Syphilis reports in Gaston County run about 68% higher than the US average. Whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening in High Shoals, North Carolina, public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience. See below for options.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for High Shoals, NC. The nearest, Kintegra Health, is about 5.4 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.
A public STD-testing site about 5 miles from High Shoals, run as a Federally Qualified Health Center with sliding-scale fees.
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
Lincoln County Health Department brings public-health infrastructure to STI care in Lincolnton: appointments cover the standard bacterial and viral panel, same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, sliding-scale fees, and HPV and hepatitis vaccines, with all services provided at no fee.
Sliding-scale fees usually mean reduced cost, not eliminated cost. At Lincoln County Health Department, every service on the menu, from HIV testing to TB evaluation to STI treatment, carries no charge at all, regardless of what you earn or whether you carry insurance.
Lincoln County Health Department conducts visits in Spanish directly, and carries interpretation access for other languages: meaning someone without strong English can discuss symptoms, understand results, and complete treatment without losing anything in the exchange. That standing capability shapes the entire appointment, not just the intake form.
For anyone without a regular primary care provider, or anyone paying out of pocket who can't afford to split testing across multiple offices, Lincoln County Health Department's panel includes hepatitis A, B, and C alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, consolidating what often requires separate appointments into one.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 6 miles from High Shoals. 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 5 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to High Shoals, 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 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 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.
451 East Charlotte Avenue, Mount Holly, NC 28120
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
215 South Main Street, Mount Holly, NC 28120
CMS-certified lab
2610 Aberdeen Boulevard, Gastonia, NC 28054
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 High Shoals. 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, 1,449 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of High Shoals. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 510 offer telehealth.
David Meyer, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 607 South Generals Boulevard, Lincolnton
Toma Radut, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 607 South Generals Boulevard, Lincolnton
Mark Kiefer, MD
Family medicine · 1531 North Aspen Street, Lincolnton
Ifeanyichukwu Okafor, MD
Internal medicine · 105 Dave Warlick Drive, Lincolnton
Jacqueline Folks, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 600 West Trade Street, Dallas
Phillip Paspa, MD
Internal medicine · 1470 East Gaston Street, Lincolnton
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 High Shoals, 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.
5.4 mi Kintegra Health - Windsor Station Pharmacy
5.5 miCommunity Pharmacy of Lincolnton
5.5 mi
5.6 mi Showing the 4 closest pharmacies to High Shoals, 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 High Shoals, 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
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
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 High Shoals, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~32% 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 Highway threads through High Shoals as the practical spine of daily life here, and for a town where home values sit well below state norms and nearly four in ten households rent rather than own, the calculus of any out-of-pocket expense gets weighed carefully. That $622 monthly rent leaves little slack, and with unemployment running notably high and fewer than half of adults currently in the workforce, time and money both feel finite. When screening costs nothing or close to nothing, it stops being a decision and starts being something that simply fits.
That matters because a meaningful share of High Shoals residents are in the years when STIs are most commonly transmitted and least often caught, the late-teen-through-twenty-something stretch when relationships are forming and routine care isn't always a habit. Average households here run close to three people, and nearly half of adults are married, meaning a single untreated infection rarely stays contained to one person. Knowing which of listed sites offers evening hours or a sliding-scale fee is the practical detail that determines whether the trip actually happens for someone squeezing it between shifts.
Getting there
At 5.51/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in High Shoals 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 28034 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 28034 area around High Shoals: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not High Shoals alone.
High Shoals sits in Gaston County, ZIP 28034. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside High Shoals? 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 High Shoals-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 High Shoals 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, Lincolnton, NC is close; compare it by distance against Kintegra Health.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
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 592 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the North Carolina average.
In North Carolina, 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.
A retest around 3 months after treatment is recommended for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
It's curable with antibiotics; catching it early avoids serious complications.
Most STIs have no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know your status, get early treatment, and avoid passing one on.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.