Horry County reports about 495 chlamydia cases per 100,000 residents, near the US average. If you are in Carolina Forest, South Carolina for a one-time concern or regular check-ups, you have several options for STI testing. Public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience. See your options below.
Available testing centers
12 testing options are listed for Carolina Forest, SC. The nearest, Little River Medical Center, is about 3.0 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.
Little River Medical Center in Myrtle Beach is a full medical clinic where a gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, HIV, or hepatitis diagnosis can be treated the same visit it's confirmed: on a sliding scale, with appointments required, and all services provided at no fee.
An untreated bacterial STI, an unmanaged hepatitis B diagnosis, a PrEP prescription that never gets filled. The cost of a gap in care is measurable and real. At Little River Medical Center, no service generates a bill: the test, the treatment, the follow-up counseling, and the medication management are all provided at no charge.
Little River Medical Center provides care directly in Spanish, with interpretation services available for other languages: meaning someone navigating a PrEP start, a hepatitis treatment plan, or an STI diagnosis can work through the details in full, not in shorthand across a language barrier.
Ryan White funding at Little River Medical Center sustains a clinical infrastructure that runs from rapid and conventional HIV testing through HIV/AIDS medical treatment: meaning a provider monitors viral load, coordinates antiretroviral adherence, and delivers medication management as ongoing care rather than episodic intervention.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Community Kitchen in Myrtle Beach bases its STI screening fees on a sliding scale tied to income, so cost is never a barrier to care. Federally qualified, the clinic provides screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia without requiring an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis C on a sliding-scale fee with appointments required, and every service, from testing to treatment to vaccines, is provided at no charge.
Sliding-scale clinics typically reduce costs, they rarely eliminate them entirely. At South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach, the fee structure doesn't taper down to a reduced bill; testing, treatment, PrEP, DoxyPEP, and vaccines all come at no cost, period.
When STI care isn't available in Spanish, follow-through breaks down: prescriptions go unfilled, treatment gets delayed, and prevention conversations don't land. South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach delivers the full clinical encounter in Spanish, so nothing is lost between the conversation and the care.
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach prescribes and manages all three prevention medications directly: PrEP requires ongoing HIV testing and kidney-function monitoring handled by the same staff who initiate it; PEP is dispensed and tracked through completion; DoxyPEP is prescribed with the clinical context to use it correctly after bacterial-STI exposure.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
LRMC Health Access in Myrtle Beach extends federally qualified, sliding-scale STI screening to anyone paying out of pocket, between providers, or navigating gaps in coverage. Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing scales to income, while Ryan White-funded HIV care addresses broader needs for those already in treatment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Waccamaw Center for Mental Health, in Conway, earned its federally qualified health center designation partly by tying fees to income. Meaning no set price locks anyone out. STI screening here covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with costs scaled to what patients actually earn.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Health Care Partners of SC Women's Care in Conway welcomes walk-in patients without an appointment. Federally qualified status anchors its sliding-scale fee structure, so a single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening with costs tied to household income rather than a flat rate.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Careteam + Family Health and Specialty Care in Conway meets patients where they are (uninsured, paying cash, or without a regular provider) through federally qualified status that ties fees to income. Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening is available, with costs scaled to what each patient can actually pay.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Careteam+ in Conway tests for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis C, herpes, and more on a sliding-scale or no-fee basis, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia. Appointments are required; every service carries no charge for those who qualify.
Careteam+'s no-fee structure applies across the entire service menu: not just testing, but treatment, PrEP, HIV medical care, and hepatitis management. That single policy means cost never becomes the reason someone delays a hepatitis B diagnosis or skips a follow-up.
Careteam+ operates in Spanish and through interpretation services for other languages, two distinct channels, not a fallback. For conditions like HIV or hepatitis C that require sustained counseling and adherence education, consistent language access across every appointment shapes whether treatment actually holds.
