Gonorrhea rates in Mobile County run about 50% higher than the US average. Whether you're considering a new relationship or maintaining your health, Gulfcrest, Alabama, has community and public clinics which are often low-cost or free, while private labs may offer faster results and more flexible scheduling. See your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Gulfcrest, AL. The nearest, Mobile County Health Department, is about 6.3 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.
Mobile County Health Department in Citronelle runs STI care through a public health department framework: appointments required, bacterial infections treated same visit, and fees set on a sliding scale with Medicaid and Medicare accepted. Interpretation services are available for non-English languages.
The clinic runs herpes testing alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and rapid and conventional HIV. Meaning a single appointment covers infections that narrower panels omit. That broader scope is built into the visit, not requested separately.
Prevention medication often ends at a test result with instructions to seek a prescriber elsewhere. Mobile County Health Department writes PrEP and PEP prescriptions on-site, keeping the path from risk assessment to active prevention inside one appointment.
Interpretation services for non-English languages are available at the clinic, so clinical conversations (exposure history, treatment instructions, follow-up plans) happen without gaps between the provider and the patient.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Accordia Health - Citronelle welcomes walk-in patients without an appointment, making same-day STI screening straightforward. Backed by federal FQHC standing, the clinic ties fees to income on a sliding scale, covering syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing in a single visit.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 14 miles from Gulfcrest. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Gulfcrest, 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 range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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 Mobile 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.
4444 Demetropolis Road, Mobile, AL 36619
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
610 Providence Park Drive Suite 201, Mobile, AL 36695
CMS-certified lab
1700 Center Street, Mobile, AL 36604
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Gulfcrest. 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, 378 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Gulfcrest. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 35 offer telehealth.
Amber Bokhari, MD
Infectious disease · 19250 North Mobile Street, Citronelle
Russell Stevens, MD
Family medicine · 950 West Coy Smith Highway, Mount Vernon
Misty Ellis, MD
Internal medicine · 1114 Shelton Beach Road, Saraland
Crystal Parks, DO
Family medicine · 8010 Moffett Road, Semmes
Haris Manan, MD
Internal medicine · 7943 Moffett Road, Semmes
Thomas Garth, MD
Internal medicine · 960 Industrial Parkway, Saraland
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 Gulfcrest, AL 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.
6.9 mi Citronelle Drug
7.0 miFreds Pharmacy 1259
7.4 miRocky's Drug & Mercantile
14 miMimc Rx4u at Saraland
14 mi
14 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Gulfcrest, AL.
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 Gulfcrest, 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.
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
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
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 Mobile County, the county that includes Gulfcrest, compare with Alabama and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data.
#19 of 67 Alabama counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 72% of the state
| Infection | Mobile County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 746.8 3,074 cases ▲ 15% | 651.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 269.4 1,109 cases ▲ 19% | 226.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 55.1 227 cases ▲ 93% | 28.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 15.1 62 cases ▼ 26% | 20.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 42.3 174 cases ▲ 73% | 24.5 | 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 Mobile County, chlamydia has risen from 728.5 to 746.8 per 100,000 (3%), gonorrhea has fallen from 335.6 to 269.4 per 100,000 (20%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 19.3 to 55.1 per 100,000 (185%).
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 Mobile County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Alabama 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.
Mobile County HIV care continuum (2023)
Mobile County recorded 26.2 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 16.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Mobile County residents living with HIV, 75.2% are in care · 57.8% 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 Mobile County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Gulfcrest's quiet streets are lined with homes that are a long-term investment for the families who live there. With a strong sense of stability, residents can plan their lives around their work and community. For those with jobs, finding time for a health check can be a challenge, especially when it means taking a break from a busy schedule.
The town's families are large and close-knit, with many households made up of multiple generations or extended family members. Married couples make up a significant part of the community, and with a strong labor force, many residents are focused on providing for their loved ones. However, this can also mean that taking time for oneself can be a luxury. For young adults still forming relationships and building their lives, having easy access to health checks can make a big difference in their well-being.
As residents go about their daily lives, the practicalities of getting to a testing site can be a consideration. With limited options in and around Gulfcrest, and the county's rural spread to consider, residents must plan ahead to make sure they can get the care they need. In this community, where family and work are so important, it's essential to prioritize health and make time for the things that matter - like getting tested and staying on top of one's health, especially when life gets busy.
Getting there
At 3.03/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Gulfcrest 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 36521 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 36521 area around Gulfcrest: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Gulfcrest alone.
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Gulfcrest? 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 Mobile County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Alabama 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 Gulfcrest-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 Gulfcrest 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 Alabama 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 Alabama, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Alabama 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 AlabamaSource: 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.
Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
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.
Mobile County reported ~747 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Alabama average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In Alabama, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
At-home kits mail to 36521: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
Negative is good news, just retest later if the test was soon after a possible exposure.
Your results are part of your HIPAA-protected medical record; you can ask any clinic about its own privacy practices.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.