Syphilis cases in Charleston County run about 20% higher than the national average. If you've had a recent risk or simply test on a regular schedule in Otranto, South Carolina, some clinics take walk-ins for same-day testing, while labs and at-home kits let you schedule around your own time. Look below to see what fits best.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Otranto, SC. The nearest, Thaddeus J Bell, MD Support Center, is about 2.2 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.
Thaddeus J Bell, MD Support Center in North Charleston earned its federally qualified designation by tying STI screening fees directly to each patient's income. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing, with sliding-scale pricing ensuring the cost adjusts to what you can realistically pay.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Goose Creek covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV on a sliding-scale, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections confirmed on the spot, and every service is provided at no fee.
Sliding-scale language often hides a floor, a minimum that surprises people at the desk. At South Carolina Department of Public Health in Goose Creek, the scale reaches zero and stays there: every service, including testing, treatment, vaccines, and DoxyPEP, is provided at no fee regardless of what you bring through the door.
DoxyPEP, doxycycline taken after a potential bacterial STI exposure, requires a provider who understands the dosing protocol and can write the prescription directly. South Carolina Department of Public Health in Goose Creek maintains that clinical capacity in-house, so the regimen is initiated, prescribed, and monitored without routing the conversation elsewhere.
Many STI clinics test for the core bacterial infections and HIV, then stop. South Carolina Department of Public Health in Goose Creek runs a wider panel: herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C are included alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, so a single visit surfaces infections that a shorter panel would leave undetected.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A community safety-net federally qualified health center about 3 miles from Otranto. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
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 2 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Otranto, 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 Charleston 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.
2910 Tricom Street, Charleston, SC 29406
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
2671 Elms Plantation Boulevard, North Charleston, SC 29406
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
2250 Mall Drive, North Charleston, SC 29406
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2575 Elms Center Road, Ste100, North Charleston, SC 29406
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
7832 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29406
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Otranto. 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, 666 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Otranto. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 237 offer telehealth.
Thomas Hilliard, MD
Family medicine · 8740 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston
Daniel Poole, MD
Internal medicine · 8091 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston
Hina Singh, MD
Family medicine · 8085 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston
Marsha Johnson Williams, MD
Family medicine · 1800 Eagle Landing Boulevard, Hanahan
Donald Hanna, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 2600 Elms Plantation Boulevard, North Charleston
Lawrence Williams, DO
Internal medicine · 9181 Medcom Street, North Charleston
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 Otranto, SC 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.
Walt's Family Pharmacy
1.1 miKerr Drug
1.2 mi
1.2 mi Showing the 3 closest pharmacies to Otranto, SC.
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 Otranto, 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
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
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 Charleston County, the county that includes Otranto, compare with South Carolina 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.
#26 of 46 South Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 43% of the state
| Infection | Charleston County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 577.3 2,450 cases ▼ 6% | 612.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 192.8 818 cases ▼ 13% | 222.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 18.9 80 cases ▲ 9% | 17.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 16.5 70 cases ▼ 12% | 18.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 14.4 61 cases ▲ 23% | 11.7 | 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 Charleston County, chlamydia has fallen from 695.9 to 577.3 per 100,000 (17%), gonorrhea has fallen from 330.9 to 192.8 per 100,000 (42%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 18.6 to 18.9 per 100,000 (2%).
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 Charleston County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: South Carolina 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.
Charleston County HIV care continuum (2023)
Charleston County recorded 21.3 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 18.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Charleston County residents living with HIV, 76.8% are in care · 50.8% 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 Charleston County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Northwood Estates sits close enough to Goose Creek Boulevard South that residents can clock the daily rhythm of the road (commuters threading toward Charleston, shift workers heading back) but far enough from a transit corridor that most errands, including a clinic visit, mean getting in a car. That reality shapes how people here actually approach their health: with a schedule in mind, not an open afternoon. The rental majority in Otranto, nearly six in ten households, signals a population that's more mobile and more likely to be stretching a $1,300-a-month budget across the city's modest average household size. With roughly one in four adults married, many younger residents are navigating new relationships, changing living situations, and the kind of intermittent health coverage that comes with a 6-percent unemployment picture.
People in their late teens and twenties, a substantial slice of this community, often find that when a screening appointment requires driving across town during work hours, it simply doesn't happen. The clinics listed on this page include options with evening and weekend availability specifically because Otranto's workforce doesn't clock out at noon on a Tuesday. Near Pleasant Hills and over toward Hillsdale Park, that variety of options means someone can find a site that fits between a shift end and a school pickup, which, in a community this spread out, is often the whole ballgame.
Getting there
Otranto scores 11.98/20 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 29406 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 29406 area around Otranto: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Otranto alone.
Otranto sits in Charleston County, ZIP 29406. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Otranto? 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 Charleston County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under South Carolina 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 Otranto-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 Otranto 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
South Carolina 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 South CarolinaSource: 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 Thaddeus J Bell, MD Support Center (2.2 mi); 7 options are within 30 miles.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Yes, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 577 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the South Carolina average.
In South Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
A clinic offers same-day answers and on-site treatment; an at-home kit trades that for privacy and convenience, both use real lab testing.
Yes, the CDC recommends STI screening early in pregnancy, since untreated infections can affect the baby.
Expedited partner therapy lets a provider treat a partner without an exam, where state law allows.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.