At-risk Polk residents face a chlamydia rate 25% higher than the nation's average. In Johnston, Iowa, if you've had a recent risk, or simply test on a regular schedule, choose between immediate testing at walk-in clinics or timed testing at labs and through at-home kits. We list these options below for you.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Johnston, IA. The nearest, Quest Diagnostics, is about 4.4 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.
Primary Health Care in Urbandale tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and HIV on a sliding-scale fee accepted by most payers, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections; an appointment is required, and Spanish-language care is available directly from staff.
Plenty of clinics handle Spanish through a relay, a device passed across a desk, a voice on speaker. At Primary Health Care, Spanish is a service the staff itself delivers, which means the clinical conversation stays between you and your provider, unmediated and complete.
For anyone managing both substance use and sexual health without a regular care team, coordinating two separate providers is its own barrier. Primary Health Care holds both services in-house, so medication adherence, counseling, and STI treatment can be addressed in the same clinical relationship rather than across separate appointments at separate places.
For anyone who wants a complete picture, not just the bacterial infections, Primary Health Care includes herpes testing alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, so a single visit captures the infections most likely to go undetected without it.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
MercyOne in Clive pairs same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis) with a full diagnostic panel and sliding-scale fees that apply to everyone. Appointments are required; insurance is accepted alongside fee-based options.
MercyOne carries both PrEP and PEP as standing services, including a dedicated PrEP program for uninsured patients, so anyone without a regular prescribing provider doesn't need to piece together care across multiple practices. Coverage, cost assistance, and the prescription itself are all handled at this clinic.
Direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C are prescribed and managed at MercyOne, not handed off after a reactive result. That means the treatment relationship, monitoring included, stays within the same clinic where the hepatitis C test was run.
MercyOne tests for herpes simplex and both hepatitis B and C alongside the gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV panel. Eight infections in total. Because hepatitis B and herpes are frequently excluded from basic STI panels, that coverage closes a diagnostic gap that would otherwise require a second appointment elsewhere.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
UCS Healthcare in West Des Moines provides appointment-based STI care (HIV (rapid and conventional), syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis C) on a sliding-scale fee accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and PrEP and PEP on offer.
Both PrEP and PEP are prescribed and managed at UCS Healthcare in West Des Moines: meaning the HIV-prevention regimen, the follow-up lab work, and any dosing adjustments stay within the same practice rather than scattering across separate providers. Continuity in monitoring is what turns a prescription into a functioning prevention plan.
Hepatitis C often travels alongside other infections, and catching it at a separate appointment, or not at all, means treatment gets delayed while the virus quietly advances. UCS Healthcare tests for hepatitis C as part of its standard panel, so a positive result can move directly toward management without the detour of a second clinic visit.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Polk County Health Department in Des Moines runs every service at no fee, accepting Medicare alongside its free structure, and tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis C, and TB. With same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and appointments required.
When a bill arrives after care, or when cost quietly shapes which services a patient accepts, gaps open up that delay treatment. At Polk County Health Department, every service carries no fee: testing, treatment, vaccines, and counseling all land at the same price of nothing, so nothing goes undone for financial reasons.
Clinics that route non-English speakers through a phone line during a sensitive appointment often leave critical details half-communicated. Polk County Health Department provides care directly in Spanish and extends interpretation services to other languages, so the conversation about symptoms, results, and next steps happens with the same clarity for every patient.
Polk County Health Department prescribes DoxyPEP, doxycycline taken after a potential bacterial STI exposure, which, used consistently, measurably lowers rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis reinfection over time.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Planned Parenthood North Central States in Des Moines runs on a sliding-scale fee structure and accepts Medicaid and private insurance, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, rapid and conventional HIV, herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. No appointment required, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections.
The testing panel here runs blood and swab work for herpes simplex and both hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the same visit as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV: meaning the lab order is written once, the specimen is collected once, and results come back as a complete picture rather than a partial one.
Without a clinic that writes PrEP prescriptions directly, the gap between a negative HIV test and actually starting prevention can stretch into weeks of separate appointments. Planned Parenthood North Central States initiates and monitors PrEP here, and PEP is also prescribed on-site. No secondary provider required to move from testing to prevention.
