Chlamydia in Baldwin County, Alabama is reported at 37% below the US average. Whether you're in Oak, Alabama for a one-time concern or regular check-ups, you can choose from community clinics or private labs for STI testing. Weigh cost and speed of results. See your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Oak, AL. The nearest, Mercy Medical Health Center, 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.
Mercy Medical Health Center in Gulf Shores functions as a full-spectrum community health center where STI care (rapid and conventional HIV testing, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C) runs on a sliding-scale fee with walk-ins welcome and same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, with Spanish and interpretation services on hand.
Mercy Medical carries Spanish-language care and broader interpretation services as a standing part of its practice, not an add-on arranged in advance. For a patient whose first language isn't English, that means clinical conversations about exposure history, treatment plans, and medication instructions happen with full comprehension rather than approximate understanding.
Mercy Medical holds prescribing authority for PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP under one roof: a meaningful fact for anyone without a regular primary care provider, or paying out of pocket, who needs prevention medication without being routed through multiple offices. All three are available on a sliding-scale fee.
Mercy Medical doesn't stop at the hepatitis C antibody test, it delivers treatment directly, which means the same clinical team managing the diagnosis manages the antiviral course. For a curable infection that has historically required specialist referral to complete, on-site treatment closes the gap between detection and recovery.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Accordia Health - South Baldwin in Foley welcomes walk-ins for STI screening without an appointment. Backed by federal FQHC designation, the clinic ties fees to income on a sliding scale, covering syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing in a single visit.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Franklin Primary Health Center in Foley tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C on a sliding-scale fee structure, with Medicaid and Medicare accepted; appointments are required, and bacterial STIs are treated the same visit.
Sliding-scale fees at Franklin Primary Health Center bottom out at no charge: meaning intake, testing, counseling, and treatment are all priced according to what each patient can actually pay, with the floor set at nothing owed. The billing structure applies uniformly across the full scope of services offered.
Spanish-language services at Franklin Primary Health Center are delivered through clinical staff who carry the visit from intake to counseling in Spanish: meaning test results, treatment instructions, and follow-up planning are communicated directly, without a relay between provider and patient.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Franklin Primary Health Center tests for herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C, which means a single appointment can surface infections that a narrower panel would leave undetected and unaddressed.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
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 Oak, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & 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 Baldwin 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.
3590 Gulf Shores Parkway, Gulf Shores, AL 36542
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
29710 Urgent Care Drive, Daphne, AL 36526
CMS-certified lab
7550 Assunta Court, Fairhope, AL 36532
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Oak. 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, 205 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Oak. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 38 offer telehealth.
Alixandra Ryan
Internal medicine · 350 Cypress Bend Boulevard, Gulf Shores
Ziv Haims, DO
Internal medicine · 3590 Gulf Shores Parkway, Gulf Shores
Lindsey Mccormick
Family medicine · 223 Office Park Drive, Gulf Shores
Victor Taylor, MD
Family medicine · 1700 West 2nd Street, Gulf Shores
Daniel Sherling
Internal medicine · 101 East 15th Avenue, Gulf Shores
Jeanne Birkenhauer, MD
Family medicine · 156 East 15th Avenue, Gulf Shores
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 Oak, AL 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.
1.7 mi 
2.1 mi Island Drug
2.1 miGulf Shores Family Pharmacy
3.4 mi
3.8 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Oak, AL.
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 Oak, 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 $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
$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 Baldwin County, the county that includes Oak, compare with Alabama 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.
#57 of 67 Alabama counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 15% of the state
| Infection | Baldwin County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 308.9 783 cases ▼ 53% | 651.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 93.5 237 cases ▼ 59% | 226.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 14.6 37 cases ▼ 49% | 28.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 5.1 13 cases ▼ 75% | 20.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 11.4 29 cases ▼ 53% | 24.5 | 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 Baldwin County, chlamydia has fallen from 339.1 to 308.9 per 100,000 (9%), gonorrhea has fallen from 114.3 to 93.5 per 100,000 (18%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 4.3 to 14.6 per 100,000 (240%).
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 Baldwin County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Alabama 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.
Baldwin County HIV care continuum (2023)
Baldwin County recorded 7.4 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 16.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Baldwin County residents living with HIV, 82.1% are in care · 68.7% 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 Baldwin County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Oak's homeownership picture looks settled on the surface: a majority of residents own rather than rent, and property values here reflect a community that's planted itself along the Gulf Coast corridor. Those logistics are worth naming plainly. With roughly a third of households renting and typical monthly rents running well above what feels casual, cost calculations matter when deciding whether to book an appointment. Add a labor-force participation rate that leaves meaningful room for caregiving and part-time schedules, and an unemployment picture that suggests most working-age residents are holding jobs with irregular hours, and you can see why proximity and scheduling flexibility shape whether testing actually fits a person's week.
The options listed on this page exist precisely to cover that range of circumstances. Baldwin County's STI data gives Oak residents reason to stay current on screening rather than assuming distance from larger cities means lower exposure. R. Horton up through the Kiping Meadows area feeds into the same AL-59 corridor where most listed clinics cluster, which means for many residents, the drive is shorter than it might feel on a map.
Getting there
At 6.81/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Oak 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 36542 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 36542 area around Oak: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Oak alone.
Oak sits in Baldwin County, ZIP 36542. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Oak? 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 Baldwin County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Alabama 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 an Oak-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 Oak 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 Alabama 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 Alabama, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Alabama 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 AlabamaSource: 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.
The closest is Mercy Medical Health Center (1.6 mi); 7 options are within 30 miles.
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 309 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Alabama average.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 36542; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Alabama, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
Start treatment, tell recent partners so they can test, avoid sex until cleared, and retest if advised, most STIs resolve with care.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.