New HIV diagnoses in Morgan County are about 58% lower than the US average. If you live in Echols Crossroads, Alabama, and want to get tested before starting a new relationship or as part of ongoing care, consider whether you want to use a clinic that may bill insurance or a private lab that lets you pay a flat self-pay price. Find options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Echols Crossroads, AL. The nearest, Medical East of Decatur, is about 5.9 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.
A safety-net rural health clinic about 6 miles from Echols Crossroads. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Crestwood Medical Group in Huntsville accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, with a fee schedule for those paying directly. The clinic tests for HIV, both rapid and conventional, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis C, treating bacterial infections the same visit and managing HIV on-site. Appointments are required.
Crestwood Medical Group prescribes and monitors PrEP, including the follow-up labs and prescription renewals that keep the regimen current. PEP is also available for post-exposure prevention. Keeping both services inside a medical group means the prescribing physician already holds your full chart, not just your STI history.
A hepatitis C diagnosis that goes unlinked to treatment means months of scheduling, specialist waitlists, and a virus still replicating throughout. At Crestwood Medical Group, treatment follows the diagnosis in the same practice: no second referral chain, no gap between knowing and acting.
Clinics running a basic four-infection screen leave hepatitis C undetected in people who have no idea they were ever exposed. Crestwood Medical Group adds hepatitis C to its panel alongside HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Catching a chronic infection that a narrower screen would miss entirely.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Family Health Care Clinic in Decatur runs entirely without fees, every service, every visit. The full panel covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C, with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance all accepted; bacterial STIs treated same appointment.
An untreated infection often comes down to a bill that arrived at the wrong moment, the follow-up skipped, the prescription unfilled. At Family Health Care Clinic, no service generates a charge: testing, treatment, vaccines, and counseling are all provided at no cost, so the care doesn't stop where the money does.
Family Health Care Clinic conducts visits in Spanish directly and provides interpretation services for other languages: meaning clinical conversations, medication counseling, and treatment decisions happen in the language a person actually uses to process health information, with no relay required.
Plenty of clinics run the hepatitis C antibody, then send you elsewhere for care. A gap that can stretch into months. Family Health Care Clinic closes it: hepatitis C treatment is delivered on-site alongside B and A, so a confirmed diagnosis moves directly into a managed treatment plan without leaving the building.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 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 Echols Crossroads, 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 range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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 Morgan 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.
1107 14th Avenue Southeast, Decatur, AL 35601
CMS-certified lab
1874 Beltline Road Southwest, Decatur, AL 35601
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2112 6th Avenue Southeast, Decatur, AL 35601
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Echols Crossroads. 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, 444 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Echols Crossroads. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 75 offer telehealth.
Gregory Cheatham, MD
Family medicine · 2148 East Upper River Road, Decatur
Lindsay Smith, MD
Family medicine · 301 Pine Street Northwest, Hartselle
Bhavna Gowda, MD
Family medicine · 301 Pine Street Northwest, Hartselle
Tyler Rushforth, DO
Family medicine · 220 Cedar Street Northwest, Hartselle
Jeb Hornsby, MD
Family medicine · 214 Hwy 31 Northwest, Hartselle
Kenneth Mashburn, MD
Family medicine · 1006 Hill Street Southwest, Hartselle
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 Echols Crossroads, AL 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.
Somerville Family Pharmacy
5.9 miPriceville Pharmacy
7.5 mi
7.6 mi Cornerstone Pharmacy
9.6 miFowler Pharmacy
10 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Echols Crossroads, AL.
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 Echols Crossroads, 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
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
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 Morgan County, the county that includes Echols Crossroads, compare with Alabama and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~23% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#1 of 67 Alabama counties for chlamydia, among the very highest in the state
| Infection | Morgan County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 1538.4 1,925 cases ▲ 136% | 651.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 113.5 142 cases ▼ 50% | 226.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 8.8 11 cases ▼ 69% | 28.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 5.6 7 cases ▼ 73% | 20.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 17.6 22 cases ▼ 28% | 24.5 | 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 Morgan County, chlamydia has risen from 333.8 to 1538.4 per 100,000 (361%), gonorrhea has fallen from 197.7 to 113.5 per 100,000 (43%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 9.7 to 8.8 per 100,000 (9%).
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 Morgan County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Alabama 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.
Morgan County HIV care continuum (2023)
Morgan County recorded 5.7 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 16.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Morgan County residents living with HIV, 71.7% are in care · 61% 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 Morgan County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Echols Crossroads skews toward settled households (most residents own their homes, and a majority of those households clear six figures) yet the quarter who rent do so at rates well below regional averages, a detail that matters when you consider who tends to be renting: younger adults navigating first apartments near Sand Mountain High Ridge, new relationships, and insurance coverage that may have just shifted off a parent's plan. That life stage, statistically, is when STI transmission peaks, and low-cost, accessible screening makes the most practical difference. For someone working irregular hours or juggling transportation across the stretches between Turkey Mountain and Sunnyside Park, a clinic visit that requires planning around distance and a limited schedule isn't a small ask. The options listed on this page include varied hours and fee structures precisely because no single model fits how people here actually move through their week.
Morgan County's STI landscape reinforces why staying current on screening matters. Residents who own their homes, have lived here long enough to know the roads, and feel connected to the community sometimes assume stability equals low risk, but sexual health doesn't track property records. Routine testing is simply part of knowing where you stand.
Getting there
At 3.86/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Echols Crossroads 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 35670 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 35670 area around Echols Crossroads: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Echols Crossroads alone.
Echols Crossroads sits in Morgan County, ZIP 35670. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Echols Crossroads? 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 Morgan County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Alabama 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 an Echols Crossroads-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 Echols Crossroads 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 Alabama 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 Alabama, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Alabama 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 AlabamaSource: 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.
Free at public clinics. Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
Family Health Care Clinic, about 11.1 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Morgan County reported ~1,538 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Alabama average.
In Alabama, 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.
At-home kits mail to 35670: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
No, most STIs have no visible signs, so the only way to know is to test.
Public and community clinics test everyone; several provide LGBTQ-affirming services.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.