Syphilis rates in Marshall County are about 74% higher than the US average. It's smart to get tested before starting a new relationship or as part of ongoing care in Marshalltown, Iowa. Some local clinics will take walk-ins for same-day testing, while labs and at-home kits let you book based on your own schedule.
Available testing centers
10 testing options are listed for Marshalltown, IA. The nearest, Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown, is about 1.4 miles away. Compare 8 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.
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A community safety-net rural health clinic about 1 mile from Marshalltown. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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Primary Health Care in Marshalltown accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance, with a sliding scale extending to everyone else: covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and HIV testing, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections; appointments are required.
Primary Health Care runs herpes testing through the same appointment as the core bacterial panel, no separate referral or scheduling. The result is a clinician who can interpret herpes serology alongside syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV findings at once, adjusting counseling and treatment planning in a single visit.
Without on-site PrEP and PEP prescribing, prevention often stalls at a recommendation that needs to be acted on somewhere else. Another appointment, another provider, time lost. Primary Health Care writes and manages both PrEP and PEP prescriptions directly, keeping prevention continuous rather than contingent on a second clinic.
Spanish-language care at Primary Health Care is staffed capacity: clinicians conduct the exam, explain results, and walk through medication adherence counseling in Spanish without a relay. That means treatment instructions, PrEP monitoring conversations, and follow-up plans are communicated directly, with no translation layer between the provider and the patient.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
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UnityPoint Health in Conrad covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing, with same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs when results call for it. Fees run on a sliding scale and the clinic accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. Appointments required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
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Meskwaki Tribal Health Center in Tama runs STI care (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing plus same-visit bacterial treatment) with no fee for any service, on a sliding-scale basis, by appointment.
When a fee stands between someone and treatment, gonorrhea or chlamydia goes untreated, and at Meskwaki Tribal Health Center, that gap simply doesn't exist. Testing, treatment, vaccines: the full scope of care here carries no charge, with no income verification required to access it.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
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MercyCare in Tama pairs same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis) with a panel that also covers herpes, hepatitis C, and TB; appointments are required, and fees are accepted on a sliding scale through donations, insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
A community safety-net rural health clinic about 22 miles from Marshalltown. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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A public safety-net rural health clinic about 22 miles from Marshalltown. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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A safety-net rural health clinic about 23 miles from Marshalltown. 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.
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 1 mile away, if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Marshalltown, 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 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 Marshall 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.
55 Unitypoint Way, Marshalltown, IA 50158
CMS-certified lab
201 East Merle Hibbs Boulevard, Marshalltown, IA 50158
CMS-certified lab
421 East Merle Hibbs Boulevard, Marshalltown, IA 50158
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Marshalltown. 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, 56 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Marshalltown. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 7 offer telehealth.
Abby Flannagan
Family medicine · 51 Unitypoint Way, Marshalltown
James Selenke, MD
Family medicine · 51 Unitypoint Way, Marshalltown
William Durbin, MD
Family medicine · 55 Unitypoint Way, Marshalltown
Uwem Ekwo, MD
Family medicine · 55 Unitypoint Way, Marshalltown
Maureen Muke, MD
Internal medicine · 3 South 4th Avenue, Marshalltown
Bonnie Beer, MD
OB-GYN · 421 East Merle Hibbs Boulevard, Marshalltown
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 Marshalltown, IA. Contact a location directly to confirm pharmacy-counter hours, services, prices, and product availability before visiting.
0.3 mi Hy-Vee Pharmacy
0.4 miHy-Vee Pharmacy (1403)
0.5 miMedicap Pharmacy
1.1 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Marshalltown, 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 Marshalltown, 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.
PrEP & DoxyPEP
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
PrEP & DoxyPEP
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
Online treatment
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
Online treatment
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions 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 Marshall County, the county that includes Marshalltown, compare with Iowa and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~27% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#13 of 99 Iowa counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 87% of the state
| Infection | Marshall County | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 482.3 193 cases ▲ 13% | 426.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 120 48 cases ▲ 3% | 116.8 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 27.5 11 cases ▲ 167% | 10.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 10 4 cases ▲ 9% | 9.2 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 15 6 cases ▲ 52% | 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 Marshall County, chlamydia has fallen from 506.2 to 482.3 per 100,000 (5%), gonorrhea has fallen from 199.5 to 120 per 100,000 (40%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 2.5 to 27.5 per 100,000 (1000%).
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 16 / 26
Medically Underserved Area · IMU 61.3
Social Vulnerability Index · 68th 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 Marshall County.
Local HIV snapshot
Marshall County HIV care continuum (2023)
Marshall County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 5.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Marshall County residents living with HIV, 80% are in care · 77.5% 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 Marshall 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
IA 14 threads through Marshalltown as South 3rd Avenue, South Center Street, and eventually East Anson Street, and the drive to reach a clinic from most parts of town is real time out of a day, not a short errand. For a city where nearly two-thirds of households own their homes and the typical home value sits well below six figures, that time cost lands differently than it would somewhere wealthier: most residents here are working with modest budgets, and at $685 a month the renters among them are keeping expenses tight. When screening options listed on this page offer sliding-scale or low-cost visits, that pricing structure matters in concrete, practical ways for Marshalltown households.
The share of residents in the years when STI transmission is most common, roughly late teens through the mid-twenties, is sizeable enough that accessible scheduling has real consequences for community health. Those younger adults are often the ones least likely to have a regular doctor, most likely to be among the portion of the workforce currently between jobs, and most likely to weigh whether a clinic visit is worth the coordination it takes.
Marshalltown's household profile, with average households running above three people and half of adults in married partnerships, means many residents are managing shared finances and shared calendars. A clinic option that fits around work shifts and doesn't require a separate vehicle trip on a separate day is the version of screening that actually gets used here.
Getting there
Marshalltown scores 11.16/20 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 50158 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 50158 area around Marshalltown: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Marshalltown alone.
Marshalltown sits in Marshall County, ZIP 50158. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Marshalltown? 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 Marshall 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 Marshalltown-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 Marshalltown 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.
Yes, several local labs offer same-day walk-in testing; best to call first.
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.
Marshall County reported ~482 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Iowa average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In Iowa, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Pregnancy screening is standard; ask about an early-pregnancy STI panel.
Clinics give immediate care and treatment; home kits win on convenience and discretion. Either works.
Little prep is needed, bring an ID and insurance if you have it, and note your exposure dates and any symptoms; for a urine test, avoid peeing for about an hour beforehand.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.