Gonorrhea cases in Van Buren County run about 59% lower than the national rate. Whether you were exposed or getting tested routinely, Damascus, Arkansas offers community and public clinics for low-cost or even free testing, though private labs might return results faster and offer more scheduling flexibility. Find your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Damascus, AR. The nearest, Boston Mountain Rural Health Center, is about 4.5 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.
Boston Mountain Rural Health Center in Bee Branch pairs gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis C, and TB testing with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, all on a sliding-scale fee adjusted to income and by appointment. With full-service care available in Spanish.
Plenty of testing sites hand off prevention medication to a separate prescriber. Boston Mountain Rural Health Center writes PrEP and PEP prescriptions directly, keeping HIV prevention management within the same clinic rather than splitting care between two providers.
After a hepatitis C diagnosis, the clinic moves into treatment. Prescribing direct-acting antivirals and monitoring viral response over the course of therapy. That full clinical arc, from initial antibody test through sustained virologic response, happens within Boston Mountain Rural Health Center itself.
Spanish functions as an operational language at Boston Mountain Rural Health Center in Bee Branch, not a supplemental accommodation. Medical history, test counseling, PrEP discussions, and treatment instructions all proceed in Spanish without routing through a secondary service.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
A community safety-net rural health clinic about 8 miles from Damascus. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 10 miles from Damascus. 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 5 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Damascus, 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.
Also in the area
Beyond the public testing sites above, these federally certified (CLIA) labs serve Van Buren 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.
2500 Hwy 65 South, Clinton, AR 72031
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Damascus. 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, 111 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Damascus. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 13 offer telehealth.
Charles Clifton, MD
Family medicine · 49 South Broadview Street, Greenbrier
Alyson Fish, MD
Family medicine · 25 Business Park Drive, Greenbrier
Debra Lawrence, MD
OB-GYN · 2526 Hwy 65 South 205, Clinton
Steven James, MD
Family medicine · 2500 Hwy 65 South, Clinton
Justin Allen, MD
Family medicine · 465 Medical Ctr Parkway, Clinton
Richard Melin, DO
Family medicine · 145 Shake Rag Road, Clinton
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 Damascus, AR 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.
0.2 mi Damascus RX
0.2 miHarps Pharmacy
9.1 miAmerican Drugs
9.3 miJohnson Pharmacy
11 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Damascus, AR.
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 Damascus, 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
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
$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 Van Buren County, the county that includes Damascus, compare with Arkansas 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.
#72 of 75 Arkansas counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 4% of the state
| Infection | Van Buren County | Arkansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 123.9 20 cases ▼ 79% | 579.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 74.3 12 cases ▼ 62% | 193.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | — no data | 29.2 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | — no data | 17.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | — no data | 48 | 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 Van Buren County, chlamydia has fallen from 310.2 to 123.9 per 100,000 (60%), gonorrhea has fallen from 139.3 to 74.3 per 100,000 (47%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 6.3 to 31.1 per 100,000 (394%).
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 Van Buren County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Arkansas is one of the U.S. jurisdictions prioritized under the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative: targeted federal funding to expand local HIV testing, PrEP, and prevention.
Van Buren County HIV care continuum (2023)
Van Buren County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 11.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Van Buren County residents living with HIV, 40% are in care · 40% 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 Van Buren County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
US 65 cuts straight through Damascus, and the households clustered along Broadview Street skew toward established families, with average sizes well above what you'd find in most Arkansas towns and nearly six in ten adults married. That settled, multigenerational texture shapes how younger adults here, people moving through their late teens and twenties, actually navigate health decisions: shared living, limited privacy, and the financial reality of a place where very few households clear six figures mean that cost and convenience carry real weight when someone is deciding whether to follow through on a screening appointment.
The ownership picture tells part of the story, too. A meaningful share of residents rent at modest monthly rates, which often means shorter stays, more relationship transitions, and less access to a regular doctor who already knows your history. With unemployment running notably high, a significant slice of the workforce is stretched for both time and money, and STI screening can feel like one more errand that requires lining up transportation and taking a chunk out of a working day.
Getting to the options listed on this page from Damascus means traveling US 65, since testing sites are not sitting at Damascus City Park or around the Twin Groves Park trailhead. That drive is the concrete variable: knowing in advance which listed clinic has the shortest wait or the lowest out-of-pocket cost is exactly what turns a reasonable intention into a kept appointment before the week closes.
Getting there
At 4.81/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Damascus 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 72039 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 72039 area around Damascus: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Damascus alone.
Damascus sits in Van Buren County, ZIP 72039. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Damascus? 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 Van Buren County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Arkansas 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 Damascus-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 Damascus 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Arkansas 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 ArkansasSource: 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.
Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
Public clinics serve people without insurance, often on a sliding scale.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Van Buren County reported ~124 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Arkansas average.
At-home kits mail to 72039: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
In Arkansas, 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.
Usually urine or a swab for chlamydia/gonorrhea, and blood for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis.
No, symptoms mean test now; the window period only applies to symptom-free screening.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.