Chlamydia in Jackson County occurs about 15% more than the national average. If you're getting tested in Helena, Mississippi whether it's your first time or a routine check, choose from public clinics for low cost, private labs for quick results, and at-home kits for convenience. We list your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Helena, MS. The nearest, Coastal Family Health Center, is about 3.9 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.
Coastal Family Health Center in Moss Point runs on sliding-scale fees with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance accepted, covering a broad panel (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB) by appointment, with care available in Spanish.
Many clinics cap their testing at the four-infection standard (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia) and leave patients to sort out the rest elsewhere. Coastal Family Health Center extends the panel to herpes, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, so a single appointment covers exposures that often go unchecked.
Coastal Family Health Center prescribes and manages both PrEP and PEP on-site, which means ongoing prevention medication is a clinic relationship rather than a separate errand. Patients can build adherence support directly into the same appointments where they test.
For a patient whose primary language is Spanish (navigating a new diagnosis, working through a medication plan, or simply lacking a regular English-speaking provider) Coastal Family Health Center delivers the full clinical visit in Spanish, keeping every conversation direct and clinically precise.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Singing River in Pascagoula runs STI testing and treatment through a full-service health system, folding gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, rapid and conventional HIV, hepatitis B and C, and TB into one sliding-scale visit: no appointment required, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and PrEP and PEP on offer.
Testing-only clinics rarely carry the clinical infrastructure to prescribe PrEP or PEP, those conversations typically get handed off elsewhere. Singing River writes both prescriptions in-house, so prevention and testing happen at the same address with the same care team.
Singing River treats hepatitis C on-site, which means a positive result doesn't stall out waiting for a specialist referral. The path from diagnosis to treatment stays within the same clinic.
Singing River tests for hepatitis B and C alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, so chronic viral infections that share transmission routes get screened in the same visit. Catching conditions that a narrower panel would leave unexamined.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Mississippi State Department of Health in Pascagoula tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, treating bacterial infections the same visit when results warrant it. Fees run on a sliding scale with Medicaid and private insurance also accepted. An appointment is required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
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 Helena, 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 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 Jackson 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.
5935 Washington Avenue Suite A, Ocean Springs, MS 39564
CMS-certified lab
2809 Denny Avenue, Pascagoula, MS 39581
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
819 Desoto Street, Ocean Springs, MS 39564
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 Helena. 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, 451 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Helena. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 60 offer telehealth.
Rick Hoover, MD
Family medicine · 8735 Hwy 613, Moss Point
Seema Badve, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 8006 Hwy 613, Moss Point
Placid Eze, MD
Family medicine · 4770 Amoco Drive, Moss Point
Okechukwu Ekenna, MD
Internal medicine · 3702 Jefferson Avenue, Pascagoula
Dunk Ellis, MD
Family medicine · 3736 Main Street, Moss Point
Laura Sanford, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 4603 Hospital Street, Pascagoula
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 Helena, MS 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.
Miller Pharmacy
3.1 miCoastal Family Health Center
3.1 miBurnham-McKinney Pharmacies,
3.2 miMedi Mart Pharmacies of Mississippi
6.7 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Helena, MS.
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 Helena, 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
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
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 Jackson County, the county that includes Helena, compare with Mississippi and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~20% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#48 of 82 Mississippi counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 41% of the state
| Infection | Jackson County | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 567.7 831 cases ▼ 19% | 700.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 196.1 287 cases ▼ 22% | 251.1 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 15.7 23 cases ▼ 48% | 30.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 6.1 9 cases ▼ 63% | 16.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 22.5 33 cases ▼ 65% | 64.8 | 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 Jackson County, chlamydia has fallen from 598.2 to 567.7 per 100,000 (5%), gonorrhea has fallen from 467.7 to 196.1 per 100,000 (58%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 23 to 15.7 per 100,000 (32%).
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 Jackson County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Mississippi 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.
Jackson County HIV care continuum (2023)
Jackson County recorded 13.7 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 21.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Jackson County residents living with HIV, 72.3% are in care · 65.3% 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 Jackson County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Old Saracennia Road stretches through a Helena where almost every household owns its home, modest values that reflect a community built on permanence rather than turnover, not on transient rental churn. That rooted quality shapes the texture of daily life here. With more than half of adults married and households averaging just over two people, Helena's population skews toward established partnerships and quieter domestic rhythms. Yet a meaningful share of residents are young adults (people still in their late teens and twenties, navigating new relationships during the years when STI transmission runs highest) and they live inside the same stable, small-town fabric.
That's a real logistical ask, and it's worth knowing before the need arises rather than after. The options listed on this page are the nearest available starting points. For a household anchored here (a married couple, a single adult in a paid-off home) building one of those drives into a routine errand run is the most practical approach Helena's geography allows.
Getting there
At 4.07/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Helena 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 39562 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 39562 area around Helena: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Helena alone.
Helena sits in Jackson County, ZIP 39562. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Helena? 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 Jackson County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Mississippi 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 Helena-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 Helena 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Mississippi 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 MississippiSource: 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, Pascagoula, MS is close; compare it by distance against Coastal Family Health Center.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Public clinics nearby offer free HIV testing.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 568 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Mississippi average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Mississippi, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Start treatment, tell recent partners so they can test, avoid sex until cleared, and retest if advised, most STIs resolve with care.
Resistance is rising, which is why the CDC advises a particular treatment; don't self-treat, get tested and treated correctly.
Likely yes, if you were past the window period; otherwise retest, and keep up routine screening with new partners.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.