Syphilis rates in Leake County are roughly 70% lower than the US average. If you're starting a new relationship or managing ongoing care in Lena, Mississippi, consider your priorities: public clinics can be affordable, private labs may be faster, and at-home kits skip the clinic visit, perhaps at the cost of convenience. Review your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Lena, MS. The nearest, East Central Mississippi Health Care, is about 7.8 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.
East Central Mississippi Health Care in Walnut Grove tests for gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, chlamydia, and HIV, treating bacterial infections the same visit on a sliding-scale fee accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance. Appointments are required. HPV and hepatitis A and B vaccines are available on-site, as is substance-use treatment.
East Central Mississippi Health Care carries a substance-use treatment program within the same clinical structure as its STI services. That integration means a single care relationship can address both conditions without separate enrollment, separate providers, or separate scheduling tracks.
The clinic's panel includes herpes testing beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, which matters because herpes status directly shapes how clinicians counsel on transmission risk and whether suppressive therapy becomes part of a patient's ongoing plan.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jun 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A safety-net rural health clinic about 8 miles from Lena. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
G. A. Carmichael Family Health Center in Carthage welcomes walk-ins for STI screening, no appointment needed. Sliding-scale fees, tied to income, apply to federally qualified health center services. A single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing in one stop.
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 8 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Lena, 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 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 Leake 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.
1071 East Franklin Street, Carthage, MS 39051
CMS-certified lab
1100 Hwy 16 East, Carthage, MS 39051
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 Lena. 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, 32 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Lena. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 3 offer telehealth.
Timothy Alford, MD
Family medicine · 300 B South Pearl Street, Carthage
Manuel Ong, MD
Internal medicine · 1100 Hwy 16 East, Carthage
Gloria Graham, MD
Family medicine · 1488 Hwy 487, Sebastopol
Jasmeet Kaur, DO
Internal medicine · 347 South 4th Street, Morton
Matthew Bentley, DO
Internal medicine · 330 North Broad Street, Forest
Don Gibson, MD
Family medicine · 505 Airport Road, Forest
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 Lena, 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.
Moore's Pharmacy Lena
0.4 miMoore's Pharmacy
8.0 mi
9.5 mi 
10 mi Carthage Quick Care Pharmacy
10 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Lena, 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 Lena, 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
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
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 Leake County, the county that includes Lena, compare with Mississippi and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~28% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#17 of 82 Mississippi counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 79% of the state
| Infection | Leake County | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 940.8 200 cases ▲ 34% | 700.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 338.7 72 cases ▲ 35% | 251.1 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 4.7 1 cases ▼ 84% | 30.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 9.4 2 cases ▼ 42% | 16.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 32.9 7 cases ▼ 49% | 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 Leake County, chlamydia has risen from 921.3 to 940.8 per 100,000 (2%), gonorrhea has fallen from 521.7 to 338.7 per 100,000 (35%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 51.7 to 4.7 per 100,000 (91%).
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 Leake 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.
Leake County HIV care continuum (2023)
Among Leake County residents living with HIV, 77.1% are in care · 62.9% 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 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 Leake County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Many young adults land in Lena because family roots run deep here, or because work in construction, forestry, or small manufacturing keeps them anchored to Leake County. That stability matters, but it also means word travels fast in a town where people recognize faces at the grocery store and church. STI testing in and around Lena listed on this page serves people who need medical care without broadcasting it to everyone they know. Confidentiality isn't abstract in a place this size.
Clinics and health centers understand that a positive result, a routine screening, or even the act of walking through a particular door can become neighborhood conversation. That reality shapes how testing works here: providers are accustomed to serving people who value discretion alongside accuracy, and they handle each visit with that tension in mind. Testing availability spans the area accessible from MS 13 (Canton Avenue) and MS 13 (Grand Avenue), with choices that let you pick a location and timing that fit your life rather than amplify your anxiety. Whether you're due for a routine check or have a specific concern, the clinics and urgent-care settings listed here can get you answers without the added stress of feeling exposed in your own community.
Getting there
At 3.23/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Lena 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 39094 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 39094 area around Lena: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Lena alone.
Lena sits in Leake County, ZIP 39094. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Lena? 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 Leake 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 Lena-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 Lena 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.
Forest, MS is a nearby town with options, the listing shows each one's distance so you can pick the closest.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it.
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.
Leake County reported ~941 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Mississippi average.
In Mississippi, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
At-home kits mail to 39094: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
Yes, chlamydia and gonorrhea can infect the throat, often with no symptoms, so ask for a throat swab if you had oral exposure.
Use condoms, test regularly, get the HPV and hep B vaccines, and ask about PrEP for HIV.
No; "everything" means a panel of several tests, and some need a repeat later to be conclusive.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.