New HIV diagnoses in Luzerne County run about 50% lower than the US average. If you live in Houston City, Pennsylvania and need STI testing for a one-time concern or regular check-ups, consider your options: public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience. We list options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Houston City, PA. The nearest, Labcorp, is about 4.1 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.
The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Counseling Practice, in Scranton, carries federally qualified status, meaning STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) is priced on a sliding scale tied to your income. As a Title X grantee, it also provides legally confidential family-planning services for minors. No appointment needed.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
The Wright Center for Community Health School Based Practice in Scranton welcomes walk-ins for STI screening under its federally qualified health center charter, with fees scaled to income. A single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing, making same-day care straightforward for anyone who walks through the door.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
The Wright Center for Community Health in Scranton requires an appointment, and that single visit covers rapid and conventional HIV testing, hepatitis C, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, all at no fee on a sliding scale.
For anyone managing cash expenses (no employer coverage, no regular provider, no prescription budget) The Wright Center absorbs the full cost of testing, treatment, and ongoing care. Free HIV and STI testing, free mpox vaccine, and PrEP covered for the uninsured means the financial side simply doesn't enter the equation.
Ryan White funding at The Wright Center staffs the full arc of HIV care: antiretroviral prescribing, viral load and CD4 monitoring, and medication adherence counseling are coordinated within the same clinic. That continuity means treatment isn't handed off, the clinical relationship that starts at diagnosis is the one that manages it.
PrEP (typically Truvada or its generic, requiring HIV testing and renal labs at initiation and every three months) is prescribed and monitored directly at The Wright Center, with coverage extended to uninsured patients. PEP is also available, giving the clinic a continuous prevention range from pre-exposure daily dosing through post-exposure intervention.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
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 Houston City, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & 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 Luzerne 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.
71 North Franklin Street, Wilkes Barre, PA 18701
CMS-certified lab
1740 East Broad Street Mc 38-46, Hazleton, PA 18201
CMS-certified lab
4A Gateway Shopping Center, Edwardsville, PA 18704
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Houston City. 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, 457 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Houston City. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 183 offer telehealth.
Paul Rutkowski, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 526 Main Street, Dupont
James Kosik, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 824 Mcalpine Street, Avoca
Martin Moran, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 217 Lackawanna Avenue, Dupont
Mark Lyons, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 532 Main Street, Moosic
Guy Fasciana, MD
Internal medicine · 605 Main Street, Duryea
Michael Jalowiec, DO
Internal medicine · 821 South Main Street, Old Forge
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 Houston City, PA 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.
Llewellyns Drugs
0.5 miKonicki Pharmacy
1.3 miCapitano's Pharmacy
1.8 miOld Forge Pharmacy
1.8 miFamily Prescription CTR
1.8 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Houston City, PA.
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 Houston City, 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
$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 $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or 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 Luzerne County, the county that includes Houston City, compare with Pennsylvania and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~24% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#10 of 67 Pennsylvania counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 85% of the state
| Infection | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 360.7 1,181 cases ▼ 14% | 421.2 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 70.6 231 cases ▼ 51% | 144.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 11.6 38 cases ▲ 27% | 9.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 10.1 33 cases ▼ 2% | 10.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 15 49 cases ▲ 32% | 11.4 | 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 Luzerne County, chlamydia has fallen from 384.8 to 360.7 per 100,000 (6%), gonorrhea has fallen from 81.1 to 70.6 per 100,000 (13%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 4.9 to 11.6 per 100,000 (137%).
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 Luzerne County.
Local HIV snapshot
Luzerne County HIV care continuum (2023)
Luzerne County recorded 6.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 8.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Luzerne County residents living with HIV, 81% are in care · 61.9% 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 Luzerne County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Along PA 315 where Airport Road cuts past the edges of Houston City, Pennsylvania, the scramble of new leases, shifting insurance coverage, and first real paychecks defines a particular stretch of early adulthood that also happens to be when routine STI screening matters most. Houston City's younger adults are navigating exactly that terrain, and the dozen testing options listed here exist precisely because that navigation shouldn't require a half-day logistics project. The community leans heavily toward homeownership, with renters making up a smaller slice of households, but a typical rent close to a thousand dollars a month still leaves meaningful pressure on a budget, particularly for anyone between jobs in a local market where unemployment runs noticeably higher than state averages.
When a paycheck is uncertain, a medical appointment that feels optional tends to wait. With nearly three in ten households clearing six figures and the rest spread across a wide income range, the cost and convenience calculus looks genuinely different depending on which side of that divide someone falls. Finding a site that opens early, stays open late, or offers sliding-scale fees turns a test from a theoretical good idea into something that fits the actual shape of a Tuesday in Luzerne County.
Getting there
At 8/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Houston City 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 18641 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 18641 area around Houston City: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Houston City alone.
Houston City sits in Luzerne County, ZIP 18641. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Houston City? 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 Luzerne County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Pennsylvania 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 Houston City-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 Houston City 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Pennsylvania 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 PennsylvaniaSource: 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, Old Forge, PA is close; compare it by distance against Labcorp.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
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 361 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Pennsylvania average.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 18641; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Pennsylvania, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
There's no cure, but antivirals manage symptoms well and reduce transmission.
It's cured with antibiotics; treating partners together prevents reinfection.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.