In Putnam County, chlamydia rates run about 82% lower than the US average. If you are in Howland, Missouri, wondering whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind, consider that visiting a clinic offers medical guidance and immediate treatment, whereas an at-home kit lets you test on your schedule. Review your options below.
Available testing centers
6 testing options are listed for Howland, MO. The nearest, Putnam County Memorial Hospital, is about 4.4 miles away. Compare 3 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 safety-net rural health clinic about 4 miles from Howland. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Putnam County Health Department in Unionville tests for HIV, hepatitis C, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, TB screening included, on a sliding-scale fee structure with free HIV and hepatitis C testing available; appointments are required, and bacterial STI treatment is handled on-site.
The Health Department absorbs the full cost of every service it delivers: testing, treatment, vaccination, and counseling alike. No partial charges are issued after the visit, and no service is carved out from that coverage. Whatever brings someone through the door, the bill at the end reads the same.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, the Health Department's panel includes hepatitis C and TB. Both tested on-site and both covered at no fee. Hepatitis C treatment and TB prevention are staffed and managed directly, so neither diagnosis becomes a separate clinical errand.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
A community safety-net rural health clinic about 13 miles from Howland. 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 about 4 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Howland, 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.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 18 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Howland. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit.
Linda Baldwin, DO
Family medicine · 515 West Wall Street, Seymour
Chinedu Ifejiagwa, MD
Family medicine · 1 Saint Joseph Drive, Centerville
Aurora Bell, DO
Family medicine · 1000 West Washington Street, Lancaster
Amy Bingaman, MD
OB-GYN · 417 South East Street, Corydon
Dillon Cleary, MD
Family medicine · 417 South East Street, Corydon
Melanie Grgurich, MD
Family medicine · 52334 South Bus Hwy 5, Milan
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 Howland, MO 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.
Dr Mamae
4.7 mi
13 mi Rez
14 miTotal Dose Centerville
14 miMidland Pharmacy
15 miHy-Vee
15 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Howland, MO.
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 Howland, 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.
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 $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
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 Putnam County, the county that includes Howland, compare with Missouri 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.
#108 of 115 Missouri counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 6% of the state
| Infection | Putnam County | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 86.2 4 cases ▼ 83% | 498.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | — no data | 201.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | — no data | 21.5 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | — no data | 12.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 21.6 1 cases ▼ 36% | 33.8 | 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 Putnam County, chlamydia has fallen from 213.6 to 86.2 per 100,000 (60%), and gonorrhea has held roughly steady from 42.9 to 42.9 per 100,000.
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 Putnam County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Missouri 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.
Putnam County HIV care continuum (2023)
Putnam County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 10.6 statewide and 13.7 nationally. 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 Putnam County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Unionville Park sits at the calm center of Howland's daily life, a place that fits the town's character as a community where nearly four in five households own their homes and most residents have put down real roots. For young adults in their late teens and twenties, the years when STI exposure is statistically concentrated, that drive is the central obstacle. When nearly half the workforce sits outside the labor force and those who are working often hold schedules with little margin, carving out time to travel for a screening appointment takes real planning. The Putnam County Fairgrounds anchors one edge of town, but the nearest clinic is well beyond it, in another community altogether.
The cost side of the picture is more encouraging for some. With a substantial share of Howland households earning well above the area median, out-of-pocket screening fees may be manageable, but that isn't universal. Renters here, paying among the lower typical rents in the region, are often in tighter financial positions, and for them a visit that carries an unexpected fee can be the reason a test gets postponed rather than scheduled.
Getting there
At 6.37/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Howland 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 63565 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 63565 area around Howland: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Howland alone.
Howland sits in Putnam County, ZIP 63565. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Howland? 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 Putnam County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Missouri 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 Howland-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 Howland 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 Missouri 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 Missouri, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Missouri 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 MissouriSource: 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.
The closest is Putnam County Memorial Hospital (4.4 mi); 3 options are within 30 miles.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
Yes, Putnam County Health Department (4.7 mi) offers free testing, and public clinics serve the uninsured.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 86 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Missouri average.
In Missouri, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
It's cured with antibiotics; treating partners together prevents reinfection.
There's no cure, but antivirals manage symptoms well and reduce transmission.
It depends: a blood draw covers HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis, while urine or a swab covers chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Roughly 1–2 weeks after exposure gives a dependable gonorrhea result.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.