Hamilton County reports about 192 gonorrhea cases per 100,000 residents, near the US average. If you need STI testing in Lakesite, Tennessee, whether routine or after potential exposure, there are three main options. Public clinics keep costs down, while private labs aim to quickly return results, and at-home kits offer convenience without a clinic visit.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Lakesite, TN. The nearest, Erlanger Health System, is about 4.0 miles away. Compare community and public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits below.
Erlanger Health System in Soddy-Daisy requires an appointment, so scheduling ahead is the move, but that visit covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, and hepatitis testing, same-visit bacterial treatment, HPV and hepatitis vaccines, and sliding-scale fees for everyone.
Plenty of clinics can hand off a translated form or patch in a remote voice, but the clinical conversation itself stays in English. At Erlanger Health System in Soddy-Daisy, Spanish-language care runs through the actual visit (history, results, treatment options) so nothing critical gets flattened in translation.
For someone without a regular provider who needs a complete picture rather than a partial one, Erlanger Health System in Soddy-Daisy carries herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C testing in addition to the core four. Meaning a single appointment can surface infections that a narrower panel would simply miss.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department in Ooltewah tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, treating bacterial infections the same visit when results warrant it. Fees follow a sliding scale, insurance and Medicaid are accepted, and an appointment is required. Spanish-language care is available.
Staff at this clinic provide care in Spanish, which means diagnosis, treatment, and counseling happen in the same language: no lag, no mediated step between what a provider says and what a patient understands and can act on.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, this clinic runs hepatitis C antibody testing as part of its panel, and hepatitis A and B vaccines are stocked and administered on-site. That means a single appointment can close gaps in both diagnosis and immunization without a second stop.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Fast Access Healthcare in Chattanooga tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C on a sliding-scale fee with insurance and Medicaid accepted; walk-ins are welcome, and bacterial STIs can be treated the same visit.
Fast Access Healthcare carries PrEP for ongoing HIV prevention, PEP for post-exposure HIV management, and DoxyPEP, the doxycycline regimen shown to cut bacterial STI transmission, all prescribed and supported in-house. Having all three means a prevention plan can be built around a person's actual pattern of exposure, not around which drugs a given clinic happens to stock.
Leaving herpes or hepatitis A, B, or C off a panel means a second appointment, a second wait, and a gap where an answer should be. Fast Access Healthcare in Chattanooga closes that gap by including all three hepatitis types plus herpes alongside the core bacterial and HIV tests. One visit, one complete picture.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · 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 about 4 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Lakesite, 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 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 Hamilton 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.
2051 Hamill Road, Hixson, TN 37343
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
9402 Reco Drive, Soddy Daisy, TN 37379
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
4976 Alpha Lane, Hixson, TN 37343
CMS-certified lab
2051 Hamill Road, Suite 103, Hixson, TN 37343
CMS-certified lab
1035 Executive Drive, Hixson, TN 37343
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Lakesite. 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, 440 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Lakesite. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 78 offer telehealth.
Yuri Mcclendon, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 9448 Dayton Pike, Soddy Daisy
Magdalena Kowalski, MD
Family medicine · 2177 Northpoint Boulevard, Hixson
Jason Horinouchi, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 1021 Executive Drive, Hixson
Keith Weaver, DO Telehealth
General practice · 1013 Executive Drive, Hixson
Shevonda Sherrow, MD
OB-GYN · 2158 Northgate Park Lane, Chattanooga
Richard Pigg, MD
Family medicine · 2051 Hamill Road, Hixson
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 Lakesite, 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.
0.9 mi Food City Pharmacy
1.1 mi
3.0 mi Epharma Direct
3.4 mi
4.0 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Lakesite, 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 Lakesite, 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 Hamilton County, the county that includes Lakesite, compare with Tennessee and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~21% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#11 of 95 Tennessee counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 88% of the state
| Infection | Hamilton County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 572.6 2,175 cases ▲ 11% | 517.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 192.4 731 cases ▲ 3% | 186.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 40 152 cases ▲ 170% | 14.8 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 13.7 52 cases ▲ 19% | 11.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 24.7 94 cases ▼ 6% | 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 Hamilton County, chlamydia has fallen from 621 to 572.6 per 100,000 (8%), gonorrhea has fallen from 308 to 192.4 per 100,000 (38%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 7.6 to 40 per 100,000 (426%).
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 Hamilton County.
Local HIV snapshot
Hamilton County HIV care continuum (2023)
Hamilton County recorded 14.3 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Hamilton County residents living with HIV, 85.5% are in care · 55.7% 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 Hamilton County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Hamilton County Park anchors Lakesite's quieter eastern edge, and the daily rhythm here reflects a community that is largely settled in: most households own their homes, more than half of adults are married, and the average household runs close to three people. That stability shapes how health decisions get made: care tends to be planned around family schedules, not squeezed between roommate shifts or a landlord's lease cycle. That domestic groundedness doesn't remove the need for regular STI screening, it just changes what "convenient" has to look like. For younger adults still building relationships and navigating sexual health for the first time, that distance is exactly where routine intentions stall.
The options listed on this page span clinics in and around the broader Hamilton County area, keeping residents from having to travel far into Chattanooga for what should be a straightforward appointment. With roughly three in five residents in the labor force and unemployment low, much of Lakesite is working steady hours. Meaning mid-week midday slots often aren't realistic. Several of the listed options carry evening or weekend availability, which is less a perk than a practical prerequisite for a town where showing up means planning a trip, not a walk.
Getting there
At 5.84/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Lakesite 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 37343 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 37343 area around Lakesite: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Lakesite alone.
Lakesite sits in Hamilton County, ZIP 37343. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Lakesite? 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 Hamilton 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 Lakesite-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 Lakesite 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.
The closest is Erlanger Health System (4 mi); 7 options are within 30 miles.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
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 573 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Tennessee average.
In Tennessee, 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.
Public health clinics, family-planning clinics, and many school or campus health centers test teens and young adults, often free.
That's a myth; STIs need sexual contact to spread, not surfaces.
Community health centers and family-planning clinics serve all patients, and many offer LGBTQ-affirming care, ask the site directly.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.