New HIV diagnoses in Putnam County run about 48% lower than the US average, so if it's your first STI test or a routine screening in Cookeville, Tennessee, you have some options. You may find clinics which bill insurance or sliding-scale fees, while many private labs let you pay a flat self-pay price.
Available testing centers
12 testing options are listed for Cookeville, TN. The nearest, Tennessee Department of Health, is about 0.7 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.
Tennessee Department of Health in Cookeville brings public health infrastructure to STI care: the full bacterial and viral panel, same-visit treatment for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis, HPV and hepatitis vaccines, and an appointment-based visit, all at no charge on a sliding scale.
For anyone managing care without insurance, without a regular provider, or simply paying out of pocket, the Tennessee Department of Health in Cookeville removes every dollar figure from the equation: testing, treatment, and vaccines all carry no charge, so the decision to come in is never a financial one.
For a Spanish speaker navigating STI testing, treatment decisions, or partner notification, this clinic delivers the entire clinical encounter in Spanish: not routed through a secondary resource, but as the primary mode of care, which matters most when discussing treatment options and follow-up.
Plenty of clinics will detect a hepatitis C infection and leave the treatment path to someone else entirely, Tennessee Department of Health in Cookeville closes that gap, managing hepatitis C on-site from diagnosis through treatment rather than handing the work off downstream.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Choice Health Network, a Positively Living Company in Cookeville, is a dedicated HIV and sexual health organization: meaning STI testing, treatment, and prevention are its core work, not a side service. The standard panel covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis B and C, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, all at no fee. Appointments are required.
Every test, treatment, vaccine, and prevention service at Choice Health Network costs nothing, which means PrEP, PEP, and hepatitis C treatment are as financially reachable as a basic HIV screen.
Leaving a testing appointment without a prevention prescription means an extra provider visit, extra time, and often extra cost before protection begins. Choice Health Network carries both PrEP and PEP on-site, so prevention doesn't stall between diagnosis and pharmacy.
Choice Health Network treats hepatitis C on-site, so a reactive test doesn't hand patients a specialist's name and a waiting period; clearance of the virus begins within the same organization that found it.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Upper Cumberland Regional Health Department in Algood requires an appointment, and that single visit covers rapid and conventional HIV testing, hepatitis A, B, and C, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and TB, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, all at no fee.
Upper Cumberland Regional Health Department structures its entire operation around a no-fee model: testing, STI treatment, PrEP prescribing, DoxyPEP, hepatitis C treatment, and HIV/AIDS medical management are all staffed and dispensed on-site without any charge attached to any service line.
Staff at Upper Cumberland Regional Health Department communicate directly in American Sign Language, Chinese, French, and Haitian Creole, along with Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese: meaning clinical conversations about medication adherence, PrEP regimens, or hepatitis treatment happen in the patient's own language without a relay.
Leaving Algood with only an HIV-negative result but no prescription pathway means prevention stalls before it starts. Upper Cumberland Regional Health Department closes that gap by prescribing and managing PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP directly. All three regimens dispensed and monitored within the same clinic, at no fee.
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 Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC in Baxter covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, conventional HIV, and hepatitis A, B, and C testing, with bacterial STI treatment available at the same visit. Fees run on a sliding scale, and both Medicare and Medicaid are accepted. Appointments are required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Monterey-Putnam County Health Department Community Health Center, in Monterey, carries both federally qualified and rural health clinic designations: meaning sliding-scale fees tied to income apply to STI screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, no appointment needed to get started.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A safety-net rural health clinic about 26 miles from Cookeville. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A community safety-net rural health clinic about 28 miles from Cookeville. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A safety-net rural health clinic about 29 miles from Cookeville. 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 Cookeville, 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 range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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 Putnam 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.
115 North Peachtree Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1 Medical Center Boulevard, Cookeville, TN 38501
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1 Medical Center Boulevard, Cookeville, TN 38501
CMS-certified lab
225 North Willow Avenue, Suite 3, Cookeville, TN 38501
CMS-certified lab
435 North Cedar Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Cookeville. 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, 124 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Cookeville. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 45 offer telehealth.
Holly Blankenship, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 815 South Walnut Avenue, Cookeville
Steven Alexander, MD
Family medicine · 768 South Willow Avenue, Cookeville
John Bassel, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 920 South Willow Avenue, Cookeville
Lori Thomas-Steward, DO
Internal medicine · 753 Humble Drive, Cookeville
Adrian Vinas, MD
Family medicine · 335 West Spring Street, Cookeville
Matthew King, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 3300 Williams Enterprise Drive, Cookeville
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 Cookeville, 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.
0.4 mi 
0.5 mi Varsity Drugs & Compounding
0.5 miMedplus Pharmacy
0.6 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Cookeville, 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 Cookeville, 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 $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
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or 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 Putnam County, the county that includes Cookeville, compare with Tennessee and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~41% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#59 of 95 Tennessee counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 38% of the state
| Infection | Putnam County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 227.8 191 cases ▼ 56% | 517.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 46.5 39 cases ▼ 75% | 186.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 9.5 8 cases ▼ 36% | 14.8 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 4.8 4 cases ▼ 58% | 11.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 17.9 15 cases ▼ 32% | 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 Putnam County, chlamydia has fallen from 339.4 to 227.8 per 100,000 (33%), gonorrhea has fallen from 155.3 to 46.5 per 100,000 (70%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 2.5 to 9.5 per 100,000 (280%).
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 Putnam County.
Local HIV snapshot
Putnam County HIV care continuum (2022)
Putnam County recorded 7.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 14.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Putnam County residents living with HIV, 80.2% are in care · 73% 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 Putnam County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
McCrary Subdivision sits close enough to SR 136 that errands and commutes bleed together, and that rhythm describes a lot of Cookeville life: busy, budget-conscious, and structured around what's reachable without rearranging much. With most residents renting rather than owning, and typical rents sitting at a genuinely modest level, disposable income is tight for a large share of households. Fewer than one in six earns six figures, and with unemployment running notably higher than the national norm, the practical calculus around any health appointment tends to involve cost and timing as much as willingness. That matters here because Cookeville skews young in a meaningful way.
A striking proportion of residents are in their late teens and twenties, the years when STI transmission peaks and when screening is most likely to catch something early enough to treat easily. For that crowd, a clinic that costs little, accepts walk-ins, or offers hours outside a standard nine-to-five can be the difference between acting on an intention and indefinitely postponing it. Checking the hours and fees for the closest option before your next drive along that corridor is the most direct path from here to a result.
Getting there
At 7.07/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Cookeville 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 38501 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 38501 area around Cookeville: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Cookeville alone.
Cookeville sits in Putnam County, ZIP 38501. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Cookeville? 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 Putnam 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 Cookeville-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 Cookeville 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.
The closest is Tennessee Department of Health (0.7 mi); 9 options are within 30 miles.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
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 228 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Tennessee average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Tennessee, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 38501; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
Some HPV types can lead to cervical and other cancers over time, which is why screening and the HPV vaccine matter.
Yes, rapid finger-stick tests are very accurate after the window period; any reactive result is confirmed with a lab test.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.