Chickasaw County reported chlamydia rates are about 40% higher than the US average. Whether you need testing after a possible exposure or part of routine care in Houston, Mississippi, there's a trade-off between clinics, which may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, and private labs that let you pay a flat self-pay price. Find options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Houston, MS. The nearest, Mississippi State Department of Health, is about 0.3 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.
Mississippi State Department of Health in Houston runs every service by appointment, so calling ahead locks in testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV alongside STI treatment, TB care, and HPV and hepatitis A and B vaccines. All on a sliding scale that bottoms out at no charge.
Paying out of pocket with no regular provider in the picture, and needing both the test and any follow-up treatment in the same place? The Mississippi State Department of Health in Houston covers its full range (testing, STI treatment, TB care, vaccines) without a fee attached to any of it.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A public safety-net rural health clinic in Houston. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 1 mile from Houston. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
North Mississippi Health Services in Houston brings STI care through a federally recognized health system, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, hepatitis B and C on a sliding-scale fee structure, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, appointment required, and Spanish-language services on site.
Plenty of STI clinics test for the four most commonly reported infections and leave it there. North Mississippi Health Services extends that panel to include herpes and both hepatitis B and C, meaning a single visit can answer questions that a stripped-down panel would leave open.
North Mississippi Health Services prescribes and manages PrEP directly, which means patients can build a consistent prevention routine with the same clinical team rather than tracking it down through a separate provider.
Many clinics in the region handle Spanish-language needs through workarounds that sit outside the exam room. At North Mississippi Health Services in Houston, Spanish is a working language of care: patients can discuss symptoms, history, and treatment in Spanish with the staff directly.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
A community safety-net rural health clinic about 9 miles from Houston. 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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Houston, 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 Chickasaw 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.
1002 East Madison Street, Houston, MS 38851
CMS-certified lab
902 East Madison Street, Houston, MS 38851
CMS-certified lab
1002 East Madison Street, Houston, MS 38851
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 3 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Houston. 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, 147 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Houston. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 14 offer telehealth.
Jamie Castillo, MD
Internal medicine · 1002 East Madison Street, Houston
William Morgan, MD
Family medicine · 208 Country Club Road, Houston
Donald Smith, DO
Family medicine · 119 Robertson Street, Okolona
Andrea Collins, MD
Family medicine · 140 Burke Calhoun City Road, Calhoun City
Tom Longest, MD
Family medicine · 128 Public Square, Bruce
Willie Wells, MD
Family medicine · 407 East Calhoun Street, Bruce
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, 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.
Pearsons Discount Drugs
0.2 miGriffins Discount Drugs 3997
0.3 miHouston Family Pharmacy
0.3 mi
0.8 mi Foot Solutions
8.6 miFreds Stores of Tennessee
10 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Houston, 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 Houston, 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 $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
$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
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 Chickasaw County, the county that includes Houston, compare with Mississippi and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~26% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#37 of 82 Mississippi counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 55% of the state
| Infection | Chickasaw County | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 687.8 116 cases ▼ 2% | 700.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 260.9 44 cases ▲ 4% | 251.1 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 94.9 16 cases ▲ 215% | 30.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 17.8 3 cases ▲ 9% | 16.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 148.2 25 cases ▲ 129% | 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 Chickasaw County, chlamydia has fallen from 1064 to 687.8 per 100,000 (35%), gonorrhea has fallen from 613.8 to 260.9 per 100,000 (57%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 5.8 to 94.9 per 100,000 (1536%).
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 Chickasaw 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.
Chickasaw County HIV care continuum (2023)
Chickasaw County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 21.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Chickasaw County residents living with HIV, 81.6% are in care · 76.3% 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 Chickasaw County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
The Witch Dance Picnic Area draws people out to the quiet edges of Houston, where the landscape opens up. A place many locals know well. That same openness toward neighbors' business is part of what makes confidentiality in health care feel necessary here. Young adults moving through their late teens and into their thirties often weigh the reality of testing against the weight of being recognized at a clinic.
STI screening is available in and around Houston through clinics and providers listed on this page, each with its own approach to keeping visits discreet. The cost of care matters in a community where paychecks stretch carefully. Testing services in the area reflect that: some clinics offer sliding-scale fees, others partner with insurance plans that keep out-of-pocket costs low. Results don't travel back through town on their own, that's standard practice, but the choice of where to go still shapes whether someone picks up the phone and schedules an appointment.
Young people in Houston often know what they need to do but move slowly toward it. Having testing within reach, without the assumption that a visit will become neighborhood knowledge, shifts that calculation. The clinics listed here serve that purpose: they're part of the community but also separate from it, a distinction that matters when privacy and access have to work together.
Getting there
At 5.22/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Houston 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 38851 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 38851 area around Houston: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Houston alone.
Houston sits in Chickasaw County, ZIP 38851. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Houston? 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 Chickasaw 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 Houston-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 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.
There are 7 options within a 30-mile drive.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
Yes, free HIV testing is available at public clinics in the area.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Chickasaw County reported ~688 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Mississippi average.
At-home kits mail to 38851: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
In Mississippi, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
Chlamydia is checked with a simple urine sample or a swab; lab results usually come back in a day or two.
No, symptoms mean test now; the window period only applies to symptom-free screening.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.