 11.9 per 100,000 (102%).
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 Bristol city.
Local HIV snapshot
Bristol city HIV care continuum (2022)
Bristol city recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 11.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Bristol city residents living with HIV, 86.7% are in care · 73.3% 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 Bristol city tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Bristol's workforce skews toward shift-based and part-time schedules, which means clinic hours that look convenient on paper can still be genuinely hard to reach for someone clocking out at odd times near Lee Highway or finishing a late shift off Euclid Avenue. With well under two-thirds of residents in the labor force and a notable share facing unemployment, stretching a lunch break or a weekday morning to fit in a screening isn't always realistic, which makes the breadth of the listed options here more useful than it might first appear. The city's housing picture adds another layer.
Typical rents sitting well below regional averages sound manageable until you factor in that roughly four in ten residents are renters rather than owners, and household budgets often stretch across an average of three people per home. Cost-conscious decisions about healthcare, including STI screening, are common here, which is exactly why knowing which clinics on this page offer low or sliding-scale fees matters most for younger adults in Bristol who are navigating new relationships and building financial footing at the same time. The options here are worth scanning by distance as much as by hours.
Getting there
At 7.26/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Bristol 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 24201 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 24201 area around Bristol: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Bristol alone.
Bristol sits in Bristol city, ZIP 24201. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Bristol? 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 Bristol city: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Virginia 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 Bristol-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 Bristol 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 Virginia 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 Virginia, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Virginia 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 VirginiaSource: 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.
Yes, several local labs offer same-day walk-in testing; best to call first.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Public clinics serve people without insurance, often on a sliding scale.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Bristol city reported ~214 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Virginia average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In Virginia, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Certain high-risk HPV types raise cancer risk; vaccination and routine screening are the defenses.
Yes, when FDA-approved and used correctly, follow up any positive with a confirmatory lab test.
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.