Acadia Parish reports gonorrhea about 36% higher than the US average. Whether this is your first STI test or a routine screening in Mermentau, Louisiana, you can choose from clinics that prioritize affordability, labs that offer faster results, or at-home kits for convenience. Use the directory below to find your best fit for STI testing.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Mermentau, LA. The nearest, Louisiana Department of Health, is about 5.0 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.
Louisiana Department of Health in Jennings provides its full STI panel (HIV (rapid and conventional), syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis C, and TB) at no charge, with sliding scale applied to any associated services; Medicaid is accepted, and an appointment is required.
Louisiana Department of Health in Jennings charges nothing for any service it provides, testing, treatment, vaccines, counseling, all of it. That zero-dollar figure applies regardless of insurance status, meaning no bill arrives after the appointment and no service is withheld based on ability to pay.
Interpretation services for non-English languages are available at Louisiana Department of Health in Jennings, which means a patient's care, including counseling and treatment decisions, is conducted without gaps in communication from the first question to the final instruction.
Louisiana Department of Health in Jennings tests for hepatitis C alongside the bacterial STIs and HIV, so a single appointment surfaces a bloodborne infection that often goes undetected until liver damage has already advanced.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
A safety-net rural health clinic about 5 miles from Mermentau. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A safety-net rural health clinic about 6 miles from Mermentau. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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 5 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Mermentau, 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 Acadia Parish, 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.
810 South Broadway Street, Church Point, LA 70525
CMS-certified lab
806 North Ave K, Suite 101, Crowley, LA 70526
CMS-certified lab
730 North Avenue K, Suite 201, Crowley, LA 70526
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Mermentau. 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, 101 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Mermentau. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 30 offer telehealth.
Joel Bailey, MD
OB-GYN · 1634 Elton Road, Jennings
Chukwudi Uchendu, MD
Family medicine · 1634 Elton Road, Jennings
Brady Drapekin, MD
Family medicine · 1634 Elton Road, Jennings
John Segura, MD
Family medicine · 1636 Elton Road, Jennings
Edward Rutland, MD
Urology · 1636 Elton Road, Jennings
Kevin Plaisance, MD
OB-GYN · 805 State Street, Jennings
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 Mermentau, LA 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.
Ardoin Crescent Drug Store
5.0 miCassidys Pharmacy
5.2 miStewart's Drug Store
5.3 miMedicine Shoppe
5.5 mi
5.6 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Mermentau, LA.
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 Mermentau, 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 $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
$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 Acadia Parish, the parish that includes Mermentau, compare with Louisiana and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~15% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#36 of 64 Louisiana counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 44% of the state
| Infection | Acadia Parish | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 672.7 380 cases ▼ 15% | 792.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 244.3 138 cases ▼ 15% | 288.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 8.9 5 cases ▼ 66% | 26.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 7.1 4 cases ▼ 64% | 19.6 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 42.5 24 cases ▼ 19% | 52.6 | 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 Acadia Parish, chlamydia has risen from 640.9 to 672.7 per 100,000 (5%), gonorrhea has risen from 243.2 to 244.3 per 100,000 (0%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 19.1 to 8.9 per 100,000 (53%).
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 Acadia Parish.
Local HIV snapshot
Acadia Parish HIV care continuum (2023)
Acadia Parish recorded 21.7 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 22.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Acadia Parish residents living with HIV, 87.4% are in care · 81.5% 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 Acadia Parish tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Getting tested in Mermentau means accepting that the nearest clinic offering full STI screening may sit a drive away. The town itself has no dedicated sexual-health facility, which is the reality for many small Louisiana communities where testing happens either through a regional provider or during a visit to a larger neighboring center. That distance, sometimes thirty minutes or more, can feel like a real barrier, especially if you need results quickly or prefer not to ask around about where to go. Young adults in their late teens and twenties make up a significant part of Mermentau's population, and many of them navigate this gap by planning ahead. Confidentiality is straightforward when you're testing outside your immediate neighborhood; a clinic staff member won't run into you at the grocery store or church.
The testing sites listed on this page include providers in and around the region who handle screening with no judgment and no automatic word spreading back home. The practical move is to call ahead, confirm what each location offers, and ask about wait times. Results typically come back within days, often faster if you choose rapid testing. Knowing your status before symptoms appear, or before they worsen, is worth the small effort of planning the trip.
Getting there
At 4.1/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Mermentau 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 70559 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 70559 area around Mermentau: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Mermentau alone.
Mermentau sits in Acadia Parish, ZIP 70559. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Mermentau? 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 Acadia Parish: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Louisiana 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 Mermentau-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 Mermentau 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Louisiana 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 LouisianaSource: 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.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
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.
Acadia Parish reported ~673 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Louisiana average.
In Louisiana, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
Often, yes, especially throat and rectal infections, which is why site-specific testing matters.
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.