In Hot Spring County, Arkansas, chlamydia cases number about 484 per 100,000 residents, near the US average. For your first STI test or routine screening in Friendship, Arkansas, consider your testing options. Community and public clinics are often low-cost or free, whereas private labs tend to offer faster results and more flexible scheduling.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Friendship, AR. The nearest, Access Medical Clinic Arkansas, is about 7.9 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 8 miles from Friendship. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Arkansas Department of Health in Arkadelphia runs STI testing through the infrastructure of a public health department, which means the standard panel, same-visit bacterial treatment, and HPV, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B vaccines sit alongside TB and family planning. All provided at no fee.
Cash-pay patients, those between jobs, and anyone without a regular provider all land in the same place here: every service, from testing to treatment to vaccines, is provided at no fee. Sliding-scale and insurance are accepted, but the floor is already zero regardless of what you bring.
Strip an STI clinic down to basics and you typically get gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. Full stop. Arkansas Department of Health in Arkadelphia goes further, adding herpes, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C to the testing roster, alongside both rapid and conventional HIV options.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A safety-net rural health clinic about 8 miles from Friendship. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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 Friendship, 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 Hot Spring 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.
3050 Twin Rivers Drive, Arkadelphia, AR 71923
CMS-certified lab
2913 Cypress Road, Suite 100, Arkadelphia, AR 71923
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 2 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Friendship. 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, 113 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Friendship. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 20 offer telehealth.
Noland Hagood, MD
Family medicine · 10 Montgomery Drive, Caddo Valley
Gary Gehrki, MD
Internal medicine · 3050 Twin Rivers Drive, Arkadelphia
Elizabeth Rigsby, MD
Family medicine · 3050 Twin Rivers Drive, Arkadelphia
John Elkins, MD
OB-GYN · 2913 Cypress Road, Arkadelphia
Bryan Mcdonnell, MD
Family medicine · 2913 Cypress Road, Arkadelphia
Sarah Franklin, MD
Family medicine · 2915 Cypress Road, Arkadelphia
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 Friendship, 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.
8.3 mi Heartland Pharmacy Arkadelphia
8.4 miFreds Pharmacy 1046
8.4 miBrookshires Pharmacy
8.5 miAllcare Pharmacy
8.7 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Friendship, 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 Friendship, 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
$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
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 Hot Spring County, the county that includes Friendship, compare with Arkansas and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~12% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#34 of 75 Arkansas counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 55% of the state
| Infection | Hot Spring County | Arkansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 484.1 161 cases ▼ 16% | 579.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 168.4 56 cases ▼ 13% | 193.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 90.2 30 cases ▲ 209% | 29.2 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 78.2 26 cases ▲ 352% | 17.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 784.8 261 cases ▲ 1535% | 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 Hot Spring County, chlamydia has risen from 417.7 to 484.1 per 100,000 (16%), gonorrhea has fallen from 293.6 to 168.4 per 100,000 (43%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 12.1 to 90.2 per 100,000 (645%).
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 Hot Spring 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.
Hot Spring County HIV care continuum (2022)
Hot Spring County recorded 17.4 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 11.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Hot Spring County residents living with HIV, 31.6% are in care · 21.1% 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 Hot Spring County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Getting tested for STIs in Friendship means accepting that care isn't walking distance away. The nearest clinics sit beyond town limits, along routes that require a drive. A reality that shapes how residents approach sexual health. For those in their late teens through their thirties, when routine screening fits naturally into life, that distance can feel like friction.
Yet the testing sites listed on this page are genuinely accessible once you've decided to go, and the confidentiality you need is built into how they work. Friendship's young adults often weigh privacy concerns differently than they might elsewhere. Word travels in a place this size, and that awareness can delay a screening decision. But the clinics serving the area operate outside that social landscape, your test results and the fact that you came at all stay separate from what neighbors might overhear at Caddo Valley City Park or along Malvern Road.
The practical path forward is straightforward: contact one of the providers in and around Friendship, schedule at a time that works for your life, and get the answers you need. Waiting longer rarely makes sense, and the clinics listed on this page are equipped to make the visit quick and clear.
Getting there
At 7.03/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Friendship 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 71923 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 71923 area around Friendship: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Friendship alone.
Friendship sits in Hot Spring County, ZIP 71923. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Friendship? 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 Hot Spring 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 a Friendship-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 Friendship 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.
Malvern, AR is a nearby town with options, the listing shows each one's distance so you can pick the closest.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
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.
Hot Spring County reported ~484 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Arkansas average.
In Arkansas, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Chlamydia is checked with a simple urine sample or a swab; lab results usually come back in a day or two.
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.
Get treated, notify partners, pause sex until cleared, and follow up, the infection is manageable.
Yes, site matters; oral/anal exposure needs a throat or rectal swab, which urine testing won't catch.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.