Webb County reports about 474 chlamydia cases per 100,000 residents, near the US average, but whether you have symptoms or want peace of mind in El Cenizo, Texas, you can weigh the benefits of visiting a clinic or using an at-home kit. Both types of testing are available.
Available testing centers
8 testing options are listed for El Cenizo, TX. The nearest, Gateway Community Health Center, is about 8.2 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.
Gateway Community Health Center in Laredo runs STI testing and same-visit treatment for bacterial infections on a sliding-scale fee that applies to everyone, with appointments required, and it serves patients in American Sign Language, Chinese, French, and Haitian Creole.
Gateway offers direct care in eight languages: American Sign Language, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. That range means clinical conversations about exposure history, treatment adherence, and prevention happen in the language a provider actually delivers care in, not through a relay.
Many STI clinics test but leave HIV prevention prescribing to outside providers. Gateway writes and manages both PrEP and PEP on-site, so ongoing HIV prevention is a clinical service here rather than a separate referral path.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Gateway tests for herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C in the same visit, which means infections that frequently share transmission routes with bacterial STIs get caught in one appointment rather than requiring a second.
Languages
American Sign Language, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
ASAS Health in Laredo folds STI testing into full-scope primary care, so gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB screening share the same appointment as family planning and vaccination: sliding-scale fees, insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare all accepted.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
City of Laredo Health Department runs appointments for testing across HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and TB: with same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs, HPV and hepatitis A vaccines, and sliding-scale fees that reach zero cost for every service.
For anyone managing care without insurance or paying out of pocket, the City of Laredo Health Department carries no charge for any service on its menu. Testing, treatment, vaccines, counseling, all of it. That standing policy means the full scope of care stays available regardless of what a visit might otherwise cost.
For a patient whose primary language is Spanish, care at City of Laredo Health Department unfolds in that language at every step: history, results, treatment instructions, and counseling. That fluency matters most when the conversation turns technical and precision in understanding directly shapes what someone does next.
Ryan White funding at City of Laredo Health Department means a positive HIV result doesn't end the clinical relationship: it deepens it, with medication adherence education and ongoing HIV medical treatment available through the same program that caught it.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Gateway Community Health Center-West Side Clinic, in Laredo, adjusts fees to each patient's income, ensuring no one is turned away for inability to pay. Walk-ins are welcome for STI screening that covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia under its federally qualified health center standing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Pillar in Laredo covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis C on a sliding-scale fee, with HIV testing and STI testing available at no charge, accepts insurance, treats bacterial infections the same visit, and takes walk-ins.
Sliding-scale clinics typically still land some patients with a bill at checkout. At Pillar, the floor is zero: no service carries a charge, regardless of income or coverage, making the sliding scale a guarantee rather than a variable.
Pillar prescribes and manages both PrEP and PEP directly, which means a patient building a long-term prevention strategy and one needing a time-sensitive response after an exposure are both handled within the same clinic relationship.
A bare-bones STI panel stops at the four bacterial and viral staples. Pillar adds hepatitis C to that list, catching an infection that shares transmission routes with the rest but often gets screened elsewhere only on request.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
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 8 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to El Cenizo, 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 Webb 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.
1601 Jacaman Road, Suite 101, Laredo, TX 78041
CMS-certified lab
7510 Mcpherson Road, Suite 101, Laredo, TX 78041
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
2502 Northeast Bob Bullock Loop, Laredo, TX 78045
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near El Cenizo. 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, 76 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of El Cenizo. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 10 offer telehealth.
Melchor Cardenas, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 904 Corpus Christi Street, Laredo
Norberto Alvarez, MD
Family medicine · 1419 Clark Boulevard, Laredo
Fernando Sanchez, MD
Infectious disease · 2600 Cedar Avenue, Laredo
Alfredo Equigua, MD
Family medicine · 1702 Lafayette Street, Laredo
Shiwei Li, DO
Family medicine · 1300 East Saunders Street, Laredo
Guillermo Lopez Gonzalez, MD
Family medicine · 1700 East Saunders Street, Laredo
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 El Cenizo, TX 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.
Amerihealth Pharmacy
3.4 mi
8.5 mi 
10 mi Gateway Community Health Center
10 miLakeside Pharmacy South
12 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to El Cenizo, TX.
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 El Cenizo, 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.
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
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 Webb County, the county that includes El Cenizo, compare with Texas and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~33% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#49 of 254 Texas counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 81% of the state
| Infection | Webb County | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 474.1 1,276 cases ▼ 4% | 491.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 87.3 235 cases ▼ 51% | 176.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 16.7 45 cases ▲ 11% | 15 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 20.8 56 cases ▼ 21% | 26.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 55 148 cases ▲ 24% | 44.3 | 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 Webb County, chlamydia has risen from 387.1 to 474.1 per 100,000 (22%), gonorrhea has risen from 52.4 to 87.3 per 100,000 (67%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 2.6 to 16.7 per 100,000 (542%).
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 Webb County.
Local HIV snapshot
Webb County HIV care continuum (2023)
Webb County recorded 17.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 20.2 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Webb County residents living with HIV, 59.2% are in care · 52.5% 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 Webb County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Espejo Molina Road cuts through a community where most households own their homes and nearly half of all adults aren't in the labor force, a profile that shapes how health decisions get made. Families here run large, often five or more people under one roof, and nearly four in ten adults are married, which means a health concern rarely stays private for long; it ripples through a household quickly. That tight domestic structure can make proactive screening feel like a family matter rather than a personal errand, and the economic reality reinforces the point: typical rents are modest and high incomes are rare, so an unexpected diagnosis discovered late, requiring specialist care, carries real financial weight that routine testing could help avoid.
The people in their late teens and twenties make up a substantial share of El Cenizo's population, the years when new relationships form and STI exposure is statistically most common. Webb County's STI figures are the relevant benchmark for anyone living here. For a resident of El Cenizo, knowing where that county stands, and staying current with screening, is simply what keeps a family's health picture accurate.
Getting there
At 6.25/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in El Cenizo 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 78046 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 78046 area around El Cenizo: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not El Cenizo alone.
El Cenizo sits in Webb County, ZIP 78046. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside El Cenizo? 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 Webb County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Texas 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 El Cenizo-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 El Cenizo 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 Texas 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 Texas, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Texas 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 TexasSource: 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 Gateway Community Health Center (8.2 mi); 8 options are within 30 miles.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
Public clinics nearby offer free HIV testing.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 474 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Texas average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Texas, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
It's reassuring, but if you tested early in the window period, retest a few weeks later to be sure.
Medical records are protected under federal HIPAA law, ask the clinic how it handles your information.
HPV and hepatitis B vaccines prevent those infections, ask a provider if you're due.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.