Title X funding at this clinic carries a federal confidentiality mandate for minors: meaning the clinic is legally required to keep a young patient's family planning services, STI testing, and contraception separate from any parental billing or disclosure. That protection is built into the funding structure itself, not a policy choice the clinic can waive.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 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 4 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Johnston, 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 Polk 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.
5705 Northwest 100th Street, Suite 100, Johnston, IA 50131
CMS-certified lab
5406 Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA 50131
CMS-certified lab
1410 Southwest Tradition Drive, Ankeny, IA 50023
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Johnston. 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, 495 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Johnston. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 75 offer telehealth.
Eric Stanek, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 8779 Northpark Court, Johnston
David Chess, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 6165 Northwest 86th Street, Johnston
Sarah Garner, MD
Internal medicine · 5900 Northwest 86th Street, Johnston
Amy Fulton, MD
Family medicine · 5615 Northwest 86th Street, Johnston
Carlos Alarcon Schroder, MD
Family medicine · 5615 Northwest 86th Street, Johnston
Abbie Ruisch, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 5501 Northwest 86th Street, Johnston
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 Johnston, IA 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.
1.3 mi The Compounding Lab
1.4 miSun Pharmacy
1.4 miHy-Vee Pharmacy
1.7 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Johnston, IA.
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 Johnston, 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
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
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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 Polk County, the county that includes Johnston, compare with Iowa and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~21% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#4 of 99 Iowa counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 96% of the state
| Infection | Polk County | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 615.1 3,108 cases ▲ 44% | 426.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 213.2 1,077 cases ▲ 83% | 116.8 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 18.4 93 cases ▲ 79% | 10.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 16.6 84 cases ▲ 80% | 9.2 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 15.6 79 cases ▲ 58% | 9.9 | 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 Polk County, chlamydia has fallen from 684.2 to 615.1 per 100,000 (10%), gonorrhea has fallen from 412.3 to 213.2 per 100,000 (48%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 13.4 to 18.4 per 100,000 (37%).
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 Polk County.
Local HIV snapshot
Polk County HIV care continuum (2023)
Polk County recorded 8.6 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 5.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Polk County residents living with HIV, 90.9% are in care · 84.1% 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 Polk County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Northwest 86th Street cuts through a Johnston that looks, from the outside, like easy-living suburbia: nearly three in four households own their homes, a shade under half bring in six figures, and the unemployment rate is vanishingly low. That material stability is real, but it doesn't make STI screening automatic. Rent still clears eleven hundred dollars a month for the roughly one in four households that lease, and a workforce participation rate well above the national average means most adults here are logging full days before they ever think about a clinic appointment. The Meredith neighborhood and the corridors along Merle Hay Road are home to a mix of established families, with average household sizes close to three and nearly six in ten adults married.
Alongside them, a meaningful share of residents fall in the age range where chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other infections circulate most actively, people in their late teens and twenties who are often working, renting, and fitting health appointments around shifts rather than around ideal calendars. Johnston's high labor-force engagement is ultimately the practical variable to plan around. Clinics with evening or weekend hours, listed in the cards above, are the ones most likely to fit a schedule built around a full workweek on 86th Street.
Getting there
Johnston scores 13.76/20 on the EPA walkability index, so many trips are walkable or a short ride, though a car still gives you the widest choice of testing centers.
Source: EPA National Walkability Index 2021.
ZIP 50131 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 50131 area around Johnston: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Johnston alone.
Johnston sits in Polk County, ZIP 50131. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Johnston? 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 Polk County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Iowa 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 Johnston-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 Johnston 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 Iowa 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 Iowa, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own; a parent may be notified only in the case of a positive HIV test result.
Iowa 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 IowaSource: 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.
Yes, several local labs offer same-day walk-in testing; best to call first.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Yes, free HIV testing is available at public clinics in the area.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Polk County reported ~615 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Iowa average.
At-home kits mail to 50131: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In Iowa, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
A urine test or swab finds trichomoniasis, one of the most treatable STIs.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.