Surry County sees 40% fewer new HIV diagnoses than the national average. Whether you need testing after a possible exposure or as part of routine care, in Dobson, North Carolina, consider your scheduling needs. Some clinics take walk-ins for same-day testing, while labs and at-home kits let you plan around your own time. See the options listed below to find the best testing method for you.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Dobson, NC. The nearest, Surry County Health and Nutrition Center, is about 0.9 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.
Surry County Health and Nutrition Center in Dobson runs STI and HIV testing entirely free of charge, with sliding-scale fees across other services and both Medicaid and private insurance accepted. Appointments are required; gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and herpes are treated same visit.
Every service at Surry County Health and Nutrition Center carries no fee: STI testing, HIV testing, hepatitis B and C testing, treatment, vaccines, and counseling alike. That means nothing is weighed or deferred based on what a visit might cost.
Spanish is available directly through staff at Surry County Health and Nutrition Center, and broader interpretation services cover additional languages, so clinical conversations, counseling, and follow-up instructions happen in real time without a relay.
Surry County Health and Nutrition Center tests for herpes alongside hepatitis A, B, and C, conditions that a four-pathogen screen would miss entirely, so a single appointment produces a more complete picture of what may need attention.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 9 miles from Dobson. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
High Country Community Health at Surry Medical Ministries in Mount Airy welcomes walk-in patients for STI screening without an appointment. Federal qualification underpins its sliding-scale fees, keeping syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing within reach based on income. All in a single visit.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
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 Dobson, 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 Surry 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.
865 Westlake Drive, Mt Airy, NC 27030
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
1925 North Bridge Street, Suite 101, Elkin, NC 28621
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
2133 Rockford Street, Suite 1400, Mt Airy, NC 27030
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Dobson. 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, 176 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Dobson. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 50 offer telehealth.
Alyssa Buckenheimer, MD
Internal medicine · 105 North Crutchfield Street, Dobson
William Ballard, MD
Family medicine · 118 Hamby Road, Dobson
Eboni Ellis Farabee, MD
Family medicine · 2133 Rockford Street, Mount Airy
David Dixon, MD
Family medicine · 951 Rockford Street, Mount Airy
Molly Hamilton, MD
Family medicine · 933 Rockford Street, Mount Airy
Amanda Ford, DO
Family medicine · 910 Worth Street, Mt Airy
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 Dobson, NC 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.
Kerr Drug
0.2 mi
0.2 mi Surry Drug Company
0.4 miScenic Pharmacy
6.6 mi
8.1 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Dobson, NC.
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 Dobson, 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 Surry County, the county that includes Dobson, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~35% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#83 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 17% of the state
| Infection | Surry County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 212.7 152 cases ▼ 65% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 86.8 62 cases ▼ 64% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 4.2 3 cases ▼ 79% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 2.8 2 cases ▼ 82% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | — no data | 24 | 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 Surry County, chlamydia has fallen from 246.6 to 212.7 per 100,000 (14%), gonorrhea has fallen from 106.5 to 86.8 per 100,000 (18%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 2.8 to 4.2 per 100,000 (50%).
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 Surry County.
Local HIV snapshot
Surry County HIV care continuum (2023)
Surry County recorded 8.2 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Surry County residents living with HIV, 79.3% are in care · 68.5% 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 Surry County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
US 601 cuts through Dobson as Rockford Street, and the town it bisects runs on modest budgets. Home values well below six figures, rents that look affordable on paper until they represent a substantial share of a household pulling a single income. With just over half of residents renting and average households running larger than the national norm, a lot of people here are pooling resources across multiple adults, which means a health expense that isn't strictly necessary this week tends to get weighed carefully against everything else. That calculus hits hardest for younger adults still building their financial footing, the people in their late teens and twenties who also happen to face the steepest STI risks.
Dobson's workforce participation is notably low, meaning many residents work part-time, caregiving, or informal arrangements that don't come with predictable schedules or employer-sponsored benefits. Getting tested isn't just about willpower; it's about whether a clinic appointment fits the shape of an actual week: one that may include sharing a car, watching kids, or fitting hours around shift work. Dobson is also genuinely spread out, with no realistic walk to a testing site from Dobson Square Park or anywhere along Rockford Street. The options listed on this page require a drive, so knowing in advance which location has extended hours or sliding-scale fees makes the difference between a trip that happens soon and one that keeps waiting.
Getting there
At 5.69/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Dobson 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 27017 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 27017 area around Dobson: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Dobson alone.
Dobson sits in Surry County, ZIP 27017. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Dobson? 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 Surry County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under North Carolina 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 Dobson-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 Dobson 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
North Carolina 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 North CarolinaSource: 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.
There are 7 options within a 30-mile drive.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
Surry County Health and Nutrition Center, about 0.9 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Surry County reported ~213 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the North Carolina average.
In North Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
At-home kits mail to 27017: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
Little prep is needed, bring an ID and insurance if you have it, and note your exposure dates and any symptoms; for a urine test, avoid peeing for about an hour beforehand.
Telling recent partners lets them test and treat; many health departments offer confidential partner-notification help.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.