Lakewood, New Jersey residents report gonorrhea at a rate about 87% lower than the national average. Whether you need a one-time test or regular check-ups, consider your priorities in Lakewood, New Jersey: public clinics for affordability, private labs for quick results, or at-home kits for convenience.
Available testing centers
11 testing options are listed for Lakewood, NJ. The nearest, Labcorp, is about 1.2 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.
Lakewood serves residents navigating gaps in coverage or paying out of pocket through its federally qualified health center model, which ties fees to income. Walk-ins are welcome for STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) with no fixed price standing between anyone and a test.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Ocean Health Initiatives Lakewood Site serves Lakewood residents paying out of pocket, between insurance plans, or working around tight budgets. Its federally qualified health center standing ties fees directly to income. Walk-ins are welcome for sliding-scale syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
South Side, in Lakewood, earned its federally qualified designation by committing to income-based fees for everyone who walks in. No appointment needed. Sliding-scale pricing brings syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening within reach regardless of what a patient can pay.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Belz With Address, in Lakewood, welcomes walk-ins for STI screening. No appointment needed. Federal qualification ties its fees to a sliding scale based on income, so a single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing at a cost that adjusts to what you actually earn.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Chemed, in Lakewood, earned its federally qualified designation by committing to serve anyone regardless of ability to pay: making it a natural fit for patients between providers, paying cash, or working with a tight budget. Sliding-scale fees apply to syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Westgate, in Lakewood, earns its federal health center designation by anchoring STI care for people paying out of pocket, between providers, or working without insurance coverage. Sliding-scale fees adjust to income, and walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening without an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Ohi Brick Township, in Brick, earned its federally qualified designation by tying fees directly to patient income. Meaning cost scales down rather than standing as a barrier. Walk-in STI screening covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with no appointment needed.
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 1 mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Lakewood, 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 Ocean 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.
3 Plaza Drive, Toms River, NJ 08757
CMS-certified lab
712 East Bay Avenue, Manahawkin, NJ 08050
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 2 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Lakewood. 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, 1,483 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Lakewood. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 534 offer telehealth.
Kiritkumar Pandya, MD
Urology · 900 Rt 70, Lakewood
Susan Meller, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 485 River Avenue, Lakewood
Steven San Filippo, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 500 River Avenue, Lakewood
Micah May, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 500 River Avenue, Lakewood
Akshay Patel, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 600 River Avenue, Lakewood
Saima Mili, MD
Internal medicine · 600 River Avenue, Lakewood
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 Lakewood, NJ 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.
Home Health Pharmacy
1.9 miMedicine to Go Pharmacies
2.2 miWestgate Pharmacy
2.9 mi
2.9 mi 
3.1 mi 
3.4 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Lakewood, NJ.
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 Lakewood, 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 Ocean County, the county that includes Lakewood, compare with New Jersey and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~31% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#19 of 21 New Jersey counties for chlamydia, among the lowest in the state
| Infection | Ocean County | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 174 1,147 cases ▼ 55% | 384.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 23.7 156 cases ▼ 78% | 109.1 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 2.3 15 cases ▼ 72% | 8.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 3.2 21 cases ▼ 69% | 10.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 4.2 28 cases ▼ 74% | 16 | 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 Ocean County, chlamydia has risen from 164 to 174 per 100,000 (6%), gonorrhea has fallen from 33.3 to 23.7 per 100,000 (29%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 2.8 to 2.3 per 100,000 (18%).
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 Ocean County.
Local HIV snapshot
Ocean County HIV care continuum (2023)
Ocean County recorded 4.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 11.9 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Ocean County residents living with HIV, 80.7% 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 Ocean County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Cedar Bridge Avenue cuts through a Lakewood that organizes itself around large, close-knit households, with an average family running well over five people under one roof. That scale shapes how health decisions get made here: schedules are dense, transportation is often shared, and a medical appointment for one person frequently has to fit around the logistics of several others. With just over half of adults married and households tending toward multigenerational or large-family arrangements, getting to a clinic is rarely a solo errand planned on a quiet afternoon. The ownership split in Lakewood sits nearly even, but roughly half of residents rent at costs that leave limited room in a monthly budget for unexpected care.
With nearly a quarter of households clearing six figures but a meaningful share of the labor force not currently working, income varies sharply across neighborhoods like Spruce Gardens and South Lakewood. For younger adults still building relationships and navigating early independence, those cost realities matter: a test that carries a fee, or a clinic that requires a drive out along US 9 toward another town, can stay unscheduled for months. Ocean County's STI figures reflect trends that track closely with young adults in their late teens and twenties, the years when infections are most common and least expected. For someone living in Lakewood, staying current with screening is one way to stay ahead of what those county numbers represent at the neighborhood level.
Getting there
At 9.25/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Lakewood 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.
Lakewood sits in Ocean County, ZIP 8701. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Lakewood? 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 Ocean County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under New Jersey 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 Lakewood-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 Lakewood 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey, a minor can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment at any age, and to HIV testing at age 13 or older; a provider may notify a parent, and must do so where sexual assault is involved.
New Jersey 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 New JerseySource: 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, Point Pleasant, NJ is close; compare it by distance against Labcorp.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
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 174 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the New Jersey average.
In New Jersey, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
A retest around 3 months after treatment is recommended for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
The sore can disappear on its own even though the infection remains; only testing confirms it's gone.
Screening checks when you have no symptoms; diagnostic testing confirms a cause when you do. The lab tests are often the same.
HPV and hepatitis B vaccines prevent those infections, ask a provider if you're due.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.