Meade County reports about 32 syphilis cases per 100,000 residents, well above the US average. If you live in Buffalo Chip, South Dakota and want to get tested before starting a new relationship or as part of ongoing care, you can choose from public clinics, private labs, or at-home kits, each with different trade-offs.
Available testing centers
2 testing options are listed for Buffalo Chip, SD. The nearest, Labcorp, is about 24.6 miles away. Compare private labs and at-home kits below.
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 25 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Buffalo Chip, 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 Meade 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.
2140 Junction Avenue, Sturgis, SD 57785
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
113 Comanche Rd Building 113 Room 138, Fort Meade, SD 57741
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
112 North 2nd Avenue West, Faith, SD 57626
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Buffalo Chip. 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, 157 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Buffalo Chip. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 14 offer telehealth.
Mark Ptacek, MD
Family medicine · 2140 Junction Avenue, Sturgis
Elizabeth Sayler, MD
Internal medicine · 71 Charles Street, Deadwood
Deborah Kullerd, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 540 Falcon Crest Drive, Spearfish
Heather Brewer, MD
OB-GYN · 1445 North Avenue, Spearfish
Travis Ptacek, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 1020 North 10th Street, Spearfish
Margaret Becker, MD
Family medicine · 1420 North 10th Street, Spearfish
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 Buffalo Chip, SD 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.
County Drug
5.3 miShopko Pharmacy 759
5.9 miMedicap Pharmacy
15 miBlack Hills Pharmacy
16 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Buffalo Chip, SD.
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 Buffalo Chip, 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 $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
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 Meade County, the county that includes Buffalo Chip, compare with South Dakota and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~24% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#23 of 66 South Dakota counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 65% of the state
| Infection | Meade County | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 348.9 108 cases ▼ 34% | 531.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 61.4 19 cases ▼ 76% | 253.3 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 32.3 10 cases ▼ 56% | 73.4 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 19.4 6 cases ▼ 75% | 76.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 16.2 5 cases ▼ 78% | 72.9 | 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 Meade County, chlamydia has risen from 338.3 to 348.9 per 100,000 (3%), gonorrhea has fallen from 83.7 to 61.4 per 100,000 (27%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 23.2 to 32.3 per 100,000 (39%).
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 Meade County.
Local HIV snapshot
Meade County HIV care continuum (2022)
Meade County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 6.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Meade County residents living with HIV, 70% are in care · 60% 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 Meade County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Black Hills National Cemetery anchors the western edge of Buffalo Chip with a stillness that makes the town feel far removed from the practical logistics of health care, and in some ways it is. That reality lands differently depending on who's doing the planning. Nearly seven in ten households here own their homes, which suggests a degree of rootedness: people who know the roads, keep cars, and can generally absorb a drive. But a meaningful share of residents rent, paying in the mid-$800s monthly, and for that group, cost pressure shapes every discretionary decision.
Young adults in their late teens and twenties, the years when STI rates climb sharpest, move more, change partners more, and often have less flexibility around both time and money than longer-settled neighbors. Meade County's STI picture reinforces why that window of life matters. Fortunately, a strong majority of Buffalo Chip's workforce is employed, and a notable portion of households bring in enough income to manage most clinic fees without much strain. For the roughly three in ten renters, especially younger ones, free or sliding-scale options among the clinics listed here are worth checking before scheduling.
Getting there
At 3.83/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Buffalo Chip 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 57785 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 57785 area around Buffalo Chip: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Buffalo Chip alone.
Buffalo Chip sits in Meade County, ZIP 57785. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Buffalo Chip? 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 Meade County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under South Dakota 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 Buffalo Chip-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 Buffalo Chip 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) is potentially allowable in South Dakota: it is not expressly authorized, but not prohibited either. Ask your provider whether they will prescribe treatment for a partner without a separate visit.
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 South DakotaSource: 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.
Closest is Labcorp (24.6 mi), or order an at-home kit to 57785.
Private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 349 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the South Dakota average.
In South Dakota, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, the CDC recommends STI screening early in pregnancy, since untreated infections can affect the baby.
A clinic offers same-day answers and on-site treatment; an at-home kit trades that for privacy and convenience, both use real lab testing.
Just note your exposure dates and symptoms; for urine tests, hold off urinating ~1 hour before.
Expedited partner therapy lets a provider treat a partner without an exam, where state law allows.
That's a myth; STIs need sexual contact to spread, not surfaces.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.