STD Testing in Los Banos, CA: Free, Same-Day & Confidential
In Merced County, new HIV diagnoses run about 65% higher than the US average. You can get tested in Los Banos, California whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind. Clinics may offer sliding-scale fees or bill insurance, while labs may offer flat self-pay prices.
11 testing options are listed for Los Banos, CA. The nearest, Family Health Medical Center, is about 0.2 miles away. Compare community and public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits below.
How to read these listings
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.
Today's offer: $10 off any test panel, applied automatically at checkout.
Community health center 0.2 miles
Family Health Medical Center
No ratings yet
A community safety-net rural health clinic in Los Banos. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Address
444 Santa Rita Avenue, Los Banos, CA 93635
Tests offered
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Syphilis
HIV
Community health center 0.9 miles
Karthikeya Devireddy MD
3.7(4)?
Review sources
Google3
EasySTD1
Rated 3.7 out of 5 from 4 reviews
A public safety-net rural health clinic in Los Banos. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 1 mile from Los Banos. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Golden Valley Health Centers in Los Banos brings full STI care through a community health framework: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing with same-visit bacterial treatment, sliding-scale fees accepted by all, and appointments required. Spanish-language care is available throughout.
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Spanish Runs the Whole Visit Here
Many clinics offer limited language support at the edges of a visit, check-in, maybe a form. At Golden Valley Health Centers, Spanish carries the full clinical encounter, from intake through counseling, so nothing gets lost between what's asked and what's understood.
Herpes and Hepatitis C Added to the Panel
The basic STI panel at many clinics stops at gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. Golden Valley Health Centers also tests for herpes and hepatitis C, meaning infections that frequently go undetected elsewhere get named and addressed in a single appointment.
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 1 mile from Los Banos. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Camarena Health in Los Banos carries full federally qualified health center standing, which means its STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) runs on a sliding-scale fee schedule tied to household income, keeping testing within reach regardless of insurance status.
A safety-net rural health clinic about 13 miles from Los Banos. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
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.
The nearest testing center is less than a mile away, if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Los Banos, 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 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
Quest Diagnostics
$79 & up
Panel:
8-infection panel incl. chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, hepatitis & herpes: single tests too
Sample:
Quest Mobile: a phlebotomist collects your sample at home
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
Other CLIA-certified labs near Los Banos, CA
Beyond the public testing sites above, these federally certified (CLIA) labs serve Merced 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.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Los Banos. 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
Clinicians near Los Banos, CA who may help arrange STD testing
Beyond dedicated clinics, 147 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Los Banos. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 38 offer telehealth.
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
Pharmacies near Los Banos, CA
Compare the pharmacies closest to Los Banos, CA. Contact a location directly to confirm pharmacy-counter hours, services, prices, and product availability before visiting.
0.5 mi
Rx pickupOTC HIV self-testPrEP/PEP fillsHPV & Hep B vaccinesCondoms / EC
Showing the 3 closest pharmacies to Los Banos, CA.
Directory records identify nearby pharmacies. Service, stock, price, and hours information is shown only when supported by current location-specific evidence.
Prevention & treatment
PrEP, prevention & online treatment
Testing is one step. For residents of Los Banos, 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.
Online treatment
Nurx
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
STDs & HIV in Merced County: the local picture
How reported STI rates in Merced County, the county that includes Los Banos, compare with California 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.
#11
#11 of 58 California counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 81% of the state
Reported STD rates per 100,000, Merced County vs California vs U.S.
Merced CountyCaliforniaU.S.▲▼ = Merced County vs the state average
Infection
Merced County
California
United States
Chlamydia
498.11,454 cases▲ 1%
491.1
492.2
Gonorrhea
108.2316 cases▼ 43%
190.2
179.5
Syphilis (P&S)
14.442 cases▼ 12%
16.3
15.8
Syphilis (early)
11.333 cases▼ 41%
19.1
16
Syphilis (late/unknown)
76.4223 cases▲ 64%
46.7
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.
