Gonorrhea in Perry County reported 87% lower than the US average. If you're considering STI testing in Howard, Tennessee, whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind, you'll find trade-offs between cost, speed, and convenience. Public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits each offer different benefits depending on what's most important to you. Our list below can help.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Howard, TN. The nearest, Tennessee Department of Health, is about 6.5 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.
Tennessee Department of Health in Decaturville runs all STI and TB services on a sliding scale, accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, and keeps HIV testing free: covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and conventional HIV by appointment.
All services at Tennessee Department of Health in Decaturville are provided at no fee, which means the sliding scale isn't a ceiling with gaps: it reaches to zero, and nothing gets deferred because of cost.
Tennessee Department of Health in Decaturville delivers care directly in Spanish, so clinical conversations (symptoms, treatment instructions, follow-up expectations) stay precise rather than compressed into a back-and-forth hand-off.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Tennessee Department of Health in Decaturville tests for herpes: a fifth infection that most local panels omit entirely, and one whose diagnosis shapes treatment and partner-notification decisions in ways the basic four don't address.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A safety-net rural health clinic about 7 miles from Howard. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Perry County Medical Center in Linden carries federal FQHC designation, which means fees scale to income and no patient is turned away for inability to pay. Walk-ins are welcome for STI screening covering syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
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 7 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.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 16 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 3 offer telehealth.
Nicole Jennings, MD
Internal medicine · 50 Skyline Lane, Parsons
Stephen Averett, MD
Internal medicine · 62 Medical Drive, Linden
Ionela Halke, MD
Family medicine · 207 Main Street, Clifton
Leah Gilliam, MD
Family medicine · 83 South Main Street, Lexington
Robert Day, MD
Family medicine · 9550 Hwy 412 West, Lexington
Harish Veeramachineni, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 101 Jv Mangubat Drive, Waynesboro
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, TN 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.
Freds of Parsons
6.1 miCity Drug Store of Parsons
6.4 miRonnie F Vise
6.5 miVise's Pharmacy
12 miScotts Hill Pharmacy
15 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Howard, TN.
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 $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
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
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 Perry County, the county that includes Howard, compare with Tennessee and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~22% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#94 of 95 Tennessee counties for chlamydia, among the lowest in the state
| Infection | Perry County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 123.7 11 cases ▼ 76% | 517.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 22.5 2 cases ▼ 88% | 186.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | — no data | 14.8 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | — no data | 11.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | — no data | 26.4 | 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 Perry County, chlamydia has fallen from 310.8 to 123.7 per 100,000 (60%), and gonorrhea has fallen from 131.5 to 22.5 per 100,000 (83%).
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 Perry County.
Local HIV snapshot
Perry County HIV care continuum (2023)
Perry County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Perry County residents living with HIV, 80% are in care · 80% 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 Perry County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Residents heading out to Mousetail Landing or tending their own land know Howard as a place where people stay put, families with deep ties and homeowners who've built their lives here over decades. That stability brings its own rhythm, one where regular health maintenance fits naturally into how folks manage their affairs. STI testing in and around Howard listed on this page reflects that same straightforward approach: clinics staffed by providers who understand that confidentiality isn't theater but a baseline expectation, and that screening at any age is simply part of looking after yourself without fanfare. The young adults moving through Howard (settling down, building families, or still finding their footing) often value testing they can schedule without ceremony.
A partner's health matters; your own does too. The testing sites available in and around Howard serve that need without making it a production. What sets testing here apart is the absence of performance. You walk in, get screened, walk out.
No one needs to know unless you decide to tell them. That's how it works in a community built on the assumption that people are sensible enough to handle their own care.
Getting there
At 3.63/20 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 37096 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 37096 area around Howard: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Howard alone.
Howard sits in Perry County, ZIP 37096. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
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 Perry County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Tennessee 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 TennesseeSource: 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.
Some clinics and labs take walk-ins for same-day testing; call ahead to confirm hours.
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 124 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Tennessee average.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 37096; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
In Tennessee, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes if the first test was early; recheck a few weeks out for chlamydia/gonorrhea and up to ~3 months for HIV/syphilis.
Yes, test after the window period, and if HIV exposure is a concern, ask about PEP within 72 hours.
It depends: a blood draw covers HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis, while urine or a swab covers chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.