In Red River Parish, syphilis is reported about 72% higher than the US average. Whether you're planning a relationship or maintaining your sexual health in Howard, Louisiana, you have options. Visiting a clinic provides immediate answers and treatment; at-home kits let you test on your own time. Check the list below to find your match.
Available testing centers
6 testing options are listed for Howard, LA. The nearest, Christus Health Central Louisiana, is about 14.0 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 community safety-net rural health clinic about 14 miles from Howard. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Trinity Community Health Centers of Louisiana in Ringgold requires an appointment, so scheduling ahead is the move, but that single visit covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis C testing, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and fees on a sliding scale.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · 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 14 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Howard, 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 Red River Parish, 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.
8001 Youree Drive, Shreveport, LA 71115
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
8383 Millicent Way, Shreveport, LA 71115
CMS-certified lab
8001 Youree Drive, Shreveport, LA 71115
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Howard. 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, 324 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Howard. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 54 offer telehealth.
Charles Patton, MD
Family medicine · 8383 Millicent Way, Shreveport
Lauren Landry, MD
Family medicine · 8383 Millicent Way, Shreveport
Gavin Chico, MD
Internal medicine · 1110 Ringgold Avenue, Coushatta
Jihad El-Hayek, MD Telehealth
Infectious disease · 2739 Stone Creek Drive, Shreveport
Joshua Cason, MD
Family medicine · 1633 Marvel Street, Coushatta
Don Bell, MD
Family medicine · 1633 Marvel Street, Coushatta
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 Howard, LA 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.
Ringgold Pharmacy Solutions
14 mi
16 mi Norris Ferry Drug
16 miFreds Stores of Tennessee
16 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Howard, LA.
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 Howard, 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
$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 $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 Red River Parish, the parish that includes Howard, compare with Louisiana and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~27% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#6 of 64 Louisiana counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 91% of the state
| Infection | Red River Parish | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 1196.3 88 cases ▲ 51% | 792.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 543.8 40 cases ▲ 89% | 288.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 27.2 2 cases ▲ 4% | 26.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 13.6 1 cases ▼ 31% | 19.6 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 54.4 4 cases ▲ 3% | 52.6 | 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 Red River Parish, chlamydia has risen from 787.4 to 1196.3 per 100,000 (52%), gonorrhea has risen from 433.1 to 543.8 per 100,000 (26%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 13.2 to 27.2 per 100,000 (106%).
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 Red River Parish.
Local HIV snapshot
Red River Parish HIV care continuum (2021)
Red River Parish recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2021), against 22.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Red River Parish residents living with HIV, 83.3% are in care · 66.7% 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 Red River Parish tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Red River Natural Gas Hub anchors a working community where most households are owner-occupied and a third bring in incomes that suggest financial stability, yet that picture is more uneven than it appears at first glance. With roughly a third of residents renting at around eleven hundred dollars a month, and a household structure that skews small and increasingly single, a meaningful share of younger adults in Howard are managing tight monthly budgets without the cushion a partner's income provides. For people in their late teens and twenties, the years when STI exposure is statistically concentrated, that financial pressure shapes whether preventive care gets acted on or repeatedly deferred. Getting around compounds this.
Labor-force participation here sits at a level where many residents work schedules that don't flex easily around midday appointments, and a three-percent unemployment rate suggests most working-age adults are already committed to demanding hours. That combination (fixed commutes, real rent obligations, and limited transit) means that the options listed here, ranked by proximity, deserve a close look before assuming the nearest one is simply a quick errand. Checking hours and telehealth availability in advance can be the practical difference for someone logging miles on US 71 five days a week.
Getting there
At 8.05/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Howard 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 71115 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 71115 area around Howard: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Howard alone.
Howard sits in Red River Parish, ZIP 71115. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Howard? 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 Red River Parish: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Louisiana 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 Howard-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 Howard 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Louisiana 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 LouisianaSource: 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 6 options within a 30-mile drive.
Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
Public clinics serve people without insurance, often on a sliding scale.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Red River Parish reported ~1,196 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Louisiana average.
In Louisiana, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
Get treated, notify partners, pause sex until cleared, and follow up, the infection is manageable.
Reassuring if you tested after the window, just retest if it was early, and screen again with new partners.
Often, yes, especially throat and rectal infections, which is why site-specific testing matters.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.