In Johnson County, the reported syphilis rate runs about 50% lower than the US average. If you live in Merriam, Kansas and are wondering about your STI status whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind, it's good to know your options. Public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience. See the list below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Merriam, KS. The nearest, Health Partnership Clinic, is about 1.6 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.
Health Partnership Clinic, in Overland Park, anchors its STI care in a sliding-scale fee structure tied to income. Meaning cost adjusts to what patients actually earn. Walk-ins are welcome, and the federally qualified center offers screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Mercy and Truth Healthcare in Shawnee accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance, with sliding-scale fees for everyone else: making gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing genuinely reachable. HPV, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B vaccines are available, and appointments are required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A safety-net federally qualified health center about 2 miles from Merriam. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City brings academic medical infrastructure to STI care: rapid HIV, herpes, hepatitis A/B/C, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis testing on a sliding-scale fee, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections. All services provided at no fee.
An untreated gap in care often comes down to one thing: a cost that appeared after the appointment. At University of Kansas Health System, every service (testing, treatment, vaccines, PrEP) carries no charge, so nothing goes unaddressed because of what it might cost on the way out.
Many clinics offer interpretation for check-in and little else, leaving clinical conversations (test results, treatment options, medication instructions) to fend for themselves. University of Kansas Health System provides interpretation services throughout care, so every clinical exchange happens in the language a patient actually uses to make decisions.
University of Kansas Health System prescribes and clinically monitors both PrEP, the daily or on-demand regimen that requires periodic HIV and kidney-function testing to stay safely on course, and PEP, the post-exposure course managed by the same clinical team, without handoffs to outside providers.
Languages
Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A public STD-testing site about 6 miles from Merriam, run as a Federally Qualified Health Center with sliding-scale fees.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 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 Merriam, 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 range: couples & full panels
$79 & up
Best value: single tests
$49 & 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 Johnson 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.
9100 West 74th Street, Merriam, KS 66204
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
9119 West 74th Street, Suite 268, Shawnee Mission, KS 66204
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
10310 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Shawnee, KS 66203
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
9301 West 74th Street, Suite 300, Shawnee Mission, KS 66204
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
8800 West 75th, Suite 220, Shawnee Mission, KS 66204
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Merriam. 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, 1,281 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Merriam. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 381 offer telehealth.
Masoud Taslimi, MD
OB-GYN · 7315 East Frontage Road, Merriam
Christine Khong, MD
Family medicine · 9301 West 74th Street, Merriam
Sharla Shipman, MD
OB-GYN · 9301 West 74th Street, Shawnee Mission
Jennifer Bulcock, MD
Family medicine · 9100 West 74th Street, Merriam
Maria Werly, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 9100 West 74th Street, Merriam
William Hendricks, MD
Family medicine · 9100 West 74th Street, Merriam
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 Merriam, KS 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.
0.4 mi Georgetown Pharmacy
0.6 miMedicine Shoppe
1.2 mi
1.3 mi Showing the 4 closest pharmacies to Merriam, KS.
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 Merriam, 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 Johnson County, the county that includes Merriam, compare with Kansas and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~32% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#28 of 105 Kansas counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 73% of the state
| Infection | Johnson County | Kansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 312.1 1,942 cases ▼ 31% | 453.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 71.4 444 cases ▼ 50% | 144 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 7.9 49 cases ▼ 41% | 13.5 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 7.2 45 cases ▼ 38% | 11.6 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 9.8 61 cases ▼ 44% | 17.5 | 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 Johnson County, chlamydia has fallen from 347 to 312.1 per 100,000 (10%), gonorrhea has fallen from 91 to 71.4 per 100,000 (22%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 5.6 to 7.9 per 100,000 (41%).
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 Johnson County.
Local HIV snapshot
Johnson County HIV care continuum (2023)
Johnson County recorded 4.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 6.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Johnson County residents living with HIV, 79.6% are in care · 64.6% 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 Johnson County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Broadmoor Ranch House Historic District sits just off Shawnee Mission Parkway, where modest mid-century homes and a strong majority of owner-occupants give Merriam a settled, neighborhood feel, but nearly four in ten households rent, many at rents that leave limited room for unexpected medical costs. That financial tightrope is worth keeping in mind when thinking about sexual health screening: a test that costs nothing, or close to it, is one that actually gets scheduled. The city's workforce participation is high, meaning most adults here are holding down jobs with real hours. Early shifts, late shifts, weekday schedules that don't bend easily. For people in their late teens and twenties, who face the steepest odds for common STIs, slotting in a clinic visit during standard nine-to-five windows can be genuinely hard to pull off.
Having listed testing options in and around Merriam matters precisely because varied hours and fee structures give that crowd a realistic opening. Typically along Metcalf Avenue or out toward Quivira Road. The good news is that most options on this page are close enough that the trip is measured in minutes rather than planning sessions. Knowing which clinic fits your route home from work is, for a lot of Merriam residents, the whole ballgame.
Getting there
Merriam scores 10.69/20 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 66203 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 66203 area around Merriam: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Merriam alone.
Merriam sits in Johnson County, ZIP 66203. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Merriam? 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 Johnson County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Kansas 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 Merriam-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 Merriam 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 Kansas 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 Kansas, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Kansas 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 KansasSource: 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.
Possibly, Prairie Village, KS is close; compare it by distance against Health Partnership Clinic.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
Public clinics nearby offer free HIV testing.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 312 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Kansas average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Kansas, 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.
You self-collect a sample at home, mail it in, and view results online, no clinic visit needed.
Resistance is rising, which is why the CDC advises a particular treatment; don't self-treat, get tested and treated correctly.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.