New HIV diagnoses in Cocke County run about 14% higher than the US average. When starting a new relationship or managing ongoing care in Carson Springs, Tennessee, consider whether visiting a clinic will give you a chance to ask questions and begin treatment quickly, or if an at-home kit will let you collect samples on your own terms. The options listed below cover both approaches.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Carson Springs, TN. The nearest, Rural Medical Services, is about 4.0 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.
Rural Medical Services in Dandridge runs appointment-based STI testing with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis; fees slide on a scale and Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance are accepted. Care and counseling are available in Spanish.
For a patient whose primary language is Spanish and who has no established primary-care provider in the area, Rural Medical Services in Dandridge delivers clinical STI care (testing, counseling, treatment) directly in Spanish, so nothing gets lost between the exam room and the follow-up plan.
When someone is managing active substance use and also needs STI care, the overlap can be difficult to navigate across separate providers. Rural Medical Services in Dandridge holds both on the same clinical record, meaning the clinician treating the infection is also positioned to address substance-use treatment without handoffs between systems.
Clinics focused on the core bacterial-and-HIV panel leave hepatitis exposure unexamined. Rural Medical Services in Dandridge tests for hepatitis A, B, and C alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, and pairs hepatitis A and B vaccination with those results on the same visit.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
River Valley Health in Newport runs by appointment, so scheduling ahead is the move, and that single visit covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB testing, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, sliding-scale fees, and HPV and hepatitis vaccines.
River Valley Health has interpretation services available for non-English languages, a standing capability that comes with the appointment, not something arranged separately. For anyone whose primary language isn't English, that means care, counseling, and medication instructions land clearly the first time, without a gap between what's said and what's understood.
River Valley Health prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly: PrEP requires regular HIV and kidney-function monitoring built into follow-up appointments, and coverage for uninsured patients is available. The prescribing and ongoing clinical oversight happen at the same location, so there's no separate specialist to track down for either medication.
River Valley Health treats hepatitis C on-site, the kind of direct-acting antiviral care that typically requires a gastroenterologist or infectious-disease specialist elsewhere. For someone without a regular provider or navigating a sliding-scale budget, having treatment available at the same clinic that ran the test closes the gap between diagnosis and a cure.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Tennessee Department of Health in Newport covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing, treating bacterial infections the same day results confirm. Sliding-scale fees apply to the full range of services, and walk-ins are welcome.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 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 4 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Carson Springs, 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 Cocke 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.
435 Second Street, Newport, TN 37821
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
1829 Crowe Lane, Newport, TN 37821
CMS-certified lab
434 Fourth Street, Suite 310, Newport, TN 37821
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Carson Springs. 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, 178 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Carson Springs. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 30 offer telehealth.
Kabir Harricharan Singh, MD
Family medicine · 994 West Hwy 25 70, Newport
Gregory Vines, MD
Family medicine · 330 Heritage Boulevard, Newport
Lance Patton, MD
Internal medicine · 610 Cosby Highway, Newport
Hina Kouser, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 121 Newport Towne Ctr, Newport
Lawrence Mathers, MD
Family medicine · 229 Hedrick Drive, Newport
Candi Overholt, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 150 East Broadway, Newport
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 Carson Springs, TN 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.
3.3 mi Town & Country Drugs
4.0 mi
4.6 mi 
4.9 mi Broadway & Main Pharmacy
5.0 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Carson Springs, TN.
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 Carson Springs, 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
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
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 Cocke County, the county that includes Carson Springs, compare with Tennessee 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.
#40 of 95 Tennessee counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 58% of the state
| Infection | Cocke County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 299.4 112 cases ▼ 42% | 517.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 69.5 26 cases ▼ 63% | 186.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 26.7 10 cases ▲ 80% | 14.8 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 5.3 2 cases ▼ 54% | 11.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 21.4 8 cases ▼ 19% | 26.4 | 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 Cocke County, chlamydia has fallen from 352.8 to 299.4 per 100,000 (15%), gonorrhea has fallen from 180.6 to 69.5 per 100,000 (62%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 8.3 to 26.7 per 100,000 (222%).
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 Cocke County.
Local HIV snapshot
Cocke County HIV care continuum (2023)
Cocke County recorded 15.6 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Cocke County residents living with HIV, 82.2% are in care · 75.6% 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 Cocke County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Mornings on Cosby Highway bring regulars past the same storefronts and intersections, the rhythm of a town where people tend to stay. That stability and investment in place make confidentiality in health care feel less like an afterthought and more like a baseline expectation. STI testing in and around Carson Springs reflects that: straightforward access without the noise of a larger clinic system, and the assurance that what happens during a visit stays contained within professional bounds. Young adults moving through their twenties and thirties (whether settling into work, managing new relationships, or simply being thorough about health) have testing available through providers listed on this page. The convenience matters, but so does the knowledge that a test result won't ripple through a tight-knit community.
That separation between a health decision and daily life is real here, anchored in the professionalism of the clinics and labs that serve the area. Testing schedules can fit around work and family routines without requiring a drive to a distant city. For residents of Carson Springs, that proximity paired with genuine discretion makes routine screening feel feasible rather than fraught. The kind of straightforward health step that doesn't demand courage, just a decision.
Getting there
At 5.9/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Carson Springs 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 37821 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 37821 area around Carson Springs: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Carson Springs alone.
Carson Springs sits in Cocke County, ZIP 37821. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Carson Springs? 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 Cocke County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Tennessee 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 Carson Springs-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 Carson Springs 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Tennessee 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 TennesseeSource: 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.
Cocke County reported ~299 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Tennessee average.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
In Tennessee, 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.
At-home kits mail to 37821: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
Many STIs are fully cured with antibiotics; others, like HIV and herpes, are well managed with treatment.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.