In Iron County, reported gonorrhea runs about 76% lower than the national average. If you live in Des Arc, Missouri and need testing after a possible exposure or as part of routine care, public clinics are often low-cost or free, while private labs often offer faster results and more flexible scheduling. Just below, you'll find a list of options to consider.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Des Arc, MO. The nearest, Missouri Highlands Health Care - Annapolis, is about 6.3 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.
Missouri Highlands Health Care in Annapolis meets patients who are between providers, paying out of pocket, or simply need a reliable place to get tested. Federally qualified and income-based in its fee structure, this center screens for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. No appointment required.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Saint Francis Healthcare in Piedmont accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, with a fee schedule applied to visits. Appointments are required. The testing panel covers HIV via rapid test, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis A, B, and C, with same-visit treatment available for bacterial STIs and HPV and hepatitis vaccines on-site.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Missouri Highlands Health Care in Piedmont runs appointments for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and more. With same-visit treatment for bacterial infections when results call for it. Fees slide to income, and insurance or Medicaid covers what they cover. PrEP and PEP are both on the menu.
Missouri Highlands Health Care prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly, which means ongoing prevention stays with a provider who already knows your testing history. No separate appointment at a different practice to keep the regimen going.
An STI clinic typically hands off substance-use concerns entirely. Missouri Highlands Health Care carries both, treatment for substance use is integrated into the same practice, so a patient managing addiction doesn't have to split care across two providers.
The standard four-infection panel leaves hepatitis A, B, and C, plus herpes, off the table. Missouri Highlands Health Care tests for all of them, which matters when a complete picture of exposure is what the visit is actually for.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
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 Des Arc, 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 range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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 Iron 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.
301 North Hwy 21, Pilot Knob, MO 63663
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Des Arc. 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, 9 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Des Arc. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 1 offer telehealth.
David Gayle, MD
Family medicine · 420 Piedmont Avenue, Piedmont
Elizabeth Bowman, DO
Family medicine · 1 Hals Plz, Piedmont
Naeem Aslam, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 301 North Hwy 21, Pilot Knob
Ian Pelletier, DO
Internal medicine · 315 West Mulberry A, Pilot Knob
Edward Burke, MD
Internal medicine · 735 West Main Street, Fredericktown
Tirso Aldana, MD
Internal medicine · 611 West Main Street, Fredericktown
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 Des Arc, MO 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.
Parkland Pharmacy
8.4 miPiedmont Family Pharmacy
11 miToney Drug & Wellness
11 miTown & Country Pharmacy
11 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Des Arc, MO.
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 Des Arc, 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
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions 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 Iron County, the county that includes Des Arc, compare with Missouri and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~36% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#109 of 115 Missouri counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 5% of the state
| Infection | Iron County | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 84.7 8 cases ▼ 83% | 498.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 42.4 4 cases ▼ 79% | 201.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 21.2 2 cases ▼ 1% | 21.5 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 10.6 1 cases ▼ 15% | 12.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 10.6 1 cases ▼ 69% | 33.8 | 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 Iron County, chlamydia has fallen from 146.8 to 84.7 per 100,000 (42%), gonorrhea has risen from 41.9 to 42.4 per 100,000 (1%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 21 to 21.2 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 Iron County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Missouri 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.
Iron County HIV care continuum (2023)
Iron County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 10.6 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Iron County residents living with HIV, 90% are in care · 90% 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 Iron County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Des Arc Mountain rises over a community where most households have put down roots: the majority own their homes, and average households run well above three people. Those practical constraints land heaviest on younger adults, people in their late teens and twenties who are still forming relationships and for whom a delayed test rarely means a deliberate choice, just a trip that never got scheduled. The options listed on this page span the region, so finding one with evening or Saturday hours, or telehealth intake, can turn geography from a flat obstacle into something workable around an actual schedule.
Cost is its own layer. With fewer than one in twenty households clearing six figures, out-of-pocket fees add friction that sliding-scale or Title X-funded sites can absorb, and several of the options listed here offer exactly that. For a renter in a lower-income household without employer insurance, the difference often comes down to whether the clinic confirms sliding-scale pricing before the appointment is even booked.
Getting there
At 3.93/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Des Arc 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 63636 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 63636 area around Des Arc: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Des Arc alone.
Des Arc sits in Iron County, ZIP 63636. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Des Arc? 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 Iron County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Missouri 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 Des Arc-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 Des Arc 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 Missouri 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 Missouri, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Missouri 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 MissouriSource: 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.
Possibly, Piedmont, MO is close; compare it by distance against Missouri Highlands Health Care - Annapolis.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
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 85 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Missouri average.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 63636; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
In Missouri, 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.
It depends: a blood draw covers HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis, while urine or a swab covers chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Yes, test after the window period, and if HIV exposure is a concern, ask about PEP within 72 hours.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.