Jefferson County sees about 42% fewer gonorrhea cases than the US on average. If you're getting tested in Golden, Colorado whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening, you can weigh whether to go to a public clinic for lower costs, a private lab for faster results, or use an at-home kit for convenience. We list your options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Golden, CO. The nearest, Labcorp, is about 4.4 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.
Jefferson County Public Health in Lakewood covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, rapid and conventional HIV, hepatitis C, and TB testing on a sliding-scale fee with Medicaid and private insurance accepted, and every service is provided at no charge.
When a fee stands between a patient and follow-through, care stalls. An untreated bacterial infection lingers, a PrEP prescription goes unfilled, a second visit never happens. Jefferson County Public Health removes that specific obstacle: every service, from the initial test to STI treatment, is provided at no fee.
Many clinics hand off non-English conversations to an outside line, breaking the exchange at the moments it matters most. Jefferson County Public Health offers Spanish on-site and interpretation services for other languages, keeping the conversation continuous and unmediated throughout the appointment.
Jefferson County Public Health prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly, which means ongoing HIV prevention is managed at the same clinic handling your testing. Building a consistent care relationship rather than splitting it across providers.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Intermountain Health in Wheat Ridge charges no fee for any service, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and TB testing alongside same-visit bacterial STI treatment, family planning, and mpox and HPV vaccines. By appointment.
The no-fee structure at Intermountain Health in Wheat Ridge applies uniformly (testing, treatment, vaccines, and counseling alike) without a sliding scale or income review. Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance are also accepted, meaning those with coverage still owe nothing out of pocket.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Intermountain Health in Wheat Ridge tests for herpes simplex, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Infections routinely left off shorter panels. Hepatitis B vaccination is also available on-site, giving a direct clinical path when a test result calls for it.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Arvada West Family Medicine in Arvada brings STI care through the continuity of a family practice: meaning gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, and hepatitis testing sits alongside chronic-care management, on a sliding-scale fee, by appointment, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and PrEP and PEP on-site.
Leaving Arvada West Family Medicine without a PrEP prescription, because the clinic doesn't carry it, means a separate specialist appointment, a separate intake, and days or weeks of unprotected exposure. That gap doesn't exist here: both PrEP and PEP are prescribed and managed by the same providers handling your STI care.
Arvada West Family Medicine holds a substance-use treatment program within the same practice, not as a referral destination but as a co-located service. For patients whose substance use intersects with STI risk, both clinical tracks can run simultaneously under the same roof and the same care team.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Arvada West tests for herpes, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and TB: infections that require their own specimen types, lab pathways, and in the case of hepatitis C, dedicated treatment management rather than a one-time result.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
STRIDE CHC in Wheat Ridge meets patients where they are (between providers, paying cash, or without coverage) through federally qualified health center status that anchors sliding-scale fees to income. STI screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia is available without an appointment, making costs workable regardless of insurance.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Renaissance Children's Center in Lakewood welcomes walk-in patients without an appointment, putting federally qualified sliding-scale STI care within reach whenever the need arises. A single visit covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening, with fees adjusted to income.
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 4 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Golden, 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 range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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 Jefferson 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.
13952 Denver West Parkway, Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 80401
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
15000 West 6th Avenue, Suite 400, Golden, CO 80401
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
12911 West 40th Avenue, Golden, CO 80401
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
400 Indiana Street, Suite 230, Golden, CO 80401
CMS-certified lab
12911 West 40th Avenue, Pathology Department, Golden, CO 80401
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 Golden. 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, 2,532 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Golden. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 918 offer telehealth.
Peter Boulos, MD
Internal medicine · 12905 West 40th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
Christopher Stellman, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 1726 Cole Boulevard, Golden
Emma Singh, MD
Family medicine · 1726 Cole Boulevard, Lakewood
Caroline Guillebaud, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 750 Warner Drive, Golden
Erick Gomer, MD
Family medicine · 17121 South Golden, Golden
Thien Dang Vu, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 110 North Rubey Drive, Golden
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 Golden, CO 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.
0.8 mi 
0.8 mi King Soopers Pharmacy
1.0 mi
2.9 mi Showing the 4 closest pharmacies to Golden, CO.
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 Golden, 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
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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
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 Jefferson County, the county that includes Golden, compare with Colorado and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~38% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#25 of 64 Colorado counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 61% of the state
| Infection | Jefferson County | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 299.8 1,728 cases ▼ 31% | 435.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 103.4 596 cases ▼ 20% | 128.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 8.5 49 cases ▼ 47% | 16 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 8 46 cases ▼ 23% | 10.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 15.4 89 cases ▼ 46% | 28.4 | 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 Jefferson County, chlamydia has risen from 248.4 to 299.8 per 100,000 (21%), gonorrhea has risen from 90.8 to 103.4 per 100,000 (14%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 7 to 8.5 per 100,000 (21%).
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 Jefferson County.
Local HIV snapshot
Jefferson County HIV care continuum (2023)
Jefferson County recorded 6.9 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 9.6 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Jefferson County residents living with HIV, 74.3% are in care · 67.4% 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 Jefferson County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Golden households tend to look a certain way on paper: well over a third of adults are married, families average nearly three people, and most decisions about health and money get made together at the kitchen table. That dynamic shapes how STI screening happens here: partners often assume shared status without anyone having had a recent test, and even in homes where cost isn't the central worry, the conversation itself can quietly stall. The tenure picture adds another layer.
With more than four in ten residents renting, at rents that claim a real chunk of a paycheck, and the labor-force participation rate suggesting a meaningful slice of working-age Golden residents aren't in the workforce at all, scheduling anything mid-week around a clinic's hours takes genuine planning. What matters most is the proportion of residents in their late teens and twenties, younger adults still building relationships and navigating new partnerships, for whom regular testing is straightforwardly useful and rarely the habit it should be. Golden's mix of Colorado School of Mines students, young professionals near Pleasant View, and families established closer to Applewood means that "who needs to get tested" describes a wide cross-section of the same streets, not a separate population somewhere else.
Getting there
At 9.39/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Golden 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 80401 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 80401 area around Golden: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Golden alone.
Golden sits in Jefferson County, ZIP 80401. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Golden? 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 Jefferson County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Colorado 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 Golden-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 Golden 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 Colorado 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 Colorado, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Colorado 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 ColoradoSource: 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, Lakewood, CO is close; compare it by distance against Labcorp.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Yes, Jefferson County Public Health (4.9 mi) offers free testing, and public clinics serve the uninsured.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 300 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Colorado average.
In Colorado, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
Medical records are protected under federal HIPAA law, ask the clinic how it handles your information.
It's reassuring, but if you tested early in the window period, retest a few weeks later to be sure.
Checking for sexually transmitted infections with a urine sample, a swab, or a blood draw, often before any symptoms appear.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.