Anderson County reports about 17 syphilis cases per 100,000 residents, so regular testing might be important, whether you're starting a new relationship or managing ongoing care in Lake City, Tennessee. Overcoming any reluctance to ask questions in person can be easier than testing yourself, but you can do the latter on your personal schedule. See the options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Lake City, TN. The nearest, River Valley Health, is about 5.9 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.
River Valley Health in Clinton runs on a sliding-scale fee structure with Medicaid and private insurance accepted, making the full panel (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB) available across income levels. Appointments are required; bacterial STIs are treated the same visit.
River Valley Health carries both PrEP and PEP as ongoing clinical services: meaning the prescribing, follow-up lab work, and medication management happen here, not through a separate provider. For someone without a regular doctor who needs consistent PrEP coverage or has an uninsured medication cost, the sliding-scale fee applies to the full course of care.
Hepatitis C treatment at River Valley Health is a fully staffed clinical service: antiviral medications are prescribed, viral load is monitored through follow-up labs, and the treatment course is managed by the clinic's own providers. Nothing in that sequence is handed off elsewhere.
River Valley Health in Clinton maintains interpretation services as part of the visit structure: meaning the clinician-patient exchange during counseling, test review, and medication instruction happens through a staffed interpreter integrated into the appointment, not as an add-on arranged after the fact.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Tennessee Department of Health in Jacksboro operates through a public health department, which means the standard bacterial STI panel (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis) plus HIV and hepatitis C testing all run through a single appointment, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, on a sliding scale, at no cost.
Fee schedules and sliding-scale minimums still leave a balance at most clinics. Tennessee Department of Health in Jacksboro charges nothing, not for testing, not for treatment, not for vaccines. Every line on the service list carries the same price: zero.
Plenty of testing sites confirm a hepatitis C antibody and hand the outcome back to the patient to sort out next steps alone. Tennessee Department of Health in Jacksboro manages hepatitis C treatment directly, the diagnosis and the care that follows it stay with the same provider.
Skip hepatitis screening and a positive result found months later means a second appointment, a second provider, and time already lost. Tennessee Department of Health in Jacksboro tests for hepatitis C alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, so that gap doesn't open in the first place.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Community Health of East Inc. in La Follette welcomes walk-ins for STI screening, no appointment needed. Federal qualification under the FQHC program anchors a sliding-scale fee structure tied to income, covering syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing in 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 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Lake City, 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 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 Anderson 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.
109 Meco Lane, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
CMS-certified lab
990 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
200 New York Ave Suite #200, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Lake City. 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, 611 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Lake City. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 148 offer telehealth.
Wendy May, MD
Family medicine · 2681 Andersonville Highway, Clinton
Emily Lynch, DO
Family medicine · 140 John Mcghee Boulevard, Caryville
Jose Malagon, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 102 South Charles G Seivers Boulevard, Clinton
Mark Hennessy, MD
OB-GYN · 109 Independence Lane, La Follette
John Burrell, MD
Family medicine · 130 Independence Lane, La Follette
Thomas Robbins, DO
Family medicine · 2212 Jacksboro Pike, La Follette
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 Lake City, TN 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.
Corner Drugs
0.4 mi
5.3 mi 
5.7 mi Clinton Drug Store
7.5 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Lake City, TN.
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 Lake City, 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
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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 Anderson County, the county that includes Lake City, compare with Tennessee and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~25% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#44 of 95 Tennessee counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 54% of the state
| Infection | Anderson County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 284.2 228 cases ▼ 45% | 517.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 69.8 56 cases ▼ 63% | 186.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 17.4 14 cases ▲ 18% | 14.8 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 6.2 5 cases ▼ 46% | 11.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 7.5 6 cases ▼ 72% | 26.4 | 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 Anderson County, chlamydia has fallen from 351.4 to 284.2 per 100,000 (19%), gonorrhea has fallen from 129.7 to 69.8 per 100,000 (46%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 5.2 to 17.4 per 100,000 (235%).
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 Anderson County.
Local HIV snapshot
Anderson County HIV care continuum (2023)
Anderson County recorded 11.7 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Anderson County residents living with HIV, 69.3% are in care · 65.3% 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 Anderson County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Sun Butte rises just east of town, a quiet backdrop to a community where most households rent rather than own, and where fewer than one in three adults is married. That mix, renters sharing space in households that average just over three people, shapes how health decisions get together here. A visit to a clinic isn't usually a solo calendar item; it fits around shared schedules, shared transportation, and tight budgets. At $473 a month in typical rent, there isn't much slack for unexpected costs, and with a large share of working-age residents outside the labor force entirely, the week rarely follows a predictable nine-to-five pattern. Those two realities, cost pressure and irregular hours, are exactly why the options listed on this page matter more than a generic online search.
Young adults in their late teens and twenties make up a meaningful portion of Lake City's population, and they are the years when new partnerships and shifting living situations make routine screening genuinely useful rather than merely precautionary. US 25W runs through town as both Norris Freeway access and the local Main Avenue corridor, and several of the listed options sit within a reasonable drive along that route.
Anderson County's STI figures reflect patterns common to smaller Tennessee communities with constrained incomes and limited specialist access. For someone living here, keeping current on screening is less about alarm and more about staying ahead of conditions that spread quietly and treat easily when caught early.
Getting there
At 5.39/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Lake City 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 37769 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 37769 area around Lake City: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Lake City alone.
Lake City sits in Anderson County, ZIP 37769. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Lake City? 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 Anderson County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Tennessee 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 Lake City-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 Lake City 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Tennessee 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 TennesseeSource: 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.
Possibly, Clinton, TN is close; compare it by distance against River Valley Health.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
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 284 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Tennessee average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Tennessee, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 37769; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
It's reassuring, but if you tested early in the window period, retest a few weeks later to be sure.
Medical records are protected under federal HIPAA law, ask the clinic how it handles your information.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.