In Hamilton County, there are about 192 gonorrhea cases per 100,000 residents. Whether you have symptoms or just want to check your status, Howardville, Tennessee, residents can choose between fast, flexible private labs and low-cost or free public clinics. See your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Howardville, TN. The nearest, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department, is about 5.7 miles away. Compare community and public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits below.
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department in Ooltewah tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, treating bacterial infections the same visit when results warrant it. Fees follow a sliding scale, insurance and Medicaid are accepted, and an appointment is required. Spanish-language care is available.
Staff at this clinic provide care in Spanish, which means diagnosis, treatment, and counseling happen in the same language: no lag, no mediated step between what a provider says and what a patient understands and can act on.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, this clinic runs hepatitis C antibody testing as part of its panel, and hepatitis A and B vaccines are stocked and administered on-site. That means a single appointment can close gaps in both diagnosis and immunization without a second stop.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Erlanger Health System in Ooltewah runs on a sliding-scale fee structure and accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB. With same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs. Appointments are required.
Erlanger tests for herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C alongside the core bacterial and viral panel. Meaning a single visit can surface infections that narrower panels leave undetected, which matters for anyone wanting a genuinely complete picture of their sexual health.
Spanish-language care is available directly at Erlanger Health System in Ooltewah, not routed through an outside service, so clinical conversations about test results, treatment options, and prevention happen in Spanish from the same staff providing the care.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Fast Access Healthcare in Chattanooga tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C on a sliding-scale fee with insurance and Medicaid accepted; walk-ins are welcome, and bacterial STIs can be treated the same visit.
Fast Access Healthcare carries PrEP for ongoing HIV prevention, PEP for post-exposure HIV management, and DoxyPEP, the doxycycline regimen shown to cut bacterial STI transmission, all prescribed and supported in-house. Having all three means a prevention plan can be built around a person's actual pattern of exposure, not around which drugs a given clinic happens to stock.
Leaving herpes or hepatitis A, B, or C off a panel means a second appointment, a second wait, and a gap where an answer should be. Fast Access Healthcare in Chattanooga closes that gap by including all three hepatitis types plus herpes alongside the core bacterial and HIV tests. One visit, one complete picture.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 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 about 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Howardville, 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 Hamilton 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.
6059 Arbury Way Second Floor, Ooltewah, TN 37363
CMS-certified lab
281 North Lyerly St Suite 200, Chattanooga, TN 37404
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Attn Debbie Gardenhire, Chattanooga, TN 37403
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Howardville. 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, 496 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Howardville. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 96 offer telehealth.
Clarissa Mashchak, MD
OB-GYN · 4884 Sunkist Terrace, Ooltewah
Oliver Bujak, MD
Family medicine · 9309 Apison Pike, Ooltewah
Gerard Mazza, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 9380 Bradmore Lane, Ooltewah
Obadias Marquez, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 6059 Arbury Way, Ooltewah
George Wennerberg, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 6059 Arbury Way, Ooltewah
Kenneth Golden, DO
Family medicine · 9058 Old Lee Highway, Ooltewah
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 Howardville, 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.
5.2 mi Barnetts Medplus
5.4 mi
5.6 mi 
5.6 mi Food City Pharmacy
5.6 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Howardville, 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 Howardville, 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.
$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
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 Hamilton County, the county that includes Howardville, compare with Tennessee and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~18% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#11 of 95 Tennessee counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 88% of the state
| Infection | Hamilton County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 572.6 2,175 cases ▲ 11% | 517.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 192.4 731 cases ▲ 3% | 186.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 40 152 cases ▲ 170% | 14.8 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 13.7 52 cases ▲ 19% | 11.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 24.7 94 cases ▼ 6% | 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 Hamilton County, chlamydia has fallen from 621 to 572.6 per 100,000 (8%), gonorrhea has fallen from 308 to 192.4 per 100,000 (38%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 7.6 to 40 per 100,000 (426%).
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 Hamilton County.
Local HIV snapshot
Hamilton County HIV care continuum (2023)
Hamilton County recorded 14.3 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Hamilton County residents living with HIV, 85.5% are in care · 55.7% 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 Hamilton County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Suits Hill and the surrounding streets carry the quiet rhythm of a place where most households have put down roots: owned homes, established routines, two or more people sharing a roof. That stability shapes everyday life here in ways that matter for healthcare: when most adults are employed, married, and rooted in place, medical appointments tend to get folded into a shared household calendar rather than squeezed between gig shifts. Yet that same settled texture can make something like STI screening feel unnecessary, distant from the concerns of a neighborhood that reads, on its surface, as low-risk. The reality is that younger adults in Howardville (people still in their late teens and twenties, still navigating new relationships and changing circumstances) face real logistical hurdles here.
That's a higher bar than it sounds, even for households with steady incomes and working vehicles. Hamilton County's STI data makes the case for not waiting. Chlamydia and gonorrhea move quickly through under-35 populations regardless of zip code, and the drive out past Red Clay State Historic Park toward Chattanooga is far easier to make before symptoms appear than after.
Getting there
At 3.84/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Howardville 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 37302 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 37302 area around Howardville: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Howardville alone.
Howardville sits in Hamilton County, ZIP 37302. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Howardville? 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 Hamilton 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 Howardville-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 Howardville 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.
Possibly, East Ridge, TN is close; compare it by distance against Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Yes, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 573 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Tennessee average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Tennessee, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
HPV is checked through cervical screening (often with a Pap test); there's no routine HPV test for men.
No HIV found; just confirm with a retest if you tested soon after a possible exposure.
Community health centers and family-planning clinics serve all patients, and many offer LGBTQ-affirming care, ask the site directly.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.