Gonorrhea in Buffalo County is reported 86% below the US average. Whether you’re in Kearney, Nebraska, for a one-time concern or regular check-ups, your options vary. Public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience. Choose based on what you need.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Kearney, NE. The nearest, Choice Family Health Care, is about 1.2 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.
Choice Family Health Care in Kearney runs on a sliding scale and accepts both Medicaid and Medicare, covering the standard bacterial and viral panel (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, rapid and conventional HIV) with appointments required and same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, including care delivered in Spanish.
When STI care requires a follow-up conversation and the language isn't there, patients delay, or don't return. At Choice Family Health Care, Spanish-language services are embedded in clinical care itself, so nothing about a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a follow-up question gets deferred to a later visit or a separate provider.
The typical STI clinic draws blood for HIV and syphilis and stops there. Choice Family Health Care also tests for herpes, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C in the same appointment, and backs hepatitis A and B testing with on-site vaccination for both.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Nebraska AIDS Project in Kearney focuses its work on HIV and STI prevention, offering rapid HIV testing, gonorrhea and chlamydia screening, HIV test counseling, and condom distribution. All at no fee, by appointment.
The no-fee structure at Nebraska AIDS Project in Kearney covers the full range: rapid HIV testing, gonorrhea and chlamydia screening, counseling, PrEP, and condom distribution. Nothing on the service list carries a charge, not a co-pay tier, not a reduced rate.
Spanish is available as a direct service language at Nebraska AIDS Project, meaning counseling, HIV test discussions, and medication education happen in Spanish without relay. For other languages, interpretation services are staffed to support the same conversations.
Nebraska AIDS Project in Kearney holds standing capacity to prescribe and support PrEP, making it a practical option for someone who lacks a regular primary care provider or needs to consolidate HIV prevention into one place. Medication adherence counseling is built into PrEP care here, not offered separately.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 16 miles from Kearney. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 24 miles from Kearney. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Heartland Health Center in Ravenna runs on a sliding scale and accepts Medicaid and private insurance, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and HIV. With same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and care delivered in Spanish.
Heartland Health Center staffs Spanish-language care directly: meaning clinical conversations, counseling on test results, and STI education happen in Spanish without relay through a separate service. That staffing structure keeps the clinical relationship intact from intake through treatment.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Heartland Health Center tests for herpes simplex and both hepatitis A and hepatitis B, and carries vaccines for all three of those hepatitis-linked infections. Identifying hepatitis B status matters directly here because vaccination and follow-up care are available on the same campus.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Lexington Regional Health Center in Lexington pairs same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs with testing on a sliding-scale fee (covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B and C, TB, and HIV) by appointment, with Spanish-language care available throughout.
The panel at Lexington Regional includes herpes and both hepatitis B and hepatitis C alongside the bacterial infections, meaning a single visit can surface conditions that a narrower panel would miss entirely, and that matter for treatment decisions and partner awareness alike.
Many STI testing sites assess PrEP eligibility and then route the prescription to a primary care provider, adding weeks to an urgent start. Lexington Regional prescribes PrEP directly, and PEP is also available, keeping prevention in the same hands as testing.
Spanish-language care at Lexington Regional extends across the clinical encounter: counseling, medication adherence education, and STI prevention conversations happen directly in Spanish, which keeps nuance intact when discussing dosing schedules, PrEP adherence, or prevention strategies.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB on a sliding-scale fee with Medicaid and insurance accepted, and HIV testing carries no charge. Appointments are required, and bacterial STIs can be treated the same visit.
Sliding scale goes all the way to zero at Mary Lanning Healthcare, every service on the menu, from the full panel to counseling to vaccines, is available at no charge. That floor means cost never filters which care someone actually receives.
Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings offers Spanish directly and interpretation services for other languages, which means a patient's full medical history and treatment plan can be communicated with precision. Not summarized or compressed by a language gap.
