Gonorrhea rates in Cowlitz County are about 56% lower than the US average but getting tested remains important for a one-time concern or regular check-ups in Kelso, Washington. Clinics might bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees as opposed to many private labs that let you pay a flat self-pay price. Find your options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Kelso, WA. The nearest, Grade Street Campus, is about 1.5 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.
Grade Street Campus in Kelso meets patients who are uninsured, paying out of pocket, or simply between providers by anchoring STI care to a federally qualified sliding-scale fee structure. Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening adjust to income, so cost stays proportional to what each person can actually pay.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Sea Mar CHC - Kelso Allen St. in Kelso, welcomes walk-ins for STI screening without an appointment. Federal qualification backs a sliding-scale fee structure tied to income, covering syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing in a single visit. Making same-day care a practical option for anyone who needs it.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
FHC Kelso Clinic in Kelso carries federal qualification as a community health center, 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
A public STD-testing site about 2 miles from Kelso.
Languages
American Sign Language, English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
831 LV in Longview welcomes walk-ins for STI screening, meaning no appointment stands between a patient and same-day testing. Federal qualification anchors sliding-scale fees tied to income, keeping syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening within reach across a single visit.
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 2 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Kelso, 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 Cowlitz 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.
1706 Washington Way, Longview, WA 98632
CMS-certified lab
1230 7th Avenue, Longview, WA 98632
CMS-certified lab
1338 Commerce Ave Suite 106, Longview, WA 98632
CMS-certified lab
1815 Hudson Street, Longview, WA 98632
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 4 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Kelso. 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, 252 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Kelso. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 36 offer telehealth.
Anthony Reyes, MD
Family medicine · 300 Oak St B, Kelso
Simon Fensterszaub, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 917 7th Avenue, Longview
Megan Sturdy, DO
Internal medicine · 917 7th Avenue, Longview
Sadia Yousaf, MD
Internal medicine · 1230 7th Avenue, Longview
Chad Chesley, MD
Urology · 625 9th Avenue, Longview
John Richards, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 1106 Douglas Street, Longview
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 Kelso, WA 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.
Kaiser Permanente Longview Kelso Pharmacy
1.9 mi
2.0 mi 
2.3 mi Genoa Healthcare
2.3 miMedical Arts Pharmacy
2.4 mi
2.4 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Kelso, WA.
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 Kelso, 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 $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
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
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 Cowlitz County, the county that includes Kelso, compare with Washington and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~29% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#16 of 39 Washington counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 59% of the state
| Infection | Cowlitz County | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 334 377 cases ▼ 6% | 354.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 79.7 90 cases ▼ 39% | 129.6 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 11.5 13 cases ▼ 46% | 21.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 7.1 8 cases ▼ 43% | 12.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 8.9 10 cases ▼ 61% | 22.9 | 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 Cowlitz County, chlamydia has fallen from 357.6 to 334 per 100,000 (7%), gonorrhea has risen from 56.9 to 79.7 per 100,000 (40%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 4.5 to 11.5 per 100,000 (156%).
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 Cowlitz County.
Local HIV snapshot
Cowlitz County HIV care continuum (2023)
Cowlitz County recorded 10.5 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 6.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Cowlitz County residents living with HIV, 86.3% are in care · 75.3% 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 Cowlitz County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Kelso households tend to run large and close-knit, when one person decides to get tested, that decision often ripples through a shared home. With average households well above two people and a meaningful share of residents who are married, health choices here are frequently made together or at least in earshot of each other, which can be both a motivator and a source of hesitation. That hesitation gets compounded by the practical texture of daily life. Roughly half of residents rent at rates that, while modest by regional standards, still leave little room in the monthly budget for an unplanned clinic visit, and with unemployment running notably higher than state averages, that budget pressure is real for a substantial slice of the workforce.
Most trips in Kelso require a car, so getting to a clinic along Tennant Way or down Allen Street means coordinating schedules, not just stepping outside. For people in their late teens and twenties, the years when STIs spread most readily, those small logistical hurdles have a way of compounding until the appointment never gets made. The testing options listed on this page exist precisely to shrink those hurdles: sliding-scale fees, varied hours, and locations spread across West Kelso and near Longview Junction mean residents can usually find something that doesn't require burning a vacation day or crossing the Lewis and Clark Bridge for care.
Getting there
At 10.43/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Kelso 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 98632 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 98632 area around Kelso: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Kelso alone.
Kelso sits in Cowlitz County, ZIP 98632. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Kelso? 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 Cowlitz County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Washington 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 Kelso-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 Kelso 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 Washington 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 Washington, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Washington 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 WashingtonSource: 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 Sea Mar CHC - Kelso Allen St. (1.5 mi); 7 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.
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 334 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Washington average.
In Washington, 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.
Likely yes, if you were past the window period; otherwise retest, and keep up routine screening with new partners.
A urine sample or a swab (genital, throat, or rectal) detects gonorrhea, often tested alongside chlamydia.
Roughly 3–6 weeks after exposure for a dependable syphilis blood test.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.