Syphilis rates in DeKalb County are about 60% higher than the US average. Whether you're showing symptoms or just want to ensure your health, you have options in Candler-McAfee, Georgia. Community clinics are cheaper or free, while private labs usually offer quicker results and scheduling flexibility. Compare your options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Candler-McAfee, GA. The nearest, MedCura Candler, is about 1.3 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.
MedCura Candler, in Decatur, carries federally qualified health center standing. Meaning its STI screening fees follow a sliding scale tied to income, so cost adjusts to what patients actually earn. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing without an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
MedCura Health in Decatur covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, plus TB: appointment-based, with fees scaled to income and insurance accepted. Bacterial STIs are treated the same visit, and Spanish-language care is available throughout.
MedCura Health delivers STI testing, counseling, and treatment in Spanish. Not through a relay, but as a direct clinical service. For someone navigating symptoms, a new diagnosis, or ongoing sexual health decisions, working in Spanish from the first question to the prescription means nothing gets compressed, softened, or lost.
Leaving herpes or hepatitis undetected because a clinic's panel didn't include them has a real cost: delayed treatment, a second appointment somewhere new, and a gap in what you actually know. MedCura Health tests for herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C alongside the standard bacterial panel, so one visit at MedCura produces a complete picture.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Southside Medical Center in Atlanta runs on a sliding-scale fee structure with HIV testing offered free, and accepts Medicaid and most insurance. Walk-ins are welcome for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and conventional HIV testing, with bacterial STIs treated the same visit. All services at no cost.
The sliding-scale floor at Southside Medical Center reaches zero: meaning STI testing, treatment, PrEP, HPV and hepatitis B vaccination, and TB testing are each covered without a remaining charge. That applies across the full care menu, not just a subset of visits.
Southside Medical Center provides interpretation services directly for non-English-speaking patients: covering the counseling conversation, treatment instructions, and PrEP education in the same appointment. The clinical detail doesn't get compressed because language support is built into how the visit is staffed.
Without Ryan White-funded infrastructure, a positive HIV result often ends at diagnosis. The follow-up care lands somewhere else, at a cost that stalls it. Southside Medical Center's Ryan White program carries that thread from initial testing through medication adherence counseling and sustained HIV management, all within the same clinic.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Dekalb Public Health in Decatur runs STI care by appointment, and a single scheduled visit covers rapid and conventional HIV testing, the full bacterial panel, TB, hepatitis B and C, same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, and vaccines. All on a sliding scale, with no-cost services available.
Every service at Dekalb Public Health is provided at no charge, which means the cost of an appointment never factors into whether someone completes treatment, follows up on results, or returns for a vaccine series.
Dekalb Public Health delivers care in Spanish, so the clinical conversation, from exposure counseling to treatment instructions, happens in the language a patient thinks and reasons in, without losing precision at any step.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Dekalb Public Health tests for both hepatitis B and hepatitis C, so one appointment can surface infections that share transmission routes but often go unscreened at narrower testing sites.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Mercy Care at CHRIS 180, in Atlanta, answers the needs of patients paying out of pocket or without coverage by tying STI screening costs to income through its federally qualified health center structure. Walk-ins are welcome, and the standard panel covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
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 1 mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Candler-McAfee, 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 DeKalb 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.
1810 Moseri Road, Decatur, GA 30032
CMS-certified lab
1940 Parker Court Suite A, Stone Mountain, GA 30087
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
1625 Rock Mountain Boulevard Suite R, Stone Mountain, GA 30083
CMS-certified lab Accredited · AABB
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Candler-McAfee. 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, 3,566 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Candler-McAfee. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 1,094 offer telehealth.
Evelyn Campbell-Bayaan, MD
Family medicine · 2124 Candler Road, Decatur
Yvonka Crenshaw, MD
OB-GYN · 1760 Candler Road, Decatur
Rhonda Ross, MD
Family medicine · 2496 Columbia Drive, Decatur
Ahmad Jingo, MD
Internal medicine · 3424 Flat Shoals Road, Decatur
Igwebuike Onyekaba, MD
Family medicine · 3375 Memorial Drive, Decatur
Lisa Welch, MD
Internal medicine · 1290 Columbia Drive, Decatur
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 Candler-McAfee, GA 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.
Total Pharmacy Plus
0.5 mi
0.7 mi Rite Care Pharmacy
0.8 miBP Medical Supply
1.3 miCandler Pharmacy
1.3 miYoung Life Pharmacy
1.3 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Candler-McAfee, GA.
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 Candler-McAfee, 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
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
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 DeKalb County, the county that includes Candler-McAfee, compare with Georgia and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~26% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#20 of 159 Georgia counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 87% of the state
| Infection | DeKalb County | Georgia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 884.9 6,752 cases ▲ 37% | 646.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 426.7 3,256 cases ▲ 55% | 274.8 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 25.3 193 cases ▲ 27% | 20 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 35.6 272 cases ▲ 93% | 18.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 50.2 383 cases ▲ 40% | 35.8 | 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 DeKalb County, chlamydia has risen from 692.6 to 884.9 per 100,000 (28%), gonorrhea has risen from 300.8 to 426.7 per 100,000 (42%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 29.6 to 25.3 per 100,000 (15%).
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 DeKalb County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: DeKalb County is one of 48 U.S. counties prioritized under the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative: targeted federal funding to expand local HIV testing, PrEP, and prevention.
DeKalb County HIV care continuum (2023)
DeKalb County recorded 48 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 25.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among DeKalb County residents living with HIV, 86.3% know their status · 79.7% are in care · 69% 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 DeKalb County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Memorial Drive cuts through the heart of Candler-McAfee, passing neighborhoods like Belvedere Park and East Lake Highlands where home values run well below the metro average and monthly rents still represent a real line item for nearly half of all households. With roughly one in eight households clearing six figures, stretching a budget to cover an unexpected medical visit is a legitimate concern for a lot of people living here. That cost reality matters because a substantial share of Candler-McAfee residents are in their late teens and twenties, the years when chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis rates peak nationally.
An area where unemployment is meaningfully elevated and fewer than two-thirds of residents are actively in the workforce means that clinic hours, transportation, and out-of-pocket costs can each quietly become the reason a test gets postponed. Candler-McAfee's household sizes tend toward multi-person arrangements, which means sexual health decisions rarely affect just one person. Knowing what the options in and around this area cost and where they sit on a map is practical information for a community where those stakes are shared.
Getting there
Candler-McAfee scores 11.2/20 on the EPA walkability index, so many trips are walkable or a short ride, though a car still gives you the widest choice of testing centers.
Source: EPA National Walkability Index 2021.
ZIP 30032 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 30032 area around Candler-McAfee: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Candler-McAfee alone.
Candler-McAfee sits in DeKalb County, ZIP 30032. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Candler-McAfee? 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 DeKalb County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Georgia 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 Candler-McAfee-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 Candler-McAfee 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 Georgia 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 Georgia, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Georgia 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 GeorgiaSource: 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.
Free at public clinics. Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
Southside Medical Center, about 2.4 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
DeKalb County reported ~885 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Georgia average.
In Georgia, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
Telling recent partners lets them test and treat; many health departments offer confidential partner-notification help.
Little prep is needed, bring an ID and insurance if you have it, and note your exposure dates and any symptoms; for a urine test, avoid peeing for about an hour beforehand.
Clinics give immediate care and treatment; home kits win on convenience and discretion. Either works.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.