HIV diagnoses in Shelby County are about 45% lower than the average in Alabama. If you're in Highland Lakes and need testing after a possible exposure or as part of routine care, weigh the option of a community clinic's cost against a private lab's speed and scheduling. See your options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Highland Lakes, AL. The nearest, Lyons Primary Care, is about 0.9 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.
Lyons Primary Care in Birmingham accepts Medicaid and private insurance, with a fee schedule for others, and runs a panel spanning HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, plus TB: by appointment, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and HPV and hepatitis vaccines on-site. Services are available in Tagalog.
Lyons Primary Care delivers care in Tagalog, meaning clinical conversations (about symptoms, treatment, and next steps) happen in that language without any layer in between. The result is that nothing gets simplified or deferred because of how it had to be communicated.
The panel at Lyons Primary Care includes herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C alongside the core four bacterial STIs and HIV. infections in a single appointment. Catching hepatitis C, in particular, enables on-site management of an infection that often goes undetected without explicit testing.
Languages
English, Tagalog
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Alabama Pregnancy Test Center in Birmingham charges nothing for any service it provides: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing all carry no fee, with HIV test counseling included. An appointment is required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Alabama Regional Medical Services in Birmingham runs entirely on a no-fee model, testing for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and TB on a sliding scale with Medicaid and insurance accepted: walk-ins welcome, and bacterial STIs treated the same visit.
The clinic's funding structure covers services at the point of care: meaning the bill is settled through sliding-scale adjustments, Medicaid billing, insurance, and direct program support before any individual is asked to pay. Nothing is deferred to a separate billing cycle or collected at the door.
Spanish is available directly at Alabama Regional Medical Services, alongside interpretation services for other languages, which means clinical conversations about medications, follow-up schedules, and treatment plans happen in the language the provider and patient can both work in, without routing through a separate scheduling step.
Alabama Regional Medical Services carries standing capacity to prescribe and monitor PrEP, useful for anyone without a regular primary-care provider or paying out of pocket who needs the medication managed in one place. PEP is available as well, handled within the same clinical setting that does the underlying STI panel.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Magic City Wellness Center in Birmingham tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. With every service provided at no fee. The sliding-scale covers all, bacterial infections are treated same visit, and appointments are required.
Plenty of clinics absorb HIV testing costs but bill for treatment, counseling, or the broader panel. At Magic City Wellness Center, the fee structure doesn't shift depending on which service you need: testing, treatment, and prevention all come at no cost.
Magic City Wellness Center prescribes all three current prevention medications: PrEP for ongoing HIV protection, PEP for post-exposure HIV management, and DoxyPEP for bacterial STI prevention after potential exposure. Each requires its own clinical protocol (different dosing windows, monitoring schedules, and follow-up) and the center handles all of it directly.
A basic STI panel stops at gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. Leaving hepatitis unaddressed unless a patient pursues separate testing elsewhere. Magic City Wellness Center folds hepatitis B and hepatitis C into the same visit, so a single appointment covers both viral hepatitis strains alongside the full bacterial and HIV panel.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
University of Alabama at Birmingham tests for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV, with both rapid and conventional options, on a sliding-scale fee open to everyone, walk-ins welcome, and same-visit treatment available for bacterial infections. Every service here carries no charge.
UAB's STI clinic charges nothing for any service it provides. That zero cost extends across testing, treatment, PrEP, DoxyPEP, and counseling. Meaning a patient who needs the full prevention stack can get it without rationing by price.
Interpretation services at UAB are available across all care, not limited to intake paperwork. That reach means medication adherence counseling for PrEP or DoxyPEP, where dosing precision matters, happens in the language a person actually uses to reason through their health.
Without access to DoxyPEP alongside PrEP and PEP in one place, prevention plans fragment. One clinic for HIV prevention, another to source post-exposure antibacterial coverage. UAB holds all three, so the gap where a second appointment gets skipped or delayed doesn't open.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Nov 2025 · 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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Highland Lakes, 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 Shelby 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.
