Gonorrhea cases in Bernalillo County are 46% higher than the national average. If you're in Pajarito Mesa, New Mexico, and wondering whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind, consider your priorities for cost and speed. Community and public clinics tend to be low-cost or free, and private labs often offer faster results and more flexible scheduling.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Pajarito Mesa, NM. The nearest, University of New Mexico Health System, is about 4.1 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.
University of New Mexico Health System in Albuquerque requires an appointment, so scheduling ahead is the entry point to a visit that covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis testing, same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, and HPV, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B vaccines on a sliding-scale fee.
Strip the typical STI panel down and hepatitis often falls off the list entirely, left to a separate visit or a separate provider. At University of New Mexico Health System, hepatitis A, B, and C testing runs alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV in a single appointment, so the full picture comes back together.
Clinics that serve only English speakers well tend to patch everything else together after the fact. University of New Mexico Health System in Albuquerque provides care in American Sign Language and Spanish, with interpretation services available for other languages, so the conversation about testing, results, and treatment happens in the language a patient uses to make decisions.
Languages
American Sign Language, English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
First Choice Community Healthcare in Albuquerque operates on a sliding scale and accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis C, and HIV testing by appointment. With care and counseling delivered in Spanish.
First Choice Community Healthcare delivers care in Spanish, meaning clinical conversations, from test counseling to treatment planning, happen in the same language the patient uses to describe symptoms and ask questions. That continuity shapes the accuracy of what gets communicated and acted on.
First Choice carries hepatitis C treatment through a full course of direct-acting antivirals on-site, not solely the antibody screen that precedes it. A patient moves from confirmed diagnosis into managed treatment at the same clinic, without changing providers mid-course.
Substance-use treatment is available alongside STI care at First Choice, so a patient managing both conditions works with one clinic rather than coordinating separate providers. Reducing the friction that tends to delay treatment for whichever condition gets deprioritized.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
UNM Health in Albuquerque accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, with a fee structure tied to coverage, and tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis C: appointments required, with same-visit treatment available for bacterial infections and HPV vaccination on-site.
Plenty of clinics handle the clinical part competently and then cobble together something for Spanish-speaking patients, a workaround that puts the burden of comprehension on the patient. At UNM Health, Spanish is a fully delivered care language, meaning the clinical conversation itself happens in Spanish, not around it.
Missing a hepatitis C diagnosis means carrying an infection that, untreated, progresses silently for years, and the cost of that gap compounds. UNM Health tests for hepatitis C alongside the standard bacterial and viral panel, so a single appointment in Albuquerque doesn't leave that piece unresolved.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 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 4 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Pajarito Mesa, 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 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 Bernalillo 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.
3630 Las Estancias Drive Southwest, Albuquerque, NM 87121
CMS-certified lab
125 Candelaria Road Northwest Unit A, Albuquerque, NM 87107
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
1201 Camino De Salud Northeast Suite #1430, Albuquerque, NM 87102
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Pajarito Mesa. 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, 709 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Pajarito Mesa. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 206 offer telehealth.
Jaron Kee, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 3630 Las Estancias Drive Southwest, Albuquerque
Juan Soche, MD
Family medicine · 1625 Rio Bravo Boulevard Southwest, Albuquerque
Fernando Arzola, MD
Internal medicine · 3436 Isleta Boulevard Southwest, Albuquerque
Samir Kassicieh, DO
Family medicine · 1010 Bridge Boulevard Southwest, Albuquerque
Melvin Romero, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 2901 Transport Street Southeast, Albuquerque
Frederick Miller, MD
Family medicine · 1401 William Street Southeast, Albuquerque
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 Pajarito Mesa, NM 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.
5.6 mi 
5.7 mi Showing the 2 closest pharmacies to Pajarito Mesa, NM.
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 Pajarito Mesa, 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.
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
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
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 Bernalillo County, the county that includes Pajarito Mesa, compare with New Mexico and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~45% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#2 of 33 New Mexico counties for chlamydia, among the very highest in the state
| Infection | Bernalillo County | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 640.7 4,303 cases ▲ 22% | 523.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 261.8 1,758 cases ▲ 55% | 169 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 44.1 296 cases ▲ 20% | 36.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 24.9 167 cases ▲ 38% | 18.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 74.3 499 cases ▼ 3% | 76.6 | 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 Bernalillo County, chlamydia has risen from 595.9 to 640.7 per 100,000 (8%), gonorrhea has fallen from 293.7 to 261.8 per 100,000 (11%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 30.2 to 44.1 per 100,000 (46%).
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 Bernalillo County.
Local HIV snapshot
Bernalillo County HIV care continuum (2023)
Bernalillo County recorded 14.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 10.4 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Bernalillo County residents living with HIV, 80.8% are in care · 73.8% 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 Bernalillo County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Pajarito Mesa is a small, rural community in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, where most households own their homes. Out here, the nearest clinic can be a real drive, so at-home test kits and telehealth carry much of the load, with an in-person visit when it's needed.
Getting there
Pajarito Mesa scores 11.08/20 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 87121 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 87121 area around Pajarito Mesa: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Pajarito Mesa alone.
Pajarito Mesa sits in Bernalillo County, ZIP 87121. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Pajarito Mesa? 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 Bernalillo County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under New Mexico 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 Pajarito Mesa-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 Pajarito Mesa 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
New Mexico 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 New MexicoSource: 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, Albuquerque, NM is close; compare it by distance against University of New Mexico Health System.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
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 641 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the New Mexico average.
In New Mexico, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Public health clinics, family-planning clinics, and many school or campus health centers test teens and young adults, often free.
Community health centers and family-planning clinics serve all patients, and many offer LGBTQ-affirming care, ask the site directly.
That's a myth; STIs need sexual contact to spread, not surfaces.
Yes, rapid finger-stick tests are very accurate after the window period; any reactive result is confirmed with a lab test.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.