Syphilis rates in Scott County are reported to be about 54% lower than the US average. If you're in Lake, Mississippi, and either have symptoms or just want peace of mind about your sexual health, you have choices. Community and public clinics typically offer low-cost or free testing, while private labs may provide faster results and more scheduling flexibility. See your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Lake, MS. The nearest, Scott Regional Medical Center, is about 0.4 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.
A public safety-net rural health clinic in Lake. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A safety-net rural health clinic about 9 miles from Lake. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Mississippi State Department of Health in Forest runs STI care through a public health department framework, pairing gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing with same-visit bacterial treatment, HPV and hepatitis A/B vaccines, and a sliding-scale fee structure. Appointments required.
When cost is the reason someone delays care, a treatable bacterial infection becomes a longer problem. Mississippi State Department of Health in Forest charges nothing for its services (testing, treatment, vaccines) so the bill that might have pushed a visit to next month simply doesn't exist.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · 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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Lake, 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 Scott 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.
317 Hwy 13 South, Morton, MS 39117
CMS-certified lab
1488 Highway 487, Sebastopol, MS 39359
CMS-certified lab
330 North Broad Street, Forest, MS 39074
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Lake. 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, 24 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Lake. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 2 offer telehealth.
Matthew Bentley, DO
Internal medicine · 330 North Broad Street, Forest
John Coleman, MD
Internal medicine · 1123 Hwy 35 South, Forest
Don Gibson, MD
Family medicine · 505 Airport Road, Forest
Samuel Olaleye, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 9421 Eastside Dr Ext, Newton
Hollie Sappington, MD
Family medicine · 252 Northside Drive, Newton
Carrie Allen, MD
Family medicine · 14884 Hwy 15, Decatur
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, MS 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.
8.7 mi Mr Discount Drugs of Forest
8.8 miForest Family Pharmacy
9.0 mi
9.3 mi Showing the 4 closest pharmacies to Lake, MS.
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, 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
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
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 Scott County, the county that includes Lake, compare with Mississippi 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.
#43 of 82 Mississippi counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 48% of the state
| Infection | Scott County | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 625.3 172 cases ▼ 11% | 700.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 199.9 55 cases ▼ 20% | 251.1 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 7.3 2 cases ▼ 76% | 30.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 14.5 4 cases ▼ 11% | 16.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 65.4 18 cases ▲ 1% | 64.8 | 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 Scott County, chlamydia has fallen from 968.2 to 625.3 per 100,000 (35%), gonorrhea has fallen from 550.2 to 199.9 per 100,000 (64%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 50 to 7.3 per 100,000 (85%).
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 Scott County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Mississippi is one of the U.S. jurisdictions prioritized under the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative: targeted federal funding to expand local HIV testing, PrEP, and prevention.
Scott County HIV care continuum (2023)
Scott County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 21.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Scott County residents living with HIV, 67% are in care · 53.4% 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 Scott County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Diamond Hill sits quiet on most mornings, and for residents who need STI screening, that quiet extends to the options: none of the clinics listed here are located in Lake itself, meaning every appointment requires planning a drive out of Scott County. That drive lands differently depending on where someone sits in Lake's economic picture. With unemployment running high and just over half the adult population currently in the workforce, scheduling around a shift, or around the unpredictability of not having one, shapes whether a test actually happens. Rent here stays well below state averages, which eases one pressure, but households still tend to be larger than the national norm, and when a car is shared among three or four people, a weekday trip to a clinic the next town over takes real coordination.
The young adults who make up a meaningful slice of Lake's population (people in their late teens and twenties, the years when STI exposure is statistically most common) often carry the most irregular schedules and the fewest backup options for transportation. The clinics listed on this page vary in hours and fees, and some offer evening or Saturday availability that sidesteps the weekday-only problem. For someone leaving Bald Hill on a Saturday morning, that scheduling flexibility may be the only thing that makes the drive worth attempting.
Getting there
At 3.12/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Lake 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 39092 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 39092 area around Lake: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Lake alone.
Lake sits in Scott County, ZIP 39092. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Lake? 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 Scott County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Mississippi 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-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 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Mississippi 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 MississippiSource: 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 Scott Regional Medical Center (0.4 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, Mississippi State Department of Health (9 mi) offers free testing, and public clinics serve the uninsured.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 625 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Mississippi average.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
In Mississippi, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
HPV and hepatitis B vaccines prevent those infections, ask a provider if you're due.
Yes, test after the window period, and if HIV exposure is a concern, ask about PEP within 72 hours.
Syphilis is found with a simple blood test; a reactive screen is confirmed with a second blood test.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.