Syphilis rates in Charleston County are running about 20% higher than the national average. Whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind in Charleston County, South Carolina, you can choose from clinics that may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, or private labs that let you pay a flat self-pay price. Our list below covers the options.
Available testing centers
12 testing options are listed for Charleston, SC. The nearest, One80 Place, is about 1.5 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.
One80 Place in Charleston welcomes walk-ins for STI screening without an appointment. Federally qualified status anchors its sliding-scale fee structure, pegging costs to income. A single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing, giving patients a complete standard STI panel in one stop.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Fetter Health Care Network in North Charleston runs by appointment, so a scheduled visit covers the full bacterial and viral panel (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis A/B/C, TB, and rapid or conventional HIV) with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, sliding-scale fees, and Spanish spoken on staff.
Fetter carries Spanish-language capacity and interpretation services for other languages across its clinical services: meaning medication counseling, PrEP education, and treatment conversations happen in the language a patient uses at home, without an intermediary shaping the exchange.
Fetter maintains PrEP and PEP as ongoing clinical offerings, not referrals elsewhere, and carries dedicated funding to cover PrEP for uninsured patients. For someone without a regular provider or private coverage, that combination puts both prevention medications within reach at a single scheduled appointment.
Fetter treats hepatitis C on-site rather than handing the diagnosis off: direct-acting antiviral therapy, the current standard of care, is managed within the same network where the initial antibody and confirmatory testing occur. That continuity removes the gap between a positive result and a prescribing clinician.
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
Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston charges fees scaled to income, ensuring cost doesn't block care. The clinic screens for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV, and also offers PrEP and PEP for those managing ongoing HIV prevention. Appointments are required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic in Charleston tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis B on a sliding-scale fee with insurance and Medicaid accepted; bacterial infections are treated the same visit, and appointments are required.
When a language barrier delays care, gonorrhea or chlamydia goes untreated longer, and the exposure window grows. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic in Charleston staffs Spanish-language services directly and provides interpretation for other languages, so nothing about your care gets lost or deferred because of how you communicate.
As a Title X–funded clinic, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic in Charleston holds the legal authority to provide confidential family planning services to minors: meaning a young person without a regular provider, or one who needs care outside a parent's insurance, has a direct path to testing and treatment here.
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic in Charleston prescribes both PrEP and PEP, which means ongoing HIV prevention is managed through the same clinical relationship as your STI testing: no separate provider to find, no gap between your test result and your next preventive step.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Mughelli - Oyibokja Wellness Center for Women, Charleston, carries federally qualified health center standing: meaning its STI screening fees slide along an income-based scale, keeping syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing within reach for patients at virtually any income level, with no appointment needed to walk in.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Newton Family Medicine, Charleston's family practice bringing STI care alongside ongoing primary care, runs the full standard panel on a fee-or-insurance basis by appointment, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and HPV and hepatitis A vaccines available. With Spanish-language care throughout.
Spanish speakers who want to discuss symptoms, medication side effects, or prevention options without losing nuance have a direct line here: Newton Family Medicine delivers clinical conversations in Spanish as a standing capability, so nothing gets flattened in translation between patient and provider.
Newton Family Medicine prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly, which means patients build an ongoing relationship with the provider managing their prevention: no handoffs, and follow-up labs stay within the same chart.
Many practices test for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV and go no further: Newton Family Medicine adds herpes, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and TB to the panel, reaching infections that otherwise require a separate appointment to even order.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Roper Saint Francis Healthcare in Charleston runs STI care by appointment, covering chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, rapid and conventional HIV, and hepatitis A, B, and C on a sliding-scale fee. With same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and every service available at no cost.
When a fee stands between someone and follow-through (skipping the second appointment, leaving a bacterial infection untreated, or putting off HIV management) care breaks down at the cost line. At Roper Saint Francis Healthcare, every service, from the initial test through STI treatment and ongoing HIV care, carries no charge.