Many testing sites hand off HIV-positive patients to separate providers for ongoing care. Careteam+ operates under Ryan White funding, which underwrites the entire continuum, from the rapid test through medication adherence counseling and long-term HIV/AIDS medical treatment, within the same clinic.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
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 Carolina Forest, 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 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 Horry 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.
2101 Oakheart Road, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
309 Hinson Drive, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
CMS-certified lab
100 Legends Roadunit #1, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
CMS-certified lab
210 Village Center Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
CMS-certified lab
5015 Carolina Forest Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Carolina Forest. 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, 403 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Carolina Forest. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 71 offer telehealth.
Srinath Senguttuvan, MD
OB-GYN · 731 Pepperbush Drive, Myrtle Beach
Naketa Thomas, MD
Family medicine · 5023 Carolina Forest Boulevard, Myrtle Beach
Daniel Boykin, DO
Family medicine · 4022 Postal Way, Myrtle Beach
James Vest, MD
Family medicine · 4022 Postal Way, Myrtle Beach
Regina Evans, MD Telehealth
OB-GYN · 4220 Carolina Exchange Drive, Myrtle Beach
Karyn Markley, MD
OB-GYN · 170 Village Ctr Boulevard, Myrtle Beach
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 Carolina Forest, SC 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.
2.7 mi Carolina Health Pharmacy
2.8 miLRMC Pharmacy
3.0 miShowing the 3 closest pharmacies to Carolina Forest, SC.
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 Carolina Forest, 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
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
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 Horry County, the county that includes Carolina Forest, compare with South Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~29% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#33 of 46 South Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 28% of the state
| Infection | Horry County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 494.6 1,966 cases ▼ 19% | 612.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 156.5 622 cases ▼ 30% | 222.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 11.3 45 cases ▼ 35% | 17.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 19.1 76 cases ▲ 2% | 18.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 1 4 cases ▼ 91% | 11.7 | 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 Horry County, chlamydia has fallen from 537.3 to 494.6 per 100,000 (8%), gonorrhea has fallen from 229.9 to 156.5 per 100,000 (32%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 9.4 to 11.3 per 100,000 (20%).
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 Horry County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: South Carolina is one of the U.S. jurisdictions prioritized under the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative: targeted federal funding to expand local HIV testing, PrEP, and prevention.
Horry County HIV care continuum (2023)
Horry County recorded 15.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 18.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Horry County residents living with HIV, 82.5% are in care · 72.3% 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 Horry County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
SC 31 cuts through Carolina Forest as the spine of a community built largely around ownership: nearly seven in ten households hold a deed here, and median home values hover close to $300k. That investment shapes daily rhythms: two-income households managing mortgages and school runs tend to schedule healthcare the same way they schedule everything else, around work and family obligations rather than personal convenience. For renters, monthly costs pushing toward $1,600 add a different kind of calculation. A clinic visit competes with a budget that's already stretched.
Those pressures land hardest on younger adults in their late teens and twenties, the years when STI rates run highest and when people are often least likely to carve out time for routine screening. Carolina Forest's workforce participation is solid but not universal, and an unemployment rate that sits notably above the state's more comfortable benchmarks means some residents are navigating gaps in coverage and income at exactly the moment health appointments feel optional. The options listed on this page range enough in hours and cost that most residents, owners and renters alike, can find one that doesn't require rearranging a Tuesday that's already overcommitted.
Getting there
At 7.27/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Carolina Forest 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 29579 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 29579 area around Carolina Forest: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Carolina Forest alone.
Carolina Forest sits in Horry County, ZIP 29579. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Carolina Forest? 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 Horry County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under South 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 Carolina Forest-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 Carolina Forest 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 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 South Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
South 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 South 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.
The closest is Little River Medical Center (3 mi); 12 options are within 30 miles.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Yes, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 495 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the South Carolina average.
In South Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
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.
Yes, the CDC recommends STI screening early in pregnancy, since untreated infections can affect the baby.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.