Gonorrhea cases in Plymouth County run about 33% lower than the US average. If you're in Howlands, Massachusetts, considering testing before starting a new relationship or as part of ongoing care, clinics mean advice and treatment, while at-home kits let you test on your own schedule. See your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Howlands, MA. The nearest, Quest Diagnostics, is about 7.4 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.
Health Imperatives in Wareham tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis C, and TB (all at no charge, with a sliding scale for any additional services) and accepts Medicaid and most insurance. Bacterial STIs are treated same visit; appointments are required.
HIV testing, hepatitis C testing, and STI testing all carry a zero-dollar price tag at Health Imperatives, and so does the mpox vaccine. PrEP is available to uninsured patients at no cost, meaning the prevention side of the ledger matches the testing side without a fee structure that shifts midway through care.
Health Imperatives in Wareham operates with direct-language capacity in American Sign Language, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Eight languages including a signed one. Counseling, medication adherence education, and DoxyPEP guidance are all delivered in those languages by staff, not routed through an on-call service.
When prevention requires PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP together, a gap between prescribers costs time that bacterial exposure doesn't allow. Health Imperatives manages all three at one site in Wareham, with medication adherence counseling built into the same visit so ongoing dosing stays on track rather than hinging on a follow-up that hasn't been scheduled yet.
Languages
American Sign Language, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Seven Hills Foundation in New Bedford charges nothing for STI screening, fees are waived entirely, with no one turned away regardless of ability to pay. Appointments are required to access testing for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Acushnet Ave in New Bedford earns its federally qualified standing by anchoring care for patients paying cash, between providers, or stretching limited income. Sliding-scale fees adjust to what people actually earn, making syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening reachable without an appointment.
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 Howlands, 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.
Also in the area
Beyond the public testing sites above, these federally certified (CLIA) labs serve Plymouth 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.
2 Pond Park Drive, Hingham, MA 02043
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
111 Torrey Street, Brockton, MA 02301
CMS-certified lab
291 East Center Street, West Bridgewater, MA 02379
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Howlands. 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, 1,462 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Howlands. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 658 offer telehealth.
Alexander Rabin, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 100 Rosebrook Way, Wareham
Rose Shorter, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 100 Rosebrook Way, Wareham
Gueorgui Dimov, MD
Internal medicine · 4499 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford
Robert Gagnon, MD
Family medicine · 5 Precinct Street, Lakeville
Gregory Sadovnikoff, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 12 Main Street, Lakeville
John Macfarlane, MD Telehealth
OB-GYN · 43 High Street, Wareham
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 Howlands, MA 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.
Victory Distributors
6.8 mi
6.8 mi 
6.9 mi Showing the 3 closest pharmacies to Howlands, MA.
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 Howlands, 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
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
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 Plymouth County, the county that includes Howlands, compare with Massachusetts and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data.
#5 of 14 Massachusetts counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 64% of the state
| Infection | Plymouth County | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 418.6 2,241 cases ▲ 1% | 412.7 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 119.7 641 cases ▼ 14% | 139.8 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 8 43 cases ▼ 25% | 10.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 4.7 25 cases ▼ 54% | 10.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 15.9 85 cases ▲ 16% | 13.7 | 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 Plymouth County, chlamydia has risen from 329.7 to 418.6 per 100,000 (27%), gonorrhea has risen from 93.8 to 119.7 per 100,000 (28%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 7.5 to 8 per 100,000 (7%).
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 Plymouth County.
Local HIV snapshot
Plymouth County HIV care continuum (2023)
Plymouth County recorded 9.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 8.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Plymouth County residents living with HIV, 75.3% are in care · 68.4% 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 Plymouth County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Howlands has long centered on trades tied to land and livestock: farming, animal husbandry, and the seasonal work that comes with them. That kind of life means physical demands, irregular schedules, and the practical need to know your health status without disruption. Routine STI screening fits into that same pragmatic approach: a checkup you handle quietly, on your own terms, without fanfare or delay. A significant presence of young adults in Howlands, people in their late teens through thirties, means the community includes those at the age when confidential testing becomes part of ordinary health maintenance.
Whether someone lives near Bisbee Corner, works near The Highlands, or passes through the area on MA 28, the testing clinics and providers listed on this page are accessible in and around Howlands and can be reached with a phone call or online appointment. Confidentiality in a smaller community is real. Results stay private; your screening records don't appear in casual conversation or workplace chatter. If you have questions about what to expect, how results are handled, or how to schedule, the providers here can walk you through it plainly.
Getting there
At 8.92/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Howlands 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.
Howlands sits in Plymouth County, ZIP 2770. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Howlands? 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 Plymouth County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Massachusetts 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 Howlands-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 Howlands 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, a minor may consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own; a provider may inform a parent only if they judge the minor's health to be in serious danger.
Massachusetts 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 MassachusettsSource: 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.
7 testing options are within 30 miles of Howlands, MA.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
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 419 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Massachusetts average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Massachusetts, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Start treatment, tell recent partners so they can test, avoid sex until cleared, and retest if advised, most STIs resolve with care.
A urine sample or a swab (genital, throat, or rectal) detects gonorrhea, often tested alongside chlamydia.
Likely yes, if you were past the window period; otherwise retest, and keep up routine screening with new partners.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.