Reported syphilis in Louisa County is about 40% lower than the US average. Whether you've had a recent risk or simply test on a regular schedule in Cotter, Iowa, you can choose from options that either prioritize convenience or speed. Clinics may offer quicker turnaround, while labs and at-home kits let you plan around your own time. See your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Cotter, IA. The nearest, Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa, is about 5.5 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.
Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa in Columbus City requires an appointment and covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis C, and TB testing in a single visit: bacterial STIs treated same day, fees on a sliding scale accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance.
Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa carries a full hepatitis C treatment program, meaning the antiviral course is managed on-site in Columbus City rather than handed off to a specialist. That direct-care capacity means a confirmed diagnosis moves immediately into treatment planning within the same clinic relationship.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa tests for hepatitis C and TB. Two conditions that share transmission routes or co-infection risk with common STIs. Adding both to the panel means a single appointment captures a substantially broader picture of infectious disease status.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
A safety-net rural health clinic about 6 miles from Cotter. 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 10 miles from Cotter. 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 about 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Cotter, 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, 202 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Cotter. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 47 offer telehealth.
Richard Powers, MD
Family medicine · 2489 Hwy 92, Washington
Rey Lin, MD
Internal medicine · 400 East Polk Street, Washington
Natalie Lanternier, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 3056 River Cross Court, Riverside
James Schlichtmann, MD
Family medicine · 503 3rd Street, Kalona
Craig Huston, MD
Family medicine · 2421 Lutheran Drive, Muscatine
Jessica Kresowik, MD
OB-GYN · 3465 Mulberry Avenue, Muscatine
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 Cotter, IA 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.
Hy-Vee
5.6 miHy-Vee Pharmacy
5.6 mi
10 mi Hy-Vee Pharmacy (3434)
11 miThompsons RX
12 miPerfectrx
12 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Cotter, IA.
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 Cotter, 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
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
$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 Louisa County, the county that includes Cotter, compare with Iowa and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~22% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#50 of 99 Iowa counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 49% of the state
| Infection | Louisa County | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 218.8 23 cases ▼ 49% | 426.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 76.1 8 cases ▼ 35% | 116.8 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 9.5 1 cases ▼ 8% | 10.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | — no data | 9.2 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | — no data | 9.9 | 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 Louisa County, chlamydia has fallen from 258.4 to 218.8 per 100,000 (15%), gonorrhea has fallen from 101.5 to 76.1 per 100,000 (25%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 9.4 to 9.5 per 100,000 (1%).
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 Louisa County.
Local HIV snapshot
Louisa County HIV care continuum (2022)
Louisa County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 5.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Louisa County residents living with HIV, 90% are in care · 80% 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 Louisa County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
IA 92 stretches past Eden Park and out toward the nearest testing options listed on this page, a drive that, for anyone without a flexible schedule, takes planning. That distance lands harder when unemployment is as high as it is here, leaving a real share of residents managing tight budgets alongside unpredictable days. Cotter leans heavily toward homeowners, and the majority of households are married, which can shape how people think about routine screening. As something that belongs to a couple's shared health rather than an individual errand. Still, young adults in their late teens and twenties are at the years when STIs circulate most actively, and in a community this spread out, getting tested means consciously building a trip around it.
A place where nearly nine in ten working-age adults are in the labor force means most people are busy on weekdays, and the 24-hour or extended-hour options listed here matter precisely because a standard clinic window can close before anyone's shift does. Average household size here is modest, and most adults are partnered. Contexts where a positive result touches more than one person. Knowing the options listed on this page, and which ones offer the hours or cost structure that fit, is just a practical part of managing that reality.
Getting there
At 5.26/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Cotter 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 52738 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 52738 area around Cotter: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Cotter alone.
Cotter sits in Louisa County, ZIP 52738. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Cotter? 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 Louisa County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Iowa 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 Cotter-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 Cotter 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 Iowa 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 Iowa, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own; a parent may be notified only in the case of a positive HIV test result.
Iowa 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 IowaSource: 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 Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa (5.5 mi); 5 options are within 30 miles.
Private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Yes, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 219 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Iowa average.
In Iowa, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
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.