Chlamydia in Franklin County runs about 45% lower than the national average. If you are considering new activity in Charleston, Arkansas, or as part of ongoing care, weigh whether you want to save money at a public clinic, get results quickly at a private lab, or use an at-home kit for convenience.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Charleston, AR. The nearest, Mercy, is about 0.5 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.
Mercy in Charleston tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, rapid HIV, herpes, and hepatitis on a sliding-scale fee accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance. Bacterial infections are treated the same visit; an appointment is required.
Most sexual-health clinics hand out condoms and leave post-exposure antibacterial prevention off the table entirely. Mercy prescribes DoxyPEP, doxycycline taken after a potential bacterial STI exposure, closing the gap between what patients need and what a clinic will actually provide.
Mercy tests for herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C in addition to gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. Meaning infections that often go undetected elsewhere get caught in a single visit rather than requiring a separate lab order down the line.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Nov 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
River Valley Primary Care Services in Lavaca folds STI testing into full primary care, so gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV sit alongside hepatitis B and C on the same panel. All on a sliding scale, by appointment, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A safety-net rural health clinic about 12 miles from Charleston. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Charleston, 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 Franklin 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.
2713 West Commercial, Ozark, AR 72949
CMS-certified lab
801 West River Street, Ozark, AR 72949
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Charleston. 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, 259 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Charleston. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 50 offer telehealth.
James Schmitz, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 1006 East Main Street, Charleston
Jonathan White, MD
Family medicine · 9755 West State Hwy 22, Ratcliff
Tabasum Imran, MD
Family medicine · 880 West Main, Booneville
Rachel Sing, MD
Family medicine · 880 West Main Street, Booneville
Thanh Le, MD
Family medicine · 871 West Main Street, Booneville
Thomas Bonin, MD
Family medicine · 12 Town Square, Greenwood
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 Charleston, AR 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.
0.4 mi Medisav Homecare Pharmacies
0.6 miHNK Pharm
8.5 miRvpcs Community Pharmacy
9.5 miSmee Drug Store
13 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Charleston, AR.
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 Charleston, 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.
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
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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 Franklin County, the county that includes Charleston, compare with Arkansas and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~20% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#54 of 75 Arkansas counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 28% of the state
| Infection | Franklin County | Arkansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 269.1 47 cases ▼ 54% | 579.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 51.5 9 cases ▼ 73% | 193.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 40.1 7 cases ▲ 37% | 29.2 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 5.7 1 cases ▼ 67% | 17.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 5.7 1 cases ▼ 88% | 48 | 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 Franklin County, chlamydia has risen from 210.6 to 269.1 per 100,000 (28%), gonorrhea has fallen from 76 to 51.5 per 100,000 (32%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 17.5 to 40.1 per 100,000 (129%).
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 Franklin County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Arkansas 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.
Franklin County HIV care continuum (2022)
Franklin County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 11.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Franklin County residents living with HIV, 75% are in care · 75% 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 Franklin County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
The winters here turn AR 22 into a quiet ribbon of ice and shadow, and the households that line both the West and East Main stretches tend to be full (grandparents, parents, kids, sometimes cousins) all under one roof. That closeness is a strength, but it also means that questions about sexual health don't always feel private enough to ask aloud. Confidential STI screening through the clinics and providers listed on this page gives you a way to know your status without broadcasting it through the neighborhood mill. Charleston's young adults (those navigating their twenties and thirties, whether they're settling into jobs or figuring out what comes next) have particular reason to make screening routine. Affordability matters in a town where paychecks stretch only so far, and the testing available in and around Charleston meets that reality without skimping on care.
A quick, straightforward visit can answer questions that might otherwise linger. The community's pace and character mean that health decisions often feel visible. Routine screening, though, is the kind of choice you can make entirely on your own terms, with results that stay confidential and timing you control. For residents of all backgrounds, knowing your status is as ordinary as any other health maintenance, and just as important.
Getting there
At 4.45/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Charleston 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 72933 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 72933 area around Charleston: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Charleston alone.
Charleston sits in Franklin County, ZIP 72933. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Charleston? 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 Franklin County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Arkansas 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 Charleston-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 Charleston 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Arkansas 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 ArkansasSource: 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.
Possibly, Greenwood, AR is close; compare it by distance against Mercy.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Yes, public clinics in the area offer free or low-cost testing.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 269 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Arkansas average.
In Arkansas, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
You self-collect a sample at home, mail it in, and view results online, no clinic visit needed.
Yes, partners should test and be treated together to avoid passing it back and forth.
It depends: a blood draw covers HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis, while urine or a swab covers chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Yes, test after the window period, and if HIV exposure is a concern, ask about PEP within 72 hours.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.