With cases running about 39% higher than in the US overall, Gaston County residents may want to get tested for gonorrhea in Gastonia, North Carolina, whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening. Community and public clinics in Gastonia often provide low-cost or free testing, while private labs may offer faster results and more flexible scheduling. See your options below.
Available testing centers
12 testing options are listed for Gastonia, NC. The nearest, Kintegra Health, is about 0.7 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.
Kintegra Health, a community health center in Gastonia, weaves STI care into ongoing primary care: testing for HIV, hepatitis A, B, and C, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and herpes on a sliding-scale fee, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections; appointments required. Spanish and interpretation services are available.
Kintegra Health carries full Spanish-language care and interpretation services across every visit: the kind of standing capability that serves someone navigating PrEP counseling, STI treatment, or ongoing HIV management without relying on a secondary workaround. The conversation happens in the language the clinician and patient share directly.
Ryan White funding at Kintegra Health means HIV-positive patients move from initial testing into sustained medical treatment and medication adherence counseling within the same practice, the program removes financial barriers to antiretroviral management for those who qualify, keeping care continuous rather than episodic.
Kintegra Health prescribes both PrEP and PEP, meaning HIV prevention medication is a direct clinical service here: patients establish care, get the prescription, and receive the adherence counseling needed to make either regimen effective long-term.
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
Kintegra Behavioral Health - Gastonia carries full federally qualified health center standing, which means sliding-scale fees tied to income apply to STI screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. No appointment needed to get tested.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra Customer Support in Gastonia carries federally qualified health center standing, which means its STI screening fees follow a sliding scale tied to household income. Walk-in patients can access syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing without an appointment, paying only what their income allows.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra at CaroMont Womens Health - Ashley, in Gastonia, earns its federal health center designation partly by tying costs to income, so patients paying out of pocket, between coverage gaps, or managing tight budgets can access syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening without a fixed-price barrier.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra Health Admin - New Hope in Gastonia welcomes walk-ins for STI screening without an appointment. Federally qualified status means fees slide with income, so a single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing at a cost that adjusts to what a patient actually earns.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra Behavioral Health - Riverwood in Gastonia carries full federal health center designation, which translates directly to sliding-scale fees tied to household income for STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) with no appointment needed to be seen.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Senior TLC - Gastonia welcomes walk-in patients without an appointment, making same-day STI screening straightforward. Federally qualified status anchors a sliding-scale fee structure tied to income, and a single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing without requiring prior scheduling.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra at CaroMont Womens Health - Summit in Gastonia earned federal qualification as a community health center, which ties its STI screening fees directly to each patient's income. Walk in for sliding-scale syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing. No appointment needed.
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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Gastonia, 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 Gaston 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.
2711 X-Ray Drive, Gastonia, NC 28054
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2525 Court Drive, Gastonia, NC 28054
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2610 Aberdeen Boulevard, Gastonia, NC 28054
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
3715 Union Road, Gastonia, NC 28056
CMS-certified lab
2544 Court Drive Suite C, Gastonia, NC 28054
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 Gastonia. 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, 1,588 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Gastonia. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 590 offer telehealth.
Derek Reed, DO
Family medicine · 2290 Remount Road, Gastonia
Elizabeth Provost, MD
Family medicine · 2290 Remount Road, Gastonia
Barry Lee, MD
Urology · 631 Cox Road, Gastonia
William Anthony, MD
Family medicine · 311 West 3rd Avenue, Gastonia
Carolin Haeusler Rossavik, DO
OB-GYN · 1225 East Garrison Boulevard, Gastonia
Emeka Eziri, MD
Internal medicine · 440 East Long Avenue, Gastonia
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 Gastonia, 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.
0.4 mi 
0.4 mi You 1st Pharmacy
0.4 miKerr Drug
0.6 miMoss Drugs
1.0 miSmith's of Gastonia
1.0 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Gastonia, 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 Gastonia, 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
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
$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 Gaston County, the county that includes Gastonia, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~26% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#32 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 68% of the state
| Infection | Gaston County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 592.2 1,405 cases ▼ 3% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 249.5 592 cases ▲ 3% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 26.6 63 cases ▲ 34% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 17.7 42 cases ▲ 12% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 30.8 73 cases ▲ 28% | 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 Gaston County, chlamydia has fallen from 686.1 to 592.2 per 100,000 (14%), gonorrhea has fallen from 318.5 to 249.5 per 100,000 (22%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 12.7 to 26.6 per 100,000 (109%).
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 Gaston County.
Local HIV snapshot
Gaston County HIV care continuum (2023)
Gaston County recorded 18 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Gaston County residents living with HIV, 84.7% are in care · 74.6% 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 Gaston County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Gastonia's workforce runs in shifts (manufacturing floors, logistics hubs, and service jobs that don't pause for mid-afternoon appointments) which means the testing options listed here aren't interchangeable. Early-morning slots or walk-in availability along US 321 can be the deciding factor for someone who clocks in by seven and needs to fit a visit around that reality. With unemployment notably elevated and a substantial share of households navigating tighter budgets, the $879 median rent already absorbs a meaningful slice of take-home pay, leaving little room for testing fees or missed hours of work. That cost pressure is real in neighborhoods like Loray Mill Historic District and FUSE, where a younger, more transient renter population turns over regularly, and where people in their late teens and twenties, the years when STI transmission runs highest, are most concentrated. Gastonia also spreads out.
Nearly half of households here rent rather than own, a tenure pattern that correlates with shorter stays and newer relationship networks. Exactly the circumstances where routine screening makes practical sense. The clinics and testing sites on this page include options with extended and weekend hours specifically because a weekday slot on Union Road isn't realistic for everyone. Knowing which sites fit your schedule before you need one is the kind of preparation that pays off quickly in a city built around shift work.
Getting there
At 7.81/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Gastonia 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 28054 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 28054 area around Gastonia: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Gastonia alone.
Gastonia sits in Gaston County, ZIP 28054. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Gastonia? 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 Gaston 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 Gastonia-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 Gastonia 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.
Possibly, Bessemer City, NC is close; compare it by distance against Kintegra Behavioral Health - Gastonia.
Private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Yes, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 592 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the North Carolina average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In North Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 28054; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
Public health clinics, family-planning clinics, and many school or campus health centers test teens and young adults, often free.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.