New HIV diagnoses in Dane County run about 58% lower than the US average. If you are considering testing before starting a new relationship or as part of ongoing care in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, you can choose between clinics that may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees and private labs that often let you pay a flat self-pay price. Here are the options.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Cottage Grove, WI. The nearest, Care Net Pregnancy Center of Dane County, is about 6.1 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.
Care Net Pregnancy Center of Dane County tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and HIV, with every service provided at no fee regardless of income. Appointments are required, and bacterial STI treatment is available on-site.
Herpes testing at Care Net is ordered and resulted through the same visit as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. No separate referral appointment, no secondary lab arrangement. That operational integration means a single scheduled visit produces a fuller diagnostic picture across five pathogens.
Care Net provides services in Spanish and through interpretation for other languages, which means clinical conversations (exposure history, test results, treatment instructions) happen directly rather than through a third-party relay. Patients receive and process medical information in real time without a communication lag affecting their care.
Care Net funds its operations so that testing, treatment, counseling, and HIV prevention education each carry a zero-dollar cost. No billing tier, no point-of-service charge, no outstanding balance generated. The fee structure is built into the clinic's funding model, not applied selectively by service type.
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
Sun Prairie Clinic, serving Sun Prairie, welcomes walk-in patients without an appointment for STI screening. Federally qualified status means fees adjust to income on a sliding scale, and a single visit can cover testing for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
William T. Evjue Clinic in Madison carries federally qualified health center standing, which ties its STI screening fees directly to each patient's income on a sliding scale. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing. No appointment needed to get started.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Public Health Madison and Dane County runs its STI clinic by appointment, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, herpes, and rapid or conventional HIV testing. With same-visit treatment for bacterial infections. Every service, including testing and vaccines, carries no fee.
The no-fee structure at Public Health Madison and Dane County isn't a waiver program with eligibility gatekeeping, it's operationally built into how the clinic is staffed and funded as a county public health department. Testing, treatment, vaccines, and DoxyPEP are all covered without a billing step.
Interpretation services for non-English languages are built into the appointment workflow at Public Health Madison and Dane County, meaning the clinic coordinates language access before you arrive rather than sourcing it on the spot. Care, including counseling and treatment decisions, is delivered through a prepared interpreter, not worked around one.
For anyone without a primary care provider or a clinician willing to prescribe DoxyPEP, Public Health Madison and Dane County holds that capability in-house. The antibiotic regimen used to reduce bacterial STI risk after potential exposure is prescribed and dispensed here, no outside referral needed.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Vivent Health in Madison runs entirely on a no-fee model: HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C testing are free, with sliding-scale fees and Medicaid and private insurance accepted for broader care; appointments are required, and bacterial STIs are treated the same visit.
Vivent Health's no-fee model is operationalized through a layered funding structure: Ryan White Program dollars, Title X-equivalent grants, and Medicaid reimbursement collectively absorb costs so that the billing desk never produces a balance for STI testing or HIV services. No means-testing interview stands between the door and the lab.
Spanish-speaking staff at Vivent Health Madison handle intake, counseling, and treatment conversations directly: medication adherence education and PrEP counseling are conducted in Spanish by the same clinicians managing the care, so nothing is relayed through an intermediary layer between the patient and the person writing the prescription.
Most testing sites hand off a positive HIV result to a separate provider network, leaving patients to navigate specialty care on their own. Vivent Health, backed by Ryan White Program funding, carries that same patient from rapid test through viral load monitoring and ongoing antiretroviral management without a change of address.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 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 about 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Cottage Grove, 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 Dane 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.
251 East Cottage Grove Road, Cottage Grove, WI 53527
CMS-certified lab
4621 Eastpark Boulevard, Madison, WI 53718
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
137 South Main Street, Oregon, WI 53575
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Cottage Grove. 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, 682 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Cottage Grove. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 297 offer telehealth.
Emily Metzger, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 4590 County Road North, Cottage Grove
Christina Hook, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 251 East Cottage Grove Road, Cottage Grove
Julia Mcmillen, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 4901 Cottage Grove Road, Madison
Gary Waters, MD
OB-GYN · 1821 South Stoughton Road, Madison
Puneet Dhillon, MD
Internal medicine · 110 Belmont Road, Madison
George Leydon, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 5249 East Terrace Drive, Madison
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 Cottage Grove, WI 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.
Forward Pharmacy Cottage Grove
0.5 miRoundys Supermarkets
3.8 miWomen's International Pharmacy
5.0 mi
5.1 mi Shopko Stores Operating
5.5 mi
5.5 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Cottage Grove, WI.
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 Cottage Grove, 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 Dane County, the county that includes Cottage Grove, compare with Wisconsin 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.
#6 of 72 Wisconsin counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 92% of the state
| Infection | Dane County | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 433.7 2,495 cases ▲ 3% | 422.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 118 679 cases ≈ the state average | 118.5 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 5.7 33 cases ▼ 37% | 9.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 6.8 39 cases ▲ 10% | 6.2 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 15.5 89 cases ▲ 5% | 14.7 | 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 Dane County, chlamydia has fallen from 464.5 to 433.7 per 100,000 (7%), gonorrhea has fallen from 216.2 to 118 per 100,000 (45%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 8 to 5.7 per 100,000 (29%).
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 Dane County.
Local HIV snapshot
Dane County HIV care continuum (2023)
Dane County recorded 5.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 5.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Dane County residents living with HIV, 88.2% are in care · 83.6% 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 Dane County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
CTH N cutting through the heart of Cottage Grove, past the trailhead for Governor Taylor Nature Park and the quiet cul-de-sacs of Richmond Hill, puts most of the clinics listed on this page within a straightforward drive, not a cross-county expedition. That geographic reality matters more than it sounds, because getting tested rarely competes with a free afternoon; it competes with a full workday. And full workdays are the norm here. Nearly three in four residents are actively working, and the town skews heavily toward established, dual-income households. The kind where schedules are packed and a midweek appointment can vanish under competing obligations.
Most residents own their homes and have put down roots, which can create a false sense that regular screening is someone else's concern. But people in their late teens and twenties, a meaningful slice of any stable suburb, are forming new relationships, changing partners, and often the least likely to prioritize a clinic visit unless the path there is genuinely short. In Cottage Grove, it actually can be. The harder lift is simply deciding that a Tuesday afternoon on CTH N, stopping somewhere between Northlawn Park and wherever the day ends, is the right one.
Getting there
At 5.19/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Cottage Grove 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 53527 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 53527 area around Cottage Grove: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Cottage Grove alone.
Cottage Grove sits in Dane County, ZIP 53527. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Cottage Grove? 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 Dane County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Wisconsin 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 Cottage Grove-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 Cottage Grove 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Wisconsin 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 WisconsinSource: 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.
Some clinics and labs take walk-ins for same-day testing; call ahead to confirm hours.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
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 434 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Wisconsin average.
In Wisconsin, 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.
Just note your exposure dates and symptoms; for urine tests, hold off urinating ~1 hour before.
Expedited partner therapy lets a provider treat a partner without an exam, where state law allows.
Yes, the CDC recommends STI screening early in pregnancy, since untreated infections can affect the baby.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.