Gonorrhea in Caldwell County shows a 41% lower rate than the US average. Before starting a new relationship in Hudson, North Carolina, or as part of ongoing care, consider your priorities, like cost and speed. We list community clinics and private labs below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Hudson, NC. The nearest, Caldwell County Health Department, is about 5.7 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.
Caldwell County Health Department in Lenoir operates STI care through the full infrastructure of a public health department: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing alongside treatment for bacterial infections, HPV and hepatitis A vaccines, and family planning, all on a sliding scale at no cost.
Caldwell County Health Department charges nothing for any of its services, testing, STI treatment, TB care, vaccines, family planning. Sliding-scale eligibility extends to everyone, and the fee lands at zero across the board, no partial bills attached to individual line items.
Spanish is a direct service language at Caldwell County Health Department, meaning STI counseling, TB education, family planning, and HIV testing conversations happen in Spanish without mediation. That language capacity applies across every care category the department offers.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Eastern Burke HCCH, in Connelly Springs, earned its federal qualification by tying fees to income: meaning STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) is priced on a sliding scale so cost adjusts to what each patient actually earns. No appointment is needed to walk in.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra Family Medicine-Happy Valley in Lenoir carries federally qualified health center standing, which means STI screening fees adjust to each patient's income on a sliding scale. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing. No appointment needed to get started.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra Behavioral Health – Hickory carries federal qualification that locks in sliding-scale fees tied to income, ensuring no one is turned away for inability to pay. Walk-ins are welcome for STI screening covering syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with costs adjusted to what each patient can actually afford.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra Health in Hickory runs on a sliding-scale fee structure open to everyone, with Medicaid and private insurance also accepted. Gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and HIV testing are available by appointment, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections.
Plenty of STI clinics cap their panel at gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV: herpes requires a separate referral, or doesn't come up at all. Kintegra Health includes herpes testing directly, so the picture of what's actually happening is complete from a single visit.
Kintegra Health prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly, meaning ongoing HIV prevention is managed as a continuous clinical relationship rather than a one-time event: refills, monitoring labs, and dosing questions all stay with the same care team.
Many clinics handle language gaps reactively: a speaker pulled in at the last moment, or not at all. Kintegra Health in Hickory offers Spanish-speaking care and interpretation services for other languages as part of standard practice, so the clinical conversation happens on the patient's terms from the start.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · 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 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Hudson, 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 value: single tests
$49 & 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 Caldwell 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.
420 North Center Street - Poc, Hickory, NC 28601
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
321 Mulberry Street Southwest, Suite 477, Lenoir, NC 28645
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
109 East Fleming Drive, Morganton, NC 28655
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Hudson. 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, 298 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Hudson. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 61 offer telehealth.
David Kays, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 270 Pine Mountain Road, Hudson
Jill Konkol, MD
Family medicine · 1766 Connelly Springs Road, Lenoir
Michael Bauer, MD Telehealth
Urology · 1208 Hickory Boulevard Southwest, Lenoir
Hayden White, DO
Family medicine · 1208 Hickory Boulevard Southwest, Lenoir
Rebecca Woodbury, NP
Family medicine · 401 Mulberry Street Southwest, Lenoir
Sara Movaghar, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 322 Mulberry Street Southwest, Lenoir
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 Hudson, NC 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.
Community Pharmacy
0.5 miMCJT Pharmaceutical Care
0.5 miHealth Options Vital Care
0.5 miNext Step North Carolina
0.6 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Hudson, NC.
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 Hudson, 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
$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
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 Caldwell County, the county that includes Hudson, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~24% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#61 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 39% of the state
| Infection | Caldwell County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 362.4 292 cases ▼ 40% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 105.5 85 cases ▼ 57% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 12.4 10 cases ▼ 38% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 11.2 9 cases ▼ 29% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 13.7 11 cases ▼ 43% | 24 | 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 Caldwell County, chlamydia has fallen from 396.8 to 362.4 per 100,000 (9%), gonorrhea has fallen from 184.7 to 105.5 per 100,000 (43%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 6.2 to 12.4 per 100,000 (100%).
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 Caldwell County.
Local HIV snapshot
Caldwell County HIV care continuum (2022)
Caldwell County recorded 8.6 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Caldwell County residents living with HIV, 88.4% are in care · 75.8% 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 Caldwell County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Hibriten Mountain rises sharp against the skyline, a constant landmark for people who've built lives here and intend to stay. Hudson's population includes plenty of young adults alongside long-established families and homeowners, and for anyone sexually active (whether partnered, newly dating, or between relationships) routine STI screening fits as naturally into health care as any other preventive step. Testing in and around Hudson is listed on this page, offered through clinics and providers within easy reach. Confidentiality in a town where many people know each other carries real weight, and local testing services understand that.
Results remain yours alone; a clinic visit or lab work doesn't trigger automatic notification to employers, schools, or anyone else. The simplicity of getting tested, without fanfare or delay, matters when life is full of work, family, and the ordinary momentum that can push health questions to the back of a to-do list. Whether you're establishing baseline health status, following up after a potential exposure, or simply staying current with screening, testing is available without judgment or unnecessary complication. Caldwell County residents have long-standing ties to Hudson, and that stability means health services can be part of the fabric of everyday life here.
Getting there
At 5.93/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Hudson 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 28638 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 28638 area around Hudson: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Hudson alone.
Hudson sits in Caldwell County, ZIP 28638. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Hudson? 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 Caldwell County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under North Carolina 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 Hudson-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 Hudson 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
North Carolina 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 North CarolinaSource: 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 9 options within a 30-mile drive.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
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.
Caldwell County reported ~362 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the North Carolina average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In North Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
A kit ships to your address; you collect a urine, swab, or finger-stick sample, mail it to the lab, and get results online in a few days.
Chlamydia is checked with a simple urine sample or a swab; lab results usually come back in a day or two.
Herpes isn't curable, but daily or as-needed antiviral medicine controls outbreaks and lowers the chance of passing it on.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.