Gonorrhea cases in Perry County run about 73% higher than the national average. Whether you're in Ellards, Alabama with a particular concern or seeking routine screenings, consider if you may prefer billing your insurance or a predictable self-pay cost. Local clinics and private labs are available. Use the list below to find your options.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Ellards, AL. The nearest, Cahaba Medical Care, is about 9.9 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.
Cahaba Medical Care in Brent runs on sliding-scale fees with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance accepted, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and hepatitis C testing alongside STI treatment, PrEP, and hepatitis A, B, and HPV vaccines. Appointments required.
Cahaba Medical Care carries hepatitis C care through both detection and treatment, meaning a reactive antibody result doesn't stall at the lab stage. Antiviral treatment, the same curative direct-acting regimen used by specialist practices, is managed on-site, keeping the clinical relationship continuous rather than fragmented.
For anyone without a regular provider who needs ongoing HIV prevention, Cahaba Medical Care holds a standing PrEP prescribing and monitoring practice. Not a one-time consultation that hands off elsewhere. That means the baseline labs, the prescription, and the follow-up HIV and kidney monitoring all stay within a single clinical relationship.
Interpretation services for non-English languages are available at Cahaba Medical Care, so sensitive clinical conversations (exposure history, medication adherence, treatment decisions) are conducted with direct language support rather than deferred or abbreviated. That access extends across the full scope of services the clinic provides.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Cahaba Medical Care - Brent Administration, in Brent, carries federally qualified health center standing. Meaning STI screening fees slide with income for anyone who walks in. No appointment is needed to access syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing on a scale tied to what patients actually earn.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A safety-net federally qualified health center about 11 miles from Ellards. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
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 about 10 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Ellards, 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 Perry 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.
1768 South Washington Street, Marion, AL 36756
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Ellards. 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, 57 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Ellards. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 2 offer telehealth.
Khawla Suhaila, MD
Family medicine · 405 Belcher Street, Centreville
Andrew Posey, DO
Family medicine · 405 Belcher Street, Centreville
Rowell Ashford, MD
OB-GYN · 195 Hospital Drive, Centreville
Andrew Gieger, MD
General practice · 10448 Hwy 5, Brent
Laura Lishman, MD
Family medicine · 208 Pierson Avenue, Centreville
Hannah Zahedi, MD
Family medicine · 1768 South Washington Street, Marion
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 Ellards, 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.
J&S Drugs
12 miCollege City Drugs
13 miBoone's Pharmacy
21 miCaremor Pharmacy
21 miFrank's Care Pharmacy
21 miBrown Drug
23 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Ellards, 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 Ellards, 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.
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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
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 Perry County, the county that includes Ellards, compare with Alabama and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~30% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#6 of 67 Alabama counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 91% of the state
| Infection | Perry County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 1098.5 85 cases ▲ 69% | 651.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 310.2 24 cases ▲ 37% | 226.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | — no data | 28.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 51.7 4 cases ▲ 153% | 20.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 38.8 3 cases ▲ 58% | 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 Perry County, chlamydia has risen from 528.7 to 1098.5 per 100,000 (108%), gonorrhea has risen from 199.7 to 310.2 per 100,000 (55%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 23.5 to 37.3 per 100,000 (59%).
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 Perry 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.
Perry County HIV care continuum (2023)
Among Perry County residents living with HIV, 87.5% are in care · 71.9% 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 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 Perry County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Cave Mountain looms at the edge of Ellards as a quiet reminder that this corner of Alabama has always asked its residents to be self-reliant, and that spirit shows up in the numbers: nearly two-thirds of households hold the deed to their property, and that kind of rootedness can make a place feel quietly self-sufficient. Younger adults in Ellards (the late-teen and twenties crowd, statistically the years when STI exposure peaks) are navigating that access gap alongside households where typical rent sits well below state averages and high earner share is notably thin. Affordable rent helps, but stretched budgets still make fee structures matter when choosing whether to follow through on screening.
Perry County's STI picture, visible in the tables above, is the backdrop here. The clinics listed on this page vary by hours, cost, and distance from Cave Mountain and the AL 5 corridor, so comparing them before you leave the house removes the guesswork from the drive. Among couples, married-household rates here are meaningful, coordinating a shared appointment at whichever location fits the calendar can make annual screening something both partners simply build in together.
Getting there
At 3.09/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Ellards 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 36756 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 36756 area around Ellards: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Ellards alone.
Ellards sits in Perry County, ZIP 36756. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Ellards? 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 Perry 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 Ellards-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 Ellards 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.
There are 4 options within a 30-mile drive.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it.
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.
Perry County reported ~1,099 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Alabama average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In Alabama, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
At-home kits mail to 36756: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
Yes, chlamydia and gonorrhea can infect the throat, often with no symptoms, so ask for a throat swab if you had oral exposure.
Use condoms, test regularly, get the HPV and hep B vaccines, and ask about PrEP for HIV.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.