Syphilis in Horry County runs about 28% lower than the US average. Whether you need a one-time test or regular check-ups in Garden City, South Carolina, consider public clinics to minimize costs, private labs for faster results, or use at-home kits to skip a clinic visit. See the options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Garden City, SC. The nearest, Labcorp, is about 1.9 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.
Little River Medical Center in Myrtle Beach is a full medical clinic where STI care (rapid and conventional HIV testing, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C) runs on a sliding scale, with appointments required and all services provided at no fee.
For anyone without insurance, between providers, or managing care entirely on their own dollar, Little River Medical Center covers the full scope of STI services (testing, treatment, PrEP, and ongoing HIV management) at no charge. That standing commitment means no fee calculation before or after the visit.
For patients who navigate health decisions in Spanish, or in any non-English language through interpretation services, Little River Medical Center in Myrtle Beach delivers every service, from testing to treatment counseling, without a language barrier shaping what care is actually received.
Ryan White funding at Little River Medical Center means HIV-positive patients don't need to piece together care from separate sources, the same clinic that runs the rapid or conventional HIV test also manages ongoing HIV/AIDS medical treatment, keeping the path from diagnosis to long-term care unbroken.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
LRMC Health Access in Myrtle Beach extends federally qualified, sliding-scale STI screening to anyone paying out of pocket, between providers, or navigating gaps in coverage. Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing scales to income, while Ryan White-funded HIV care addresses broader needs for those already in treatment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Community Kitchen in Myrtle Beach bases its STI screening fees on a sliding scale tied to income, so cost is never a barrier to care. Federally qualified, the clinic provides screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia without requiring an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis C on a sliding-scale fee with appointments required, and every service, from testing to treatment to vaccines, is provided at no charge.
Sliding-scale clinics typically reduce costs, they rarely eliminate them entirely. At South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach, the fee structure doesn't taper down to a reduced bill; testing, treatment, PrEP, DoxyPEP, and vaccines all come at no cost, period.
When STI care isn't available in Spanish, follow-through breaks down: prescriptions go unfilled, treatment gets delayed, and prevention conversations don't land. South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach delivers the full clinical encounter in Spanish, so nothing is lost between the conversation and the care.
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach prescribes and manages all three prevention medications directly: PrEP requires ongoing HIV testing and kidney-function monitoring handled by the same staff who initiate it; PEP is dispensed and tracked through completion; DoxyPEP is prescribed with the clinical context to use it correctly after bacterial-STI exposure.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Careteam + Family Health and Specialty Care, in Pawleys Island, scales its fees to each patient's income. No one is turned away because of 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
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 Garden City, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & 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 Horry 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.
4181 Hwy 17 Bypass, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
4070 Hwy 17, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
4070 Hwy 17 Bypass, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
4835 Hwy 17 South, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
CMS-certified lab
2734 Beaver Run Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC 29575
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Garden City. 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, 397 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Garden City. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 66 offer telehealth.
Charles Busse, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 910 M Gilead Drive, Murrells Inlet
Joseph Palomba, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 2520 South Hwy 17, Murrells Inlet
Eileen Conaway, DO
Family medicine · 2347 South Hwy 17, Murrells Inlet
Karen Mccutcheon, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 912 Inlet Square Drive, Murrells Inlet
Gerald Harmon, MD
Family medicine · 11891 Plaza Drive, Murrells Inlet
Mary Baker, MD
Internal medicine · 3236 Holmestown Road, Myrtle Beach
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 Garden City, SC 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.
0.3 mi 
0.5 mi 
0.6 mi 
1.2 mi Showing the 4 closest pharmacies to Garden City, SC.
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 Garden City, 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
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
$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 Horry County, the county that includes Garden City, compare with South Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~10% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#33 of 46 South Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 28% of the state
| Infection | Horry County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 494.6 1,966 cases ▼ 19% | 612.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 156.5 622 cases ▼ 30% | 222.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 11.3 45 cases ▼ 35% | 17.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 19.1 76 cases ▲ 2% | 18.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 1 4 cases ▼ 91% | 11.7 | 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 Horry County, chlamydia has fallen from 537.3 to 494.6 per 100,000 (8%), gonorrhea has fallen from 229.9 to 156.5 per 100,000 (32%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 9.4 to 11.3 per 100,000 (20%).
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 Horry County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: South Carolina 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.
Horry County HIV care continuum (2023)
Horry County recorded 15.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 18.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Horry County residents living with HIV, 82.5% are in care · 72.3% 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 Horry County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Garden City runs heavily toward homeowners, nearly four in five households hold title here, which means the people most likely to be in the highest-testing years are often the minority renting short-term near the strand, not the settled couples with roots in Garden Lakes Village or Salters Cove. That tenure split matters because renters, particularly younger adults still forming relationships, tend to move more often and carry fewer established care connections in a new place. The workforce picture adds another layer. With labor-force participation well below typical levels (reflecting a retirement-heavy, seasonal community) the adults who are working tend to keep irregular schedules, and a single income covering $1,000-plus in monthly rent leaves little room for appointments that require burning a half-day on SC 707 or US 17 Business.
That practical barrier is real for anyone relying on one car or one bus connection to reach a clinic. The good news is that the options are listed here, spanning a range of hours and fee structures. Someone renting near the Garden City Pavilion Arcade or spending a season close to Huntington Beach State Park doesn't need to figure this out from scratch, the map is already built.
Getting there
At 8.44/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Garden City 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 29576 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 29576 area around Garden City: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Garden City alone.
Garden City sits in Horry County, ZIP 29576. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Garden City? 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 Horry County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under South 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 Garden City-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 Garden City 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 South 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 South Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
South 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 South 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.
There are 9 options within a 30-mile drive.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
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.
Horry County reported ~495 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the South Carolina average.
At-home kits mail to 29576: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
In South Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
Reassuring if you tested after the window, just retest if it was early, and screen again with new partners.
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.