Reported STD rates in Merced County over time (per 100,000)
Chlamydia ▲ 9% vs 2022
Chlamydia Gonorrhea Syphilis (P&S)
Between 2020 and 2023 in Merced County, chlamydia has risen from 461.2 to 498.1 per 100,000 (8%), gonorrhea has fallen from 236.5 to 108.2 per 100,000 (54%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 21 to 14.4 per 100,000 (31%).
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
What shapes testing access in and around Los Banos, CA
Adults uninsured
19.7%
No routine checkup
31.2%
No transportation
13.9%
Binge drinking
16.2%
Frequent mental distress
18.7%
Depression
21.1%
Below poverty line
16.1%
Primary-care ratio
2,387 : 1
Merced County
Primary-care shortage score 20 / 26
Medically Underserved Area · IMU 55.3
Social Vulnerability Index · 97th percentile nationally
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 Merced County.
Local HIV snapshot
HIV in Merced County (2023)
People living with HIV
192 / 100k
New diagnoses (2023)
53cases countywide
On PrEP (coverage)
23.3%
Merced County HIV care continuum (2023)
Merced County recorded 22.6 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.9 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Merced County residents living with HIV, 81% are in care · 72.9% 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 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.
Pregnant or planning to be?Congenital syphilis is the fastest-rising STI: what to test, and when
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 Merced County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Compiled and checked by EasySTD's editorial team against CDC and public-health sources. This is educational information, not a substitute for advice from a licensed clinician. Our editorial guidelines →
East Pacheco Boulevard cuts through the everyday commerce of Los Banos, and the cost reality along that corridor shapes how residents think about healthcare: with nearly three in four households bringing in less than a hundred thousand dollars a year and typical rents sitting at a meaningful monthly commitment, an unexpected copay or a long detour to a clinic can quietly shift priorities. That pressure is real for the substantial share of residents who rent rather than own, and it lands especially hard on younger adults in their late teens and twenties, a cohort well represented here, for whom an untreated infection can complicate health for years. Household life in Los Banos skews toward larger families, with average households notably above the national norm, and more than half of adults are married.
That context matters for STI screening because transmission moves through networks of people who share lives closely, and regular testing among partners is one of the most direct ways to keep those networks healthy. An unemployment rate that remains elevated means that for a meaningful portion of residents, flexible, low-cost options are not a preference but a necessity. The options are listed on this page serving Los Banos and the surrounding area, and several offer sliding-scale fees that fit the economic range Merced County households actually span, from a household near City Park stretching a fixed income to one on the east side of Pacheco with steady work but no employer coverage.
Getting there
How residents reach STD testing in Los Banos, CA
Walkability12.18 / 20 · Above average
Los Banos scores 12.18/20 on the EPA walkability index, so many trips are walkable or a short ride, though a car still gives you the widest choice of testing centers.
Source: EPA National Walkability Index 2021.
ZIP 93635 snapshot
Residents
49,232
Median age
30.6
Median income
$70,666
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 93635 area around Los Banos: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Los Banos alone.
Los Banos sits in Merced County, ZIP 93635. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
City Park
Fairgrounds Park
San Luis Park
Henry Miller Plaza
Pacheco Park
Elena Talbott Park
Major routes
CA 165 (Mercey Springs Road - Hwy 165)
East Pacheco Boulevard
West Pacheco Boulevard
Nearby cities & towns
STD testing near Los Banos, CA
Just outside Los Banos? These nearby communities have their own testing guides: clinics, at-home kits, and free screening close to home.
STD testing in Los Banos, CA: screening, costs & privacy
Everything to know before you test in Merced County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under California law. If you have symptoms right now, our confidential symptom checker maps them to the tests worth considering.
Who should test, and whenCDC screening schedule + each infection's detection window
Who should get tested, and how often
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
When to test: STD detection windows
Testing too early can return a false negative, confirm timing with a Los Banos-area provider.
What each STD test costsMedicare reference prices per lab test, a benchmark before you pay out of pocket
These are the federal Medicare reference prices for processing each lab test. Public clinics and the community health centers serving Los Banos 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.
Confidentiality & consent in CaliforniaMinor consent and partner treatment (EPT) under state law, plus how to test privately
Two things that actually depend on California 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).
Can a minor consent on their own?
In California, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Can my partner be treated too? (EPT)
California 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.
