Chlamydia rates in Matanuska-Susitna Borough Borough run about 34% lower than the US average. Whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening in Palmer, Alaska, choose between clinics that may bill insurance or labs that offer a flat self-pay price. Both provide different benefits for weighing against your needs. See options below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Palmer, AK. The nearest, Mat-Su Health Services, is about 0.4 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.
Mat-Su Health Services in Palmer schedules appointments for STI care that spans gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, and HIV testing alongside same-visit bacterial treatment: Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance accepted, with a fee scale for those paying directly.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Alaska Department of Health in Wasilla tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C on a sliding scale, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and no-cost care available. Appointments required.
Fees left unpaid become care left incomplete, a prescription not filled, a follow-up skipped, a partner not treated. At Alaska Department of Health in Wasilla, every service, from testing through treatment through vaccines, is provided at no charge, closing that gap before it opens.
Without a regular provider and paying out of pocket, getting hepatitis B and C tested alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV in one appointment is a practical advantage. Alaska Department of Health in Wasilla carries that full panel, so a single visit addresses what multiple separate appointments typically would.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Southcentral Foundation in Sutton-Alpine tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, and treats bacterial STIs at the same visit rather than scheduling a follow-up. Fees run on a sliding scale, with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance all accepted. An appointment is required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Sunshine Community Health Center in Willow covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections confirmed on-site. Appointments are required, and fees follow a sliding scale with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance all accepted.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
A community safety-net federally qualified health center about 16 miles from Palmer. 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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Palmer, 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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough, 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.
2490 South Woodworth Loop Suite 410, Palmer, AK 99645
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2500 South Woodworth Loop, Palmer, AK 99645
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
2490 South Woodworth Lp, Suite 499, Palmer, AK 99645
CMS-certified lab
2490 South Woodworth Loop # 401, Palmer, AK 99645
CMS-certified lab
2480 South Woodworth Loop, Suite 120, Palmer, AK 99645
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Palmer. 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, 91 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Palmer. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 43 offer telehealth.
Rebekah Robinson, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 209 West Evergreen Avenue, Palmer
Micah Renicker, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 