The percentage of reported syphilis cases in Bertie County runs about 12% higher than the US average.For a one-time concern or regular check-ups in Kelford, North Carolina, some clinics take walk-ins for same-day testing, while labs and at-home kits let you plan around your own time. Compare your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Kelford, NC. The nearest, Lewiston Commmunity Health CTR, is about 4.9 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.
Lewiston Community Health Center in Lewiston carries federal FQHC designation, which means fees slide with your income and no one is turned away for inability to pay. Walk-ins are welcome for STI screening that covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Rural Health Group, a rural health clinic in Rich Square, weaves STI care into the broader rhythm of primary care: the standard panel, sliding-scale fees, and same-visit bacterial treatment are all here, by appointment, with Spanish-language services on-site.
Plenty of clinics offer care that technically reaches Spanish speakers, through scheduling workarounds or third-party arrangements that slow everything down. At Rural Health Group in Rich Square, Spanish is a direct clinical capability, meaning the conversation about symptoms, history, and treatment happens without a delay built into the middle of it.
Rural Health Group prescribes PrEP, Truvada or Descovy, and manages the ongoing HIV and kidney-function monitoring the regimen requires. That continuity of prescribing and follow-up within one practice means the prevention plan doesn't depend on coordinating across separate providers.
A gonorrhea-chlamydia-syphilis-HIV panel leaves herpes and hepatitis untested, which means a diagnosis delayed or a second appointment elsewhere if those concerns surface after the fact. Rural Health Group's panel in Rich Square extends to herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C, so the full picture comes from a single visit.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
A safety-net federally qualified health center about 8 miles from Kelford. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
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 5 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Kelford, 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 value: single tests
$49 & 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 Bertie 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.
1403 South King Street, Windsor, NC 27983
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Kelford. 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, 88 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Kelford. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 19 offer telehealth.
John Pickett, DO
Family medicine · 300 North Main Street, Rich Square
Semaan El Khoury, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 114 Hollowell Road, Aulander
Robert Cooke, MD
OB-GYN · 700 A Academy Street South, Ahoskie
Chidebe Udeozo, MD
Family medicine · 500 Academy Street South, Ahoskie
Mary Chester Wasko, MD
Internal medicine · 120 Health Ctr Drive, Ahoskie
Pierre Selwane, MD
Internal medicine · 608 Academy South Street, Ahoskie
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 Kelford, 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.
Futrell Pharmacy Service
7.2 miMcDowell's Pharmacy
12 miKerr Drug
12 miGWM Enterprises
15 mi
15 mi Mizelle's Discount Drug
15 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Kelford, 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 Kelford, 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 Bertie County, the county that includes Kelford, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~18% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#11 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 89% of the state
| Infection | Bertie County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 957.3 162 cases ▲ 57% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 390 66 cases ▲ 60% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 17.7 3 cases ▼ 11% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 23.6 4 cases ▲ 49% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 47.3 8 cases ▲ 97% | 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 Bertie County, chlamydia has risen from 752.8 to 957.3 per 100,000 (27%), gonorrhea has risen from 368 to 390 per 100,000 (6%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 11.2 to 17.7 per 100,000 (58%).
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 Bertie County.
Local HIV snapshot
Bertie County HIV care continuum (2021)
Bertie County recorded 32.5 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2021), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Bertie County residents living with HIV, 85.3% are in care · 76% 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 Bertie County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Roxobel-Kelford School anchors the residential stretch where many of Kelford's families, averaging well over three people per household, have put down roots as owners rather than renters. That stability is real, but it coexists with a labor market where participation is notably low and unemployment runs higher than most of North Carolina, meaning the adults who are working often piece together hours across multiple jobs or irregular shifts that leave little room for appointments that require advance planning. Those constraints land hardest on younger adults still figuring out relationships, careers, and health coverage. Precisely the people for whom routine screening matters most and delays carry the greatest cost.
With home values well below state norms and fewer than one in ten households bringing in six figures, the affordable and sliding-scale options listed on this page aren't a bonus feature; for many Kelford residents they're the determining factor. Bertie County's STI picture makes the case for not waiting. Whether you're near the school end of town or farther out, there's a realistic path to getting screened.
Getting there
At 2.84/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Kelford 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 27847 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 27847 area around Kelford: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Kelford alone.
Kelford sits in Bertie County, ZIP 27847. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Kelford? 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 Bertie 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 Kelford-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 Kelford 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.
The closest is Lewiston Commmunity Health CTR (4.9 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, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 957 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the North Carolina average.
In North Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
With consistent treatment, HIV can become undetectable in the blood, and undetectable means it can't be sexually transmitted (U=U).
Some HPV types can lead to cervical and other cancers over time, which is why screening and the HPV vaccine matter.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.