Tyrell County reported chlamydia cases that run about 47% lower than the US average. If you're in Columbia, North Carolina, and wondering whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind, community and public clinics are often low-cost or free, while private labs may offer faster results and more flexible scheduling. You'll find options below.
Available testing centers
5 testing options are listed for Columbia, NC. The nearest, Martin-Tyrrell-Washington District Health, 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.
Martin-Tyrrell-Washington District Health in Columbia tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis A, B, and C, treating bacterial infections the same visit, on a sliding-scale fee that extends to zero, with appointments required.
Martin-Tyrrell-Washington District Health carries a sliding-scale structure that bottoms out at no charge, for the full panel, vaccinations, and treatment alike. That single policy means nothing on the visit menu is selectively waived; the zero-cost tier covers the entire scope of services offered.
Spanish-language capacity at Martin-Tyrrell-Washington District Health is embedded in how services are delivered, not assembled on request. Counseling, prevention education, and STI care run directly in Spanish, so clinical conversations carry the same depth as any other appointment.
The panel at Martin-Tyrrell-Washington District Health adds hepatitis A, B, and C testing to the gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV screen, which means a single appointment can surface infections that a narrower panel would simply leave undetected.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Creswell Primary Care, in Creswell, earns its federally qualified standing by anchoring care for residents who are uninsured, paying cash, or caught between providers. Sliding-scale fees make syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening genuinely reachable, and no appointment is needed to walk in.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center, a community health center in Creswell, folds a full STI panel (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, rapid and conventional HIV, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB) into primary-care infrastructure, with same-visit bacterial treatment, sliding-scale fees, and all services provided at no fee.
Every test, treatment, and prevention visit at Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center carries no charge. That means hepatitis C treatment, HIV medical management, and PrEP prescriptions all move forward on the same financial footing as a routine STI screening. Nothing is priced out of reach before it starts.
Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center in Creswell maintains direct language capacity in American Sign Language, Chinese, French, and Haitian Creole (plus Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese) meaning clinical conversations about medication adherence, test results, and treatment plans happen in the language the provider is actually working in, not routed through an add-on service.
For someone without a regular prescriber, Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center holds the full PrEP and PEP pipeline in-house (initiation, follow-up labs, and ongoing prescription management) and covers PrEP for uninsured patients, so the medication itself doesn't become the obstacle after the clinical decision is already made.
Languages
American Sign Language, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · 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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Columbia, 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.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 90 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Columbia. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 21 offer telehealth.
Thomas Dimartino, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 208 North Broad Street, Columbia
Robert Bohl, MD
Urology · 137 Cotton Mill Circle, Edenton
Joel Reynolds, MD
Urology · 210 North Broad Street, Edenton
Peter Boehling, MD
OB-GYN · 309 North Broad Street, Edenton
Sidney Sutton, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 202 West Hicks Street, Edenton
Vashti Ramphal, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 105 Mark Drive, Edenton
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 Columbia, NC 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.
Columbia Pharmacy
0.7 miFamily Care Pharmacy
22 miWoodards Pharmacy
22 miBlount's Mutual Drug's
23 miMitcheners Pharmacy
23 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Columbia, NC.
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 Columbia, 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 Tyrrell County, the county that includes Columbia, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~16% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#76 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 24% of the state
| Infection | Tyrrell County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 260 9 cases ▼ 57% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | — no data | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | — no data | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | — no data | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | — no data | 24 | 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 Tyrrell County, chlamydia has fallen from 277.3 to 260 per 100,000 (6%), and gonorrhea has risen from 123.3 to 297.2 per 100,000 (141%).
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 Tyrrell County.
Local HIV snapshot
Tyrrell County HIV care continuum (2023)
Tyrrell County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Tyrrell County residents living with HIV, 54.5% are in care · 45.5% 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 Tyrrell County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Columbia's Main Street Park sits at the quiet center of a small Tyrrell County seat where most households rent rather than own, at rents that leave little room in the monthly budget once essentials are covered. That financial reality matters when someone weighs whether to pay out of pocket for a screening, and in a county where STI rates reflect the kind of transmission that happens when testing gets deferred, that calculation has consequences. Getting tested here isn't simply a matter of deciding to go. With just over half the working-age population in the labor force and households where multiple people share a roof under one income, carving out time mid-week isn't automatic.
Young adults in their late teens and twenties, the years when new relationships and changing circumstances make routine screening genuinely useful, are navigating those same logistical realities without necessarily having flexible schedules or a regular provider. The options listed on this page include a range of fee structures, and for a renter in Columbia managing a modest fixed monthly payment, a sliding-scale or no-cost visit isn't a perk. It's often the deciding factor between scheduling an appointment and not.
Getting there
At 4.44/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Columbia 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 27925 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 27925 area around Columbia: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Columbia alone.
Columbia sits in Tyrrell County, ZIP 27925. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Columbia? 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 Tyrrell County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under North 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 Columbia-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 Columbia 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 North 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 North Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
North 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 North 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 Martin-Tyrrell-Washington District Health (0.5 mi); 3 options are within 30 miles.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Public clinics nearby offer free HIV 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 260 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the North Carolina average.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
In North 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.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 27925; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
Medical records are protected under federal HIPAA law, ask the clinic how it handles your information.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.