Many STI clinics test and stop there, leaving prevention prescriptions to a separate provider. Mary Lanning Healthcare writes both PrEP and PEP on-site, so ongoing HIV prevention and post-exposure management are handled by the same clinical team doing the testing.
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
Heartland Health Center - Hastings, in Hastings, carries federal community health center certification: meaning STI screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia is priced on a sliding scale tied to income, so cost adjusts to what each patient can realistically pay. No appointment is needed to be seen.
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 1 mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Kearney, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & up
Best range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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 Buffalo 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.
10 East 31st Street, Kearney, NE 68847
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
804 22nd Avenue, Kearney, NE 68845
CMS-certified lab
2605 2nd Avenue, Kearney, NE 68847
CMS-certified lab
211 West 33 Street, Kearney, NE 68845
CMS-certified lab
804 22nd Avenue, Kearney, NE 68845
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Kearney. 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, 52 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Kearney. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 14 offer telehealth.
Gerald Matzke, MD
Family medicine · 2605 2nd Avenue, Kearney
Earl Larson, MD
Urology · 123 West 31st Street, Kearney
Darya Blednova, MD
Internal medicine · 10 East 31st Street, Kearney
Bhavish Aubeelauck, MD
Internal medicine · 3219 Central Avenue, Kearney
Stephanie Gawel, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 3219 Central Avenue, Kearney
Holly Groteluschen, MD
Family medicine · 211 West 33rd Street, Kearney
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 Kearney, NE 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.
0.1 mi Haeberle's Grand Central Pharmacy
0.1 miMedicap Pharmacy
0.2 miAbc Drug
0.3 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Kearney, NE.
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 Kearney, 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
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
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 Buffalo County, the county that includes Kearney, compare with Nebraska and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~35% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#10 of 93 Nebraska counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 89% of the state
| Infection | Buffalo County | Nebraska | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 420.1 213 cases ▼ 10% | 468.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 25.6 13 cases ▼ 78% | 115.5 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 11.8 6 cases ▲ 13% | 10.4 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 3.9 2 cases ▼ 35% | 6 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 17.8 9 cases ▼ 18% | 21.7 | 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 Buffalo County, chlamydia has risen from 413.3 to 420.1 per 100,000 (2%), gonorrhea has fallen from 69.9 to 25.6 per 100,000 (63%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 6 to 11.8 per 100,000 (97%).
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 Buffalo County.
Local HIV snapshot
Buffalo County HIV care continuum (2023)
Buffalo County recorded 14.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 6 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Buffalo County residents living with HIV, 62.5% are in care · 50% 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 Buffalo County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Kearney carries the look of a settled, rooted city: most households own their homes, values stay modest, and unemployment is low enough that steady work is practically the norm. But beneath that stability, a sizable share of residents are renters paying around $767 a month, and with nearly three-quarters of the adult population in the workforce, days fill up fast. When the people most likely to need STI screening (younger adults still figuring out relationships, many of them students or early-career renters near West 25th Street) are also the ones with the least scheduling flexibility, "I'll get around to it" becomes a longer wait than it should be.
That's the practical reality the testing options on this page are meant to offset. Buffalo County's STI picture reflects what happens in any place with a large under-35 population, and Kearney's share of that group is substantial. The good news is that options here range across hours, fees, and locations: enough variety that most schedules, whether that's a lunch window or a Saturday morning, can find a workable slot without rearranging a week.
Getting there
At 8.58/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Kearney 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 68845 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 68845 area around Kearney: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Kearney alone.
Kearney sits in Buffalo County, ZIP 68845. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Kearney? 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 Buffalo County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Nebraska 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 Kearney-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 Kearney 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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Nebraska 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 NebraskaSource: 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 5 options within a 30-mile drive.
Free at public clinics. Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
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.
Buffalo County reported ~420 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Nebraska average.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In Nebraska, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Use condoms, test regularly, get the HPV and hep B vaccines, and ask about PrEP for HIV.
Yes, sores or ulcers can indicate herpes or syphilis and should be evaluated quickly, ideally while a sore is present.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.