If you live in or near Lauderdale County, Mississippi, know that it sees about 35% more syphilis diagnoses than the national average. Whether this is your first STI test or a routine screening in Meridian, Mississippi, you can choose between visiting a clinic for instant support or using an at-home kit for collection on your schedule. These options are listed below.
Available testing centers
10 testing options are listed for Meridian, MS. The nearest, East Mississippi Medical Clinic, is about 1.7 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.
A safety-net rural health clinic about 2 miles from Meridian. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 2 miles from Meridian. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Ochsner Rush Health in Meridian covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and rapid HIV testing, treating bacterial infections the same visit. Fees apply on a sliding scale, and walk-ins are welcome.
Walk-in STI clinics frequently leave non-English speakers to navigate testing and results without real-time language support. Ochsner Rush Health carries interpretation services for non-English languages as a standard part of care, so the conversation about results, treatment, and next steps happens with full comprehension, not guesswork.
Ochsner Rush Health prescribes PrEP, including tenofovir-based regimens, and manages the follow-up HIV and kidney-function monitoring that an active prescription requires. Having that continuity at one clinical site means the labs and the prescription renewal stay synchronized rather than split across separate providers.
For anyone without a regular primary-care provider, or anyone paying out of pocket and consolidating visits, Ochsner Rush Health's panel extends to herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C in addition to the standard four, keeping a broader picture of sexual health within a single appointment rather than spread across multiple referrals.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Mississippi State Department of Health in Meridian delivers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing through a public health department structure: meaning TB screening, STI treatment, and HPV and hepatitis A and B vaccines share the same appointment-free visit, all on a sliding scale.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A community safety-net rural health clinic about 3 miles from Meridian. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 5 miles from Meridian. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 17 miles from Meridian. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Greater Meridian Health Clinic in Meridian runs on scheduled appointments, so arriving with a confirmed slot means the visit moves efficiently through testing, same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, vaccines, and counseling: all on a sliding-scale fee accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. Spanish-language care is available on staff.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Greater Meridian's testing roster adds herpes serology and hepatitis A, B, and C. Each ordered and resulted through the same clinic visit. Hepatitis vaccines are stocked on-site, so immunity gaps caught during testing can be addressed the same day without a separate referral appointment.
Greater Meridian Health Clinic provides substance-use treatment alongside its STI services, which means a patient managing both concerns can coordinate care with a single provider team. Reducing the scheduling friction that comes with maintaining two separate clinical relationships.
Spanish-language care at Greater Meridian is staffed directly into clinical operations: history-taking, test counseling, treatment instructions, and follow-up planning all proceed in Spanish without routing the conversation through a separate interpreter service or scheduling workaround.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
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 2 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Meridian, 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 Lauderdale 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.
2024 15th Street 2nd Floor, Meridian, MS 39301
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
2124 14th Street, Meridian, MS 39301
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2124 14th Street Suite, Pathology Department, Meridian, MS 39301
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1600 22nd Avenue, Meridian, MS 39301
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
Attn Lisa Harris, Meridian, MS 39301
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Meridian. 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, 77 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Meridian. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 14 offer telehealth.
Shawn Anderson, DO
Family medicine · 2024 15th Street, Meridian
Christy Mnzava, DO
Family medicine · 2514 67th Ave Loop, Meridian
Stephen Leblanc, MD
Internal medicine · 3704 Hwy 39 North, Meridian
Ronnye Purvis, MD
OB-GYN · 1600 22nd Avenue, Meridian
Daniel Mckiever, MD
OB-GYN · 1523 22nd Avenue, Meridian
Virginia Nelson, MD
OB-GYN · 1514 23rd Avenue, Meridian
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 Meridian, 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.
0.6 mi Transcript Pharmacy East
0.8 miMedicap Pharmacy
0.9 miOle Towne Family Pharmacy
0.9 miAnderson Pharmacy
1.1 miVital Care of Meridian/ West Alabama
1.1 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Meridian, 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 Meridian, 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 $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
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
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 Lauderdale County, the county that includes Meridian, compare with Mississippi and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~26% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#61 of 82 Mississippi counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 26% of the state
| Infection | Lauderdale County | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 489.2 345 cases ▼ 30% | 700.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 146 103 cases ▼ 42% | 251.1 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 21.3 15 cases ▼ 29% | 30.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 7.1 5 cases ▼ 56% | 16.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 58.1 41 cases ▼ 10% | 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 Lauderdale County, chlamydia has fallen from 786.5 to 489.2 per 100,000 (38%), gonorrhea has fallen from 460.4 to 146 per 100,000 (68%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 30.1 to 21.3 per 100,000 (29%).
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 Lauderdale 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.
Lauderdale County HIV care continuum (2023)
Lauderdale County recorded 23.7 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 21.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Lauderdale County residents living with HIV, 76.9% are in care · 62% 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 Lauderdale County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Dale Drive cuts through the middle of Meridian's east side, and for most residents a clinic visit means getting in a car. There's no walking to a testing site from Savannah Grove or anywhere near Highland Park. That ground-level reality shapes how screening actually happens here, and it's worth naming plainly. Meridian's workforce picture adds another layer.
With well under six in ten adults currently in the labor force and unemployment running notably high, a lot of households are managing tight schedules around irregular work, job searches, or caregiving. Not the nine-to-five rhythms that make a weekday afternoon appointment easy to keep. Rent at around $728 a month sounds modest until it's one of several pressures in a household of three, which is about what's typical here, leaving little room to pay out of pocket for anything that feels non-urgent. That's exactly why the range of listed options, clinics and providers on this page, matters: cost tiers and appointment windows vary enough that something usually fits.
Younger adults still building relationships and navigating new partnerships carry a disproportionate share of STI diagnoses, and Meridian has a real concentration of them. For that crowd, a short drive down Old Highway 45 North to a same-day or low-cost site isn't an inconvenience. It's often the only version of this errand that actually gets scheduled.
Getting there
At 7.16/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Meridian 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 39305 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 39305 area around Meridian: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Meridian alone.
Meridian sits in Lauderdale County, ZIP 39305. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Meridian? 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 Lauderdale 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 Meridian-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 Meridian 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.
There are 8 options within a 30-mile drive.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
Mississippi State Department of Health, about 2.8 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Lauderdale County reported ~489 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Mississippi average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In Mississippi, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, site matters; oral/anal exposure needs a throat or rectal swab, which urine testing won't catch.
Reassuring if you tested after the window, just retest if it was early, and screen again with new partners.
Get treated, notify partners, pause sex until cleared, and follow up, the infection is manageable.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.