Syphilis in Highlands County reported about 47% lower than the US average. In Lake Placid, Florida, whether you're starting a new relationship or maintaining regular care, consider both local clinics and private labs for STD testing. Clinics typically cost less, whereas private labs usually offer quicker results and more flexible hours. See options listed below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Lake Placid, FL. The nearest, Sun 'n Lake Medical Group, is about 0.1 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 safety-net rural health clinic in Lake Placid. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Florida Department of Health in Highlands County, Lake Placid requires an appointment, and that single scheduled visit covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, and hepatitis testing, same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, sliding-scale fees for everyone, and care delivered in Spanish.
When STI care requires a second trip to reach someone who speaks Spanish, the interval between test and treatment widens, and treatment gets delayed or skipped. At Florida Department of Health in Highlands County, Spanish-language care is part of the visit itself, so nothing falls into that gap.
Florida Department of Health in Highlands County carries herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C testing on top of the core four, which matters most for anyone without a regular provider who needs a complete picture in one appointment. Sliding-scale fees apply to the full panel, not just the basics.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A safety-net rural health clinic in Lake Placid. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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 Placid, 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 Highlands 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.
1210 US Hwy 27 North, Lake Placid, FL 33852
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
727 US Hwy 27 South, Sebring, FL 33870
CMS-certified lab
3200 Medical Way, Sebring, FL 33870
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Lake Placid. 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, 75 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Lake Placid. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 20 offer telehealth.
Neil Shechtman, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 316 West Interlake Boulevard, Lake Placid
Bi Ang Zheng, MD
Family medicine · 201 US 27, Lake Placid
Antonio Roa, MD
Family medicine · 201 US 27, Lake Placid
Alberto Sabucedo, MD
Internal medicine · 1210 US Hwy 27 North, Lake Placid
Mina Bhatt, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 121 Health Way, Lake Placid
Ian Boykin, MD
Internal medicine · 7205 South George Boulevard, Sebring
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 Placid, FL 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.
Shamrock Pharmacy
0.3 miLake Placid Drugs
0.5 miHeartland Pharmacy
0.7 mi
0.8 mi 
0.8 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Lake Placid, FL.
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 Placid, 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
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
$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
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 Highlands County, the county that includes Lake Placid, compare with Florida and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~23% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#48 of 67 Florida counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 28% of the state
| Infection | Highlands County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 303.9 327 cases ▼ 39% | 498.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 79 85 cases ▼ 62% | 206.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 8.4 9 cases ▼ 56% | 19.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 7.4 8 cases ▼ 71% | 25.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 16.7 18 cases ▼ 56% | 37.7 | 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 Highlands County, chlamydia has fallen from 314.1 to 303.9 per 100,000 (3%), gonorrhea has fallen from 128.4 to 79 per 100,000 (38%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 6.9 to 8.4 per 100,000 (22%).
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 Highlands County.
Local HIV snapshot
Highlands County HIV care continuum (2023)
Highlands County recorded 16.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 22.7 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Highlands County residents living with HIV, 81.5% are in care · 74.1% 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 Highlands County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Lake Placid sits on the southern shore of the lake that gives it its name, a body of water that has anchored the town since its founding and remains central to its identity. That sense of rootedness carries into how residents approach health decisions. Testing for sexually transmitted infections in and around Lake Placid happens at clinics listed on this page, where confidentiality is built into every step, not added as an afterthought. For young adults navigating relationships and work, knowing where to turn for discreet screening removes a genuine barrier.
Households here often span generations under one roof, which can make privacy feel precious. The town's modest economy means that cost matters, and affordability in testing can be the difference between someone getting screened and someone putting it off. Clinics serving Lake Placid understand both realities. What sets testing here apart is the straightforward approach: residents can walk in, get answers, and leave without their neighbors knowing they were there.
Devane Park and Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park are places where the community gathers openly; testing sites offer the opposite kind of space, one where you control who knows what. That choice, quiet and reliable, is what makes screening accessible to the people who need it most.
Getting there
At 4.39/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Lake Placid 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 33852 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 33852 area around Lake Placid: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Lake Placid alone.
Lake Placid sits in Highlands County, ZIP 33852. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Lake Placid? 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 Highlands County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Florida 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 Placid-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 Placid 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 Florida 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 Florida, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Florida 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 FloridaSource: 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.
Yes, several local labs offer same-day walk-in testing; best to call first.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
Public clinics serve people without insurance, often on a sliding scale.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Highlands County reported ~304 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Florida average.
In Florida, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Reputable kits use the same lab methods as clinics; any positive should be confirmed and treated by a provider.
Untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and fertility problems, caught early, it's cured with antibiotics.
Usually urine or a swab for chlamydia/gonorrhea, and blood for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis.
Go to an ER or call RAINN (800-656-4673); they provide testing, PEP, and support right away.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.