In Caldwell County, new HIV diagnoses run about 37% lower than the US average. If you're getting an STI test for the first time in Gamewell, North Carolina or it's a routine screening, you can choose between public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits - each offers different balances of cost, speed, and convenience. See the options listed below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Gamewell, NC. The nearest, Caldwell County Health Department, is about 2.4 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.
Caldwell County Health Department in Lenoir operates STI care through the full infrastructure of a public health department: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing alongside treatment for bacterial infections, HPV and hepatitis A vaccines, and family planning, all on a sliding scale at no cost.
Caldwell County Health Department charges nothing for any of its services, testing, STI treatment, TB care, vaccines, family planning. Sliding-scale eligibility extends to everyone, and the fee lands at zero across the board, no partial bills attached to individual line items.
Spanish is a direct service language at Caldwell County Health Department, meaning STI counseling, TB education, family planning, and HIV testing conversations happen in Spanish without mediation. That language capacity applies across every care category the department offers.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Kintegra Health Admin - Collettsville earned its federal qualification by meeting strict standards for income-based care, which means syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening is priced on a sliding scale tied to what each patient actually earns. No fixed-rate barrier at the door.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra Family Medicine - Collettsville earned its federally qualified health center designation partly by anchoring fees to income: meaning sliding-scale pricing for STI screening, including syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing, adjusts to what each patient can actually pay, with no appointment needed to get started.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra Family Medicine-Happy Valley in Lenoir carries federally qualified health center standing, which means STI screening fees adjust to each patient's income on a sliding scale. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing. No appointment needed to get started.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Eastern Burke HCCH, in Connelly Springs, earned its federal qualification by tying fees to income: meaning STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) is priced on a sliding scale so cost adjusts to what each patient actually earns. No appointment is needed to walk in.
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 2 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Gamewell, 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 Caldwell 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.
321 Mulberry Street Southwest, Lenoir, NC 28645
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
321 Mulberry Street Southwest, Suite 477, Lenoir, NC 28645
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
212 Mulberry Street Southwest, Lenoir, NC 28645
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1731 Connelly Springs Road, Lenoir, NC 28645
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1031 Morganton Boulevard Southwest, Lenoir, NC 28645
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Gamewell. 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, 288 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Gamewell. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 54 offer telehealth.
John Picton, MD
OB-GYN · 2345 Morganton Boulevard Southwest, Lenoir
Jill Konkol, MD
Family medicine · 1766 Connelly Springs Road, Lenoir
Amy Abouzied, MD Telehealth
OB-GYN · 906 College Avenue Southwest, Lenoir
Rebecca Woodbury, NP
Family medicine · 401 Mulberry Street Southwest, Lenoir
Sara Movaghar, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 322 Mulberry Street Southwest, Lenoir
Duane Moise, DO
Internal medicine · 322 Mulberry Street Southwest, Lenoir
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 Gamewell, NC 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.
Gamewell Family Pharmacy
1.4 miCaldwell Family Drug
1.5 miCajah Mountain Discount Drugs
3.8 miMedical Arts Pharmacy
4.7 miCommunity Pharmacy
4.7 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Gamewell, NC.
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 Gamewell, 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
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
$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 Caldwell County, the county that includes Gamewell, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~27% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#61 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 39% of the state
| Infection | Caldwell County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 362.4 292 cases ▼ 40% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 105.5 85 cases ▼ 57% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 12.4 10 cases ▼ 38% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 11.2 9 cases ▼ 29% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 13.7 11 cases ▼ 43% | 24 | 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 Caldwell County, chlamydia has fallen from 396.8 to 362.4 per 100,000 (9%), gonorrhea has fallen from 184.7 to 105.5 per 100,000 (43%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 6.2 to 12.4 per 100,000 (100%).
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 Caldwell County.
Local HIV snapshot
Caldwell County HIV care continuum (2022)
Caldwell County recorded 8.6 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Caldwell County residents living with HIV, 88.4% are in care · 75.8% 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 Caldwell County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Along Morganton Boulevard Southwest, a meaningful share of Gamewell households are renting, at monthly figures well below what most North Carolina markets demand, which tells you something real about the economic stretch many residents are managing. That tension shapes daily trade-offs, and for people in their late teens and twenties who are navigating new jobs, new relationships, or shared households, a medical appointment that costs money or requires time off can quietly stay on the back burner for months. The community leans toward owner-occupied homes and larger household sizes, which suggests a lot of intergenerational living and established families, but roughly a third of residents are renting, and with unemployment running notably high, a substantial portion of working-age adults are either between jobs or piecing together irregular schedules.
For that group, the options listed on this page, many offering sliding-scale or no-cost visits, close a gap that straightforward logistics otherwise leave open. Every testing visit means planning a drive, which raises the stakes for having options with hours that match an actual schedule. Knowing which listed sites offer same-day or extended appointments before you get in the car is what turns an intention into a kept trip.
Getting there
At 5.75/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Gamewell 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 28645 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 28645 area around Gamewell: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Gamewell alone.
Gamewell sits in Caldwell County, ZIP 28645. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Gamewell? 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 Caldwell County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under North Carolina 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 Gamewell-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 Gamewell 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
North Carolina 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 North CarolinaSource: 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 Caldwell County Health Department (2.4 mi); 9 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 362 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the North Carolina average.
In North Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
A clinic offers same-day answers and on-site treatment; an at-home kit trades that for privacy and convenience, both use real lab testing.
Yes, the CDC recommends STI screening early in pregnancy, since untreated infections can affect the baby.
Expedited partner therapy lets a provider treat a partner without an exam, where state law allows.
Just note your exposure dates and symptoms; for urine tests, hold off urinating ~1 hour before.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.