Reported gonorrhea in Putnam County runs about 88% lower than the US average. Whether you need testing after a possible exposure, or as part of routine care, testing options in Buffalo, West Virginia, include both flexibility and scheduling convenience. Some clinics take walk-ins, while labs and at-home kits let you tailor when you get tested.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Buffalo, WV. The nearest, FamilyCare Health Center - Eleanor, is about 6.0 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.
FamilyCare Health Center - Eleanor, in Eleanor, welcomes walk-ins for STI screening without an appointment. Federal FQHC standing ties fees to a sliding income scale, and Title X status means minors can access testing for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia with legally protected confidentiality. All in a single visit.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
FamilyCare Health Centers- Winfield, in Winfield, ties STI screening costs directly to what patients actually earn. Federal health center status means no one is turned away over inability to pay. Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing are available on a sliding-scale fee basis.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Putnam County Health Department in Winfield schedules appointments for STI testing (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV) alongside hepatitis B and C, with bacterial infections treated the same visit and every service provided at no fee.
Testing, treatment, and vaccines (HPV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B) all carry no charge, which means the scope of what you address in a single appointment isn't shaped by what you can afford to add to it.
Beyond the standard bacterial and HIV screening, the clinic draws for hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C antibody on the same visit. The hepatitis B vaccine is also administered on-site, closing the loop between detection and protection in one appointment.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 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 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Buffalo, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & 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 Putnam 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.
300 Corporate Center Drive, Scott Depot, WV 25560
CMS-certified lab
1400 Hospital Drive, Hurricane, WV 25526
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1401 Hospital Drive Suite 101, Hurricane, WV 25526
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Buffalo. 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, 523 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Buffalo. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 134 offer telehealth.
John Clark, MD
Internal medicine · 11924 Winfield Road, Winfield
Samia Turner, MD
Family medicine · 11878 Winfield Road, Winfield
Mary Jenkins, MD
Family medicine · 12803 Winfield Road, Winfield
Michael Amos, MD
Family medicine · 26489 Huntington Road, Apple Grove
Kelly Hager, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 1401 Hospital Drive, Hurricane
Earl Michael Famularcano, MD
Family medicine · 1400 Hospital Drive, Hurricane
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, WV 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.
Fruth Pharmacy 13
7.2 miGeneral Drug
7.2 mi
8.3 mi Physicians Choice
10 mi
11 mi 
11 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Buffalo, WV.
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, 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 Putnam County, the county that includes Buffalo, compare with West Virginia and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~22% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#28 of 55 West Virginia counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 49% of the state
| Infection | Putnam County | West Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 198.4 113 cases ▼ 20% | 249 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 21.1 12 cases ▼ 61% | 54.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 12.3 7 cases ▲ 13% | 10.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 5.3 3 cases ▼ 13% | 6.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 12.3 7 cases ▼ 25% | 16.3 | 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 Putnam County, chlamydia has fallen from 215.9 to 198.4 per 100,000 (8%), gonorrhea has fallen from 59.2 to 21.1 per 100,000 (64%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 5.2 to 12.3 per 100,000 (137%).
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 Putnam County.
Local HIV snapshot
Putnam County HIV care continuum (2023)
Among Putnam County residents living with HIV, 97.6% are in care · 80.5% 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 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 Putnam County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Winter wind off the Teays Valley cuts sharp around Parker Hill, and locals stay put through it all. The kind of place where families root deep and households span generations under one roof. That permanence makes routine STI screening straightforward: you live here, you know where to go, and the clinics listed on this page understand that confidentiality isn't theater but the actual foundation of care in a town where people recognize each other at the grocery store. Testing fits into ordinary checkups the way it does anywhere else, except the affordability that drew your family here in the first place extends to sexual health too.
Young adults in Buffalo (those navigating early jobs, new relationships, or simply figuring out what comes next) have screening available in and around town without the burden of travel to a distant city or the sticker shock that kills intention elsewhere. The providers here know that asking for a test shouldn't require choosing between your health and your rent. A single visit, straightforward results, and no surprises on your medical record unless you decide there should be. That's how it works when testing is woven into the fabric of how a community actually takes care of itself.
Getting there
At 5.78/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Buffalo 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 25033 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 25033 area around Buffalo: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Buffalo alone.
Buffalo sits in Putnam County, ZIP 25033. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Buffalo? 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 Putnam County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under West 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 Buffalo-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 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 West 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 West Virginia, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
West 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 West 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.
There are 7 options within a 30-mile drive.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Putnam County Health Department, about 7.2 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Putnam County reported ~198 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the West Virginia average.
In West Virginia, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Get treated, notify partners, pause sex until cleared, and follow up, the infection is manageable.
Yes, site matters; oral/anal exposure needs a throat or rectal swab, which urine testing won't catch.
Reassuring if you tested after the window, just retest if it was early, and screen again with new partners.
It can; oral HSV-1 transmits to the genitals during oral sex.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.