In Cedar County, reported chlamydia runs about 67% lower than the US average. Whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening in Lowden, Iowa, you have options: visiting a clinic lets a provider answer questions and start treatment, while an at-home kit lets you collect a sample on your own schedule and mail it in. You'll find both options listed below.
Available testing centers
5 testing options are listed for Lowden, IA. The nearest, St Luke's Jones Regional Medical Center, is about 7.5 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 public safety-net rural health clinic about 8 miles from Lowden. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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Today's offer: $10 off any test panel, applied automatically at checkout.
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Today's offer: $10 off any test panel, applied automatically at checkout.
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Today's offer: $10 off any test panel, applied automatically at checkout.
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 |
|---|
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. Widen the distance or clear the service-type filter.
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 Lowden, 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
$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.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 385 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Lowden. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 67 offer telehealth.
Gaurav Ahuja, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 619 5th Street, Durant
Eric Petersen, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 918 West Platt Street, Maquoketa
Carla Cloos, MD
Family medicine · 1415 11th Street, De Witt
Bradley Waller, MD
Family medicine · 206 North Arcade Street, Maquoketa
Troy Dolmetsch, DO
Family medicine · 1021 11th Street, De Witt
Jennifer Bell, MD
Family medicine · 1008 11th Street, De Witt
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
Compare the pharmacies closest to Lowden, IA. Contact a location directly to confirm pharmacy-counter hours, services, prices, and product availability before visiting.
12 mi Tipton Pharmacy
12 miNightingale Drug
14 miDevaney Pharmacy
14 miWyoming Drug
14 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Lowden, IA.
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 Lowden, 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
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
PrEP & DoxyPEP
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
PrEP & DoxyPEP
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
Online treatment
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 Cedar County, the county that includes Lowden, compare with Iowa 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.
#81 of 99 Iowa counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 18% of the state
| Infection | Cedar County | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 163.9 30 cases ▼ 62% | 426.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 27.3 5 cases ▼ 77% | 116.8 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | — | 10.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 5.5 1 cases ▼ 40% | 9.2 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | — | 9.9 | 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 Cedar County, chlamydia has fallen from 291.8 to 163.9 per 100,000 (44%), gonorrhea has fallen from 97.3 to 27.3 per 100,000 (72%), and P&S syphilis has held roughly steady from 5.4 to 5.4 per 100,000.
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
Primary-care shortage score 11 / 26
Medically Underserved Area · IMU 62
Social Vulnerability Index · 1st 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 Cedar County.
Local HIV snapshot
Cedar County HIV care continuum (2023)
Cedar County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 5.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Cedar County residents living with HIV, 90.9% are in care · 81.8% 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 Cedar County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Editorially Reviewed & Fact-Checked · Updated
Reviewed by EasySTD Editorial Team
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 →
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Lowden's rhythm turns on agriculture, equipment repair, and the seasonal work that follows the calendar. Harvest peaks, winter slowdowns, spring preparation. For people moving through those cycles, especially younger adults settling into jobs or passing through, health upkeep often takes a back seat until something makes it urgent. STI testing in and around Lowden is available through the clinics listed on this page, and the confidentiality that comes with screening means you can address questions on your own timeline, without the worry that results will surface in a tight-knit place.
The testing itself is straightforward and quick, the kind of appointment that fits between other obligations. Clinics serving the area understand that privacy isn't negotiable, and they treat screening as routine care, not a judgment. Whether you're new to Cedar County or rooted here, the process is the same: you call, you visit, you get answers. What matters most is that you don't wait.
Symptoms sometimes take weeks to show, and some infections cause none at all. Testing takes minutes and clears the uncertainty. The providers listed here know how to make the visit feel ordinary, because it is.
Getting there
At 5.78/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Lowden 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 52255 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 52255 area around Lowden: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Lowden alone.
Lowden sits in Cedar County, ZIP 52255. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Lowden? 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 Cedar County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Iowa 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 Lowden-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 Lowden 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 Iowa 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 Iowa, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own; a parent may be notified only in the case of a positive HIV test result.
Iowa 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 IowaSource: 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.
5 testing options are within 30 miles of Lowden, IA.
Private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 164 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Iowa average.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 52255; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
In Iowa, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, partners should test and be treated together to avoid passing it back and forth.
Start treatment, tell recent partners so they can test, avoid sex until cleared, and retest if advised, most STIs resolve with care.
Likely yes, if you were past the window period; otherwise retest, and keep up routine screening with new partners.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.