In Mercer County, reported gonorrhea runs about 60% lower than the US average. Whether starting a new relationship or as part of ongoing care in Oakvale, West Virginia, consider if you prefer the immediacy of a clinic or the flexibility of lab-based or at-home testing.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Oakvale, WV. The nearest, Bluestone Medical Center, is about 5.7 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.
Bluestone Medical Center in Princeton welcomes walk-ins for STI screening, no appointment needed. Federal health-center funding ties fees to income on a sliding scale, and Title X status means minors can access services confidentially. A single visit covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Bluestone Health Association in Princeton delivers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB testing entirely free, with STI treatment on the same visit, HPV and hepatitis vaccines, and PrEP. No appointment required.
Every service at Bluestone Health Association carries no charge: testing, treatment, vaccines, PrEP, PEP, DoxyPEP, and counseling alike. That means a patient managing HIV treatment or starting a PrEP regimen faces no cost barrier at any point in ongoing care.
Bluestone Health Association in Princeton makes interpretation services available across all non-English languages, which means medication adherence counseling, where precision in understanding a PrEP or DoxyPEP dosing regimen directly affects outcomes, is conducted in full, not abbreviated.
Many clinics offering PrEP and PEP haven't added DoxyPEP to their prevention portfolio, the antibiotic regimen that reduces bacterial STI acquisition after exposure. Bluestone Health Association in Princeton prescribes all three, giving patients access to the full current range of biomedical prevention options.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
AccessHealth Princeton, in Princeton, earns its federally qualified status by tying STI screening fees directly to each patient's income: meaning syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing costs shift based on what you actually earn. No appointment is needed to get started.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
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 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Oakvale, 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 range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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 Mercer 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.
122 12th Street Extension, Princeton, WV 24740
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1422 East Main Street, Princeton, WV 24740
CMS-certified lab
405 12th Street Extention, Princeton, WV 24740
CMS-certified lab
411 12th Street Ext, Princeton, WV 24740
CMS-certified lab
508 New Hope Road Suite 102, Princeton, WV 24740
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 Oakvale. 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, 115 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Oakvale. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 23 offer telehealth.
Ryan Runyon, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 150 Misty Lane, Princeton
Gordon Prescott, MD
Internal medicine · 401 East Vermillion Street, Athens
Eric Mcclanahan, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 407 12th St Ext, Princeton
Nancy Lohuis, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 150 Courthouse Road, Princeton
Samantha Snyder, DO
OB-GYN · 411 12th St Ext, Princeton
Pierre Etienne, MD
Internal medicine · 122 12th Street, Princeton
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 Oakvale, WV 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.
Hickman's Pharmacy
6.6 miHickmans Prescription Druggist
6.6 mi
6.7 mi 
7.2 mi Accesshealth Pharmacy Princeton
7.3 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Oakvale, WV.
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 Oakvale, 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
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
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 Mercer County, the county that includes Oakvale, compare with West Virginia and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~14% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#5 of 55 West Virginia counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 91% of the state
| Infection | Mercer County | West Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 342.8 199 cases ▲ 38% | 249 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 72.3 42 cases ▲ 32% | 54.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 1.7 1 cases ▼ 84% | 10.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 3.4 2 cases ▼ 44% | 6.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 3.4 2 cases ▼ 79% | 16.3 | 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 Mercer County, chlamydia has risen from 293.3 to 342.8 per 100,000 (17%), gonorrhea has fallen from 82.1 to 72.3 per 100,000 (12%), and P&S syphilis has held roughly steady from 1.7 to 1.7 per 100,000.
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 Mercer County.
Local HIV snapshot
Mercer County HIV care continuum (2023)
Among Mercer County residents living with HIV, 88.9% are in care · 88.9% 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 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 Mercer County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Rental households make up the majority in Oakvale, a reality that shapes daily life in ways the county STI rate tables alone can't capture. With more than half of residents renting, often at modest monthly costs, and household sizes running notably large, many younger adults here are sharing space with family or housemates rather than navigating independence from a first solo place. That kind of living arrangement, coupled with a labor-force participation rate that leaves a significant share of adults outside traditional nine-to-five schedules, means the rhythm of getting a routine screening done looks genuinely different here than in a commuter suburb.
The under-35 crowd in Oakvale represents the years when STI transmission is most concentrated, and low-cost, low-hassle access to testing matters most during exactly that stretch of life. With fewer than one in twenty households clearing six figures, out-of-pocket cost is a real consideration; the options listed on this page include sliding-scale and no-cost appointments that address that directly. That distance is worth planning around: knowing which options offer the shortest drive, or same-day slots, is the practical detail that determines whether a screening actually fits into a week shaped around these ridges and knobs.
Getting there
At 7.8/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Oakvale 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 24740 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 24740 area around Oakvale: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Oakvale alone.
Oakvale sits in Mercer County, ZIP 24740. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Oakvale? 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 Mercer County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under West Virginia 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 Oakvale-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 Oakvale 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
West Virginia 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 West VirginiaSource: 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 7 options within a 30-mile drive.
Free at public clinics. Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
Yes, free HIV testing is available at public clinics in the area.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Mercer County reported ~343 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the West Virginia average.
In West Virginia, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
A kit ships to your address; you collect a urine, swab, or finger-stick sample, mail it to the lab, and get results online in a few days.
Chlamydia is checked with a simple urine sample or a swab; lab results usually come back in a day or two.
No, symptoms mean test now; the window period only applies to symptom-free screening.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.