Gaston residents encounter chlamydia in Northampton County about 85% more often than the national average. Whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind, you can weigh public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits for your needs.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Gaston, NC. The nearest, Rural Health Group, is about 2.3 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.
Rural Health Group in Roanoke Rapids welcomes walk-ins for STI screening, no appointment needed. Federal qualification ties its fees to a sliding income scale, so one visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing at a cost shaped by what you actually earn.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Rural Health Group at Drugco Express, in Roanoke Rapids, earns its federally qualified designation by tying fees to what patients actually earn. No one is turned away for inability to pay. Walk-in STI screening covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia at a cost scaled to your income.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Rural Health Group at HRMC, Roanoke Rapids, extends federally qualified sliding-scale STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) to cash-paying patients and anyone whose income makes standard clinic costs out of reach. Ryan White-funded HIV care on-site means those already navigating an HIV diagnosis have a dedicated pathway here.
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 Gaston, 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.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 56 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Gaston. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 8 offer telehealth.
Ronald Herring, MD
Internal medicine · 318 Washington Street, Roanoke Rapids
Timothy Rabe, DO
Internal medicine · 1096 East 10th Street, Roanoke Rapids
Wayne Henry, MD
Family medicine · 1381 Medical Ctr Drive, Roanoke Rapids
Fnu Saba Mushtaq, MD
Family medicine · 1385 Medical Ctr Drive, Roanoke Rapids
Natarajan Rajan, MD
Urology · 117 Professional Drive, Roanoke Rapid
Timothy Cox, MD
Family medicine · 1261 Julian Allsbrk Highway, Roanoke Rapids
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 Gaston, 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.
DDP Pharmacy
3.2 mi
3.2 mi Spears Pharmacy
3.9 mi
4.1 mi 
4.1 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Gaston, 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 Gaston, 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 Northampton County, the county that includes Gaston, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~35% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#13 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 87% of the state
| Infection | Northampton County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 909.4 152 cases ▲ 50% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 364.9 61 cases ▲ 50% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 17.9 3 cases ▼ 10% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 17.9 3 cases ▲ 13% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 6 1 cases ▼ 75% | 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 Northampton County, chlamydia has risen from 778.4 to 909.4 per 100,000 (17%), gonorrhea has fallen from 509.4 to 364.9 per 100,000 (28%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 17.5 to 17.9 per 100,000 (2%).
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 Northampton County.
Local HIV snapshot
Northampton County HIV care continuum (2020)
Northampton County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2020), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Northampton County residents living with HIV, 82.6% are in care · 78.3% 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 Northampton County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Dwight Hall Recreation Park draws residents from across Gaston for its open grounds and community events, and nearby is where many young adults and single households navigate health decisions that benefit from real privacy and straightforward access. STI testing in and around Gaston reflects the town's practical approach to health care: clinics listed on this page offer confidential screening without the friction of judgment or unnecessary complexity, which matters when finances are tight and every visit counts. The young adult population here makes routine screening a genuine public health need rather than an afterthought. Testing services available locally understand that people in their twenties and thirties often have shifting circumstances, multiple partners, or simply want to know their status as part of basic self-care.
Confidentiality isn't theater in a small town, it's real protection that allows residents to seek answers without worrying about who might overhear or what gets back to their neighborhood. Cost and convenience shape health choices in Gaston as much as anywhere else. Clinics and urgent-care facilities listed on this page accommodate working schedules and limited budgets, making it feasible for someone to get tested without taking time off or traveling far. That accessibility removes a real barrier for residents managing modest incomes and the practical demands of daily life.
Getting there
At 5.31/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Gaston 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 27832 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 27832 area around Gaston: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Gaston alone.
Gaston sits in Northampton County, ZIP 27832. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Gaston? 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 Northampton 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 Gaston-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 Gaston 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.
Yes, several local labs offer same-day walk-in testing; best to call first.
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.
Northampton County reported ~909 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the North Carolina average.
At-home kits mail to 27832: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
In North Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and fertility problems, caught early, it's cured with antibiotics.
A urine test or swab finds trichomoniasis, one of the most treatable STIs.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.