7131 Cahaba Valley Road, Birmingham, AL 35242
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
220 Doug Baker Blvd Suite 100, Birmingham, AL 35242
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
4600 Highway 280 East, Birmingham, AL 35242
CMS-certified lab
One Inverness Center Parkway, Suite 210, Birmingham, AL 35242
CMS-certified lab
1940 Stonegate Drive, Suite 130, Vestavia Hills, AL 35242
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 Highland Lakes. 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, 890 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Highland Lakes. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 188 offer telehealth.
Eeman Tariq, MD
Internal medicine · 4000 Eagle Point Corporate Drive, Birmingham
Mia Cowan, MD
OB-GYN · 2807 Greystone Commercial Boulevard, Hoover
Steven Winiarski, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 1401 Doug Baker Boulevard, Hoover
Marian St Petery, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 2228 Cahaba Valley Drive, Birmingham
Tandeka Burks, MD
Family medicine · 5410 Hwy 280, Hoover
Jay Umarvadia, MD
Family medicine · 5406 Hwy 280, Hoover
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 Highland Lakes, 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.
Double Oak Mountain Pharmacy
1.0 miInverness Apothecary
1.1 mi
1.2 mi Village Drug
1.2 miPharmsouth Pharmacy
1.3 mi
1.4 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Highland Lakes, 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 Highland Lakes, 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 Shelby County, the county that includes Highland Lakes, compare with Alabama and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~16% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#58 of 67 Alabama counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 13% of the state
| Infection | Shelby County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 293.6 684 cases ▼ 55% | 651.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 81.1 189 cases ▼ 64% | 226.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 10.7 25 cases ▼ 63% | 28.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 11.2 26 cases ▼ 45% | 20.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 9 21 cases ▼ 63% | 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 Shelby County, chlamydia has risen from 273.5 to 293.6 per 100,000 (7%), gonorrhea has fallen from 96.4 to 81.1 per 100,000 (16%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 3.6 to 10.7 per 100,000 (197%).
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 Shelby 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.
Shelby County HIV care continuum (2023)
Shelby County recorded 7.6 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 16.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Shelby County residents living with HIV, 73.9% are in care · 54.7% 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 Shelby County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Highland Lakes sits at a price point, nearly seven in ten households clearing six figures, where a $150 out-of-pocket lab visit should feel routine, yet that very comfort can work against follow-through. When almost everyone owns their home and most families run three or more people under one roof, competing demands on a Tuesday afternoon pile up fast: school pickups, a second job shift, or simply the long drive out US 280 before you even reach a clinic. Cost rarely blocks the decision here; time and distance do. The community's makeup (overwhelmingly married, homeowning, employed) can make STI screening feel like someone else's concern.
But younger adults in their late teens and twenties live here too, and those are the years when testing matters most regardless of relationship status or zip code. With nearly two-thirds of residents in the labor force and unemployment well under normal, most people are working full schedules, which means a clinic's hours and how far off 280 it sits will determine whether a visit actually gets booked. Testing options appear on this page, spanning different hours, fees, and distances from neighborhoods like Mt. Laurel and Inverness Cliffs.
In a place where a drive to Dunnavant Valley Park is already part of a weekend routine, a clinic stop on the same errand run isn't a detour. It's just another task that fits the day.
Getting there
At 7.39/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Highland Lakes 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 35242 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 35242 area around Highland Lakes: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Highland Lakes alone.
Highland Lakes sits in Shelby County, ZIP 35242. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Highland Lakes? 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 Shelby 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 Highland Lakes-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 Highland Lakes 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.
Possibly, Vestavia Hills, AL is close; compare it by distance against Lyons Primary Care.
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 294 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Alabama average.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
In Alabama, 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.
Syphilis is found with a simple blood test; a reactive screen is confirmed with a second blood test.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.