In Catawba County, reported syphilis runs about 23% lower than the US average. If you test on a schedule, or if you've had a recent risk, consider your options in Conover, North Carolina. Some clinics take walk-ins for same-day tests, while labs and at-home kits let you plan around your own time. See your options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Conover, NC. The nearest, Catawba Valley Infectious Disease Consultants, is about 2.7 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.
Catawba Valley Infectious Disease Consultants in Conover runs by appointment, and a single scheduled visit can cover testing for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and TB: with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, PrEP, and sliding-scale fees accepted alongside insurance.
Catawba Valley Infectious Disease Consultants holds standing capacity to prescribe both PrEP and PEP, which means anyone without a primary care provider, or anyone whose current provider doesn't prescribe HIV prevention medications, has a direct path to both without an intermediate step.
Hepatitis C treatment is provided on-site at Catawba Valley Infectious Disease Consultants, meaning a confirmed diagnosis moves into an active treatment plan within the same practice. No separate specialist to locate or schedule.
The panel at Catawba Valley Infectious Disease Consultants includes herpes alongside HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. A fifth infection that standard four-test panels omit, giving one appointment a broader diagnostic picture.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Catawba County Public Health in Hickory runs every service (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia testing and treatment, PrEP, and vaccines) at no fee, with sliding-scale coverage and Medicaid and private insurance accepted; appointments are required, and all STI care is provided on-site.
For anyone managing care without a regular provider or paying out of pocket, the no-fee structure here covers the full scope: not just the test, but the treatment, the PrEP prescription, and the vaccines. Nothing is billed separately once you're in the door.
Spanish speakers who need more than a translated form (who need to ask follow-up questions, understand a prescription, or work through a PrEP conversation) get that directly from staff. The language carries through testing, treatment, and counseling without interruption.
Through Ryan White program support, Catawba County Public Health connects HIV-positive patients to antiretroviral prescriptions, ongoing viral load monitoring, and case management. Not a one-time referral but a funded care relationship that continues beyond the initial diagnosis.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Kintegra Health in Claremont runs appointments for the full bacterial and viral panel (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, HIV, and hepatitis A, B, and C) treating bacterial infections the same visit on a sliding-scale fee open to everyone, with Spanish spoken on-site.
Many clinics handle language by patching in a remote line and calling it handled, the clinical conversation still flows through a stranger on a phone. At Kintegra Health, Spanish is a working language of the practice itself, and interpretation is available for other languages too, so the exchange between patient and provider stays direct.
Kintegra Health prescribes both PrEP and PEP, meaning ongoing HIV prevention and post-exposure response live in the same practice as your testing, so a change in risk or circumstance doesn't require starting over somewhere new.
Plenty of clinics will run a hepatitis C antibody test and leave the next step to you. Kintegra Health in Claremont carries hepatitis C treatment on-site, hepatitis B treatment too, so a positive result opens a treatment conversation in the same building, not a search for a specialist.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Kintegra at Catawba Women's Center in Hickory carries federal community health center standing, which translates directly into sliding-scale fees tied to income for STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) with no appointment required to walk in and get tested.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra at A Woman's View in Hickory extends federally qualified health center benefits to anyone paying out of pocket, between insurance plans, or working around a tight budget. Fees slide with income, covering screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. No appointment needed to get started.
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 3 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Conover, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & 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 Catawba 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.
3411 Graystone Place, Conover, NC 28613
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
1455 25th Ave Drive Northeast, Hickory, NC 28601
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
1899 Tate Boulevard Southeast, Suite 2110, Hickory, NC 28602
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Conover. 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, 484 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Conover. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 126 offer telehealth.
William Long, MD
Family medicine · 305 1st Street East, Conover
Marvin Ewy, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 920 4th Street Southwest, Conover
Steven Gold, MD
Family medicine · 3511 Graystone Place Southeast, Conover
Lauren Hill, MD
OB-GYN · 810 Fairgrove Church Road, Hickory
Veronica Corcino, MD
Infectious disease · 810 Fairgrove Church Road Southeast, Hickory
Kirsten Schutte, MD
Infectious disease · 810 Fairgrove Church Road, Hickory
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 Conover, 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.
Bowman Drug Company
0.6 miHealthsmart Pharmacy
0.7 mi
0.8 mi 
0.9 mi 
1.3 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Conover, 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 Conover, 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 $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
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
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 Catawba County, the county that includes Conover, compare with North Carolina 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.
#64 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 36% of the state
| Infection | Catawba County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 331.6 546 cases ▼ 45% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 145.2 239 cases ▼ 40% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 12.1 20 cases ▼ 39% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 8.5 14 cases ▼ 46% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 18.2 30 cases ▼ 24% | 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 Catawba County, chlamydia has fallen from 448.3 to 331.6 per 100,000 (26%), gonorrhea has risen from 137.6 to 145.2 per 100,000 (6%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 11.8 to 12.1 per 100,000 (3%).
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 Catawba County.
Local HIV snapshot
Catawba County HIV care continuum (2023)
Catawba County recorded 11.4 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Catawba County residents living with HIV, 90.5% are in care · 83.8% 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 Catawba County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Hunsucker Park sits quietly off the side streets near Conover Downtown Park, the kind of place where the pace feels unhurried and neighbors recognize each other. That settled feeling runs through the broader housing picture, too: nearly three in four residents own their homes, and with typical home values well below state averages, the community leans working- and middle-class rather than affluent. About a quarter of households clear six figures, which means the majority are budgeting carefully, and a modest typical rent keeps renters in the mix as well.
Those household realities matter when it comes to STI screening. Conover sits along US 70 and NC 16, corridors that connect residents to clinics in and around the area, but reaching the options listed on this page means getting in a car and planning ahead, not a quick walk between errands. Average households here run just over three people, and with nearly half of adults married, many residents are navigating health decisions as couples or families. Young adults in their late teens and twenties are the age group where chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis rates climb fastest, and in Catawba County the STI picture reinforces why accessible, low-cost screening is worth seeking out rather than postponing.
For residents without employer coverage, the sliding-scale and low-fee options among the twelve listed here can bring testing within reach on a $735-a-month budget.
Getting there
At 5.19/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Conover 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 28613 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 28613 area around Conover: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Conover alone.
Conover sits in Catawba County, ZIP 28613. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Conover? 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 Catawba 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 Conover-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 Conover 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.
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.
Catawba County Public Health, about 3 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Catawba County reported ~332 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the North Carolina average.
In North Carolina, 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.
Get treated, notify partners, pause sex until cleared, and follow up, the infection is manageable.
Often, yes, especially throat and rectal infections, which is why site-specific testing matters.
Reassuring if you tested after the window, just retest if it was early, and screen again with new partners.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.