New HIV diagnoses in Washington County run about 17% lower than the US average. Whether just wanting peace of mind, or have symptoms, residents of Elm Springs, Arkansas have options for STI testing. Some clinics in the area take walk-ins for same-day testing, while labs and home-based kits let you plan around your own time.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Elm Springs, AR. The nearest, Mercy, is about 2.5 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.
Mercy in Springdale tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, HIV, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB, treating bacterial infections at the same appointment: fees run on a sliding scale and Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance are all accepted. Appointments are required.
Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis is still out of reach at the vast majority of STI clinics, they recognize it but stop short of prescribing it. Mercy writes those prescriptions directly, making the antibiotic-based prevention strategy an active part of its clinical toolkit rather than something a patient has to chase down separately.
Beyond the standard four, Mercy's panel runs serologic testing for herpes simplex alongside hepatitis A, B, and C antibody and antigen markers: each ordered, drawn, and read within the same clinical workflow as the rest of the visit. That broader scope means a single appointment captures infections that otherwise require a separate referral and lab order.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care in Springdale takes walk-ins for STI testing: no appointment needed to get screened for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis. Same-visit treatment is available for bacterial infections, fees are charged on a sliding scale, and insurance is accepted.
Many STI clinics leave non-English speakers to navigate care with whatever they can piece together on their own. Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care in Springdale has interpretation services integrated into the visit itself, so the clinical conversation happens in the language you use to make sense of your health.
The standard four-infection screen leaves herpes and hepatitis off the table entirely. At Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care in Springdale, a single visit can cover gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C. A panel broad enough that gaps don't get scheduled away for another day.
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
ARcare in Springdale requires an appointment and covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB in a single visit. Bacterial STIs treated the same day, with every service available on a sliding-scale fee.
ARcare carries a blanket no-fee structure across its full range: STI testing, hepatitis B and C treatment, HIV medical care, PrEP, PEP, the mpox vaccine, and TB treatment all fall under it. That single policy means nothing on the service list gets carved out or priced separately.
ARcare staffs interpretation services for non-English languages directly within its clinical workflow, so medication adherence counseling, PrEP initiation conversations, and hepatitis treatment decisions happen with a qualified interpreter present. Not routed around one.
Without a clinic that prescribes and manages both PrEP and PEP on-site, a gap in HIV prevention coverage opens the moment continuity breaks. ARcare in Springdale holds both: PrEP for ongoing prevention including free access for uninsured patients, and PEP as a standing clinical offering.
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
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 3 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Elm Springs, 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 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 Washington 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.
2601 Gene George Boulevard, Springdale, AR 72762
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
3901 Parkway Circle, Springdale, AR 72762
CMS-certified lab
4600 Mercy Lane, Springdale, AR 72762
CMS-certified lab
4077 Elm Springs Rd Suite 105, Springdale, AR 72762
CMS-certified lab
2601 Gene George Boulevard, Springdale, AR 72762
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Elm Springs. 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, 351 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Elm Springs. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 114 offer telehealth.
Britte Smith, MD
OB-GYN · 813 Founders Park Drive West, Springdale
Mark Thomas, MD
Family medicine · 813 Founders Park Drive East, Springdale
Jamal Abdin, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 813 Founders Park Drive East, Springdale
Avin Rekhi, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 813 Founders Park Drive East, Springdale
Darrin Cunningham, DO
OB-GYN · 6636 West Sunset Avenue, Springdale
David Sitzes, MD
Family medicine · 4962 Elm Springs Road, Springdale
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 Elm Springs, AR 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.
Collier Drug-Har-Ber
2.2 miHarps Pharmacy 123
2.5 mi
3.1 mi Sam's Club Pharmacy 10
3.4 miWestside Health Mart Pharmacy
4.2 mi
4.5 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Elm Springs, AR.
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 Elm Springs, 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 $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
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
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 Washington County, the county that includes Elm Springs, compare with Arkansas and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~25% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#22 of 75 Arkansas counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 71% of the state
| Infection | Washington County | Arkansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 647.7 1,694 cases ▲ 12% | 579.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 146.1 382 cases ▼ 24% | 193.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 19.9 52 cases ▼ 32% | 29.2 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 17.2 45 cases ▼ 1% | 17.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 25.6 67 cases ▼ 47% | 48 | 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 Washington County, chlamydia has risen from 577.5 to 647.7 per 100,000 (12%), gonorrhea has fallen from 187.9 to 146.1 per 100,000 (22%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 20.7 to 19.9 per 100,000 (4%).
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 Washington County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Arkansas 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.
Washington County HIV care continuum (2023)
Washington County recorded 11.4 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 11.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Washington County residents living with HIV, 20.1% are in care · 15.9% 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 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 Washington County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Henri de Tonti Boulevard cuts through Elm Springs as US 412, connecting this small community to the broader Washington County corridor, and the households along it skew notably stable: most residents own their homes, most adults are married, and the average household runs closer to three people than two. That family-unit character shapes how health decisions get made. When a couple or a young family shares a calendar, a budget, and a car, a screening appointment rarely stays a solo errand. It gets weighed against competing commitments for everyone in the house. That stability coexists with a workforce that's broadly employed and, for roughly half of households, earning well.
Cost isn't the obstacle it is elsewhere; distance is. People working steady hours outside the home, which describes most of Elm Springs, need testing options whose schedules bend toward evenings or weekends, because a drive down AR 612 to Springdale or beyond isn't something most residents can thread into a random Tuesday afternoon. Young adults in their late teens and twenties make up a meaningful share of Elm Springs households, and Washington County's STI figures reflect patterns common to that life stage. For someone settled near Elm Springs City Park or raising a family here long-term, staying current on screening is simply part of knowing where things stand, for yourself and the people sharing your home.
Getting there
At 7.44/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Elm Springs 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 72762 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 72762 area around Elm Springs: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Elm Springs alone.
Elm Springs sits in Washington County, ZIP 72762. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Elm Springs? 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 Washington County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Arkansas 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 Elm Springs-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 Elm Springs 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Arkansas 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 ArkansasSource: 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.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Yes, free HIV testing is available at public clinics in the area.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Washington County reported ~648 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Arkansas average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In Arkansas, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
A kit ships to your address; you collect a urine, swab, or finger-stick sample, mail it to the lab, and get results online in a few days.
Untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and fertility problems, caught early, it's cured with antibiotics.
Herpes isn't curable, but daily or as-needed antiviral medicine controls outbreaks and lowers the chance of passing it on.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.