Miscommunication at a critical appointment (a missed dosing instruction, a misunderstood diagnosis, a treatment plan that doesn't land) has real clinical consequences. Roper Saint Francis Healthcare offers Spanish-language services and interpretation for other languages, so the full weight of what's discussed in the room actually reaches the patient.
Roper Saint Francis Healthcare delivers Ryan White-funded HIV services, carrying patients from initial testing through ongoing medical treatment and medication adherence counseling, which means a diagnosis here doesn't end the engagement; it opens the next phase of care within the same system.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center in Charleston carries federally qualified health center status, which means STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) runs on a sliding-scale fee tied to each patient's income, keeping care within reach regardless of insurance coverage.
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 2 miles 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 Charleston 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.
2095 Henry Tecklenburg Drive, Charleston, SC 29414
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
125 Doughty Street, Suite 500, Charleston, SC 29403
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
2085 Henry Tecklenburg Drive, Charleston, SC 29414
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
125 Doughty Street, Suite 480, Charleston, SC 29403
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
945 Folly Road, Charleston, SC 29412
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
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, 667 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 238 offer telehealth.
Keith Lackey, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 615 Wesley Drive, Charleston
Cary Hickman, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 615 Wesley Drive, Charleston
William Maguire, MD
Internal medicine · 615 Wesley Drive, Charleston
Joye Fordham, MD
OB-GYN · 700 Rutledge Avenue, Charleston
Christopher Clark, MD
OB-GYN · 177 Congress Street, Charleston
Charles Effiong, MD
Internal medicine · 35 Walnut Street, Charleston
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, 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.
1.7 mi 
1.7 mi Piggly Wiggly Pharmacy
1.8 miFranklin C Fetter Family Health Center-Pharmacy
2.0 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Charleston, 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 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.
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
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
$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 Charleston County, the county that includes Charleston, compare with South Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~34% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#26 of 46 South Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 43% of the state
| Infection | Charleston County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 577.3 2,450 cases ▼ 6% | 612.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 192.8 818 cases ▼ 13% | 222.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 18.9 80 cases ▲ 9% | 17.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 16.5 70 cases ▼ 12% | 18.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 14.4 61 cases ▲ 23% | 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 Charleston County, chlamydia has fallen from 695.9 to 577.3 per 100,000 (17%), gonorrhea has fallen from 330.9 to 192.8 per 100,000 (42%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 18.6 to 18.9 per 100,000 (2%).
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 Charleston 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.
Charleston County HIV care continuum (2023)
Charleston County recorded 21.3 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 18.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Charleston County residents living with HIV, 76.8% are in care · 50.8% 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 Charleston County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Charleston pulls a lot of people in their twenties into a first lease, a new relationship, or a coverage gap between jobs, and that life stage, more than any other, is when routine screening tends to slip. With nearly half the city renting, many at rents that leave little cushion, an extra appointment can feel like one more thing competing for time and money that's already stretched. Getting around matters here. Especially for someone working one of the many jobs that make up the city's strong labor-force participation.
Evenings and Saturdays aren't a luxury for most people; they're the only realistic window. The options listed on this page include a range of schedules and fee structures specifically because a single downtown location on a weekday morning doesn't serve Lowndes Pointe and Garden Hill the same way. Charleston also has a surprisingly broad income spread, with a substantial share of households doing well financially alongside a significant renting population still building stability. STI screening fits into that reality the same way, not as a crisis measure, but as the kind of practical self-care that keeps a normal, busy Charleston life moving forward without an avoidable interruption.
Getting there
Charleston scores 11.14/20 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.
Charleston sits in Charleston County. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
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 Charleston 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 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 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.
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.
Yes, free HIV testing is available at public clinics in the area.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Charleston County reported ~577 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the South Carolina average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In South Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
No, most STIs have no visible signs, so the only way to know is to test.
Public and community clinics test everyone; several provide LGBTQ-affirming services.
Teen and campus health clinics and public health departments offer youth-friendly, low-cost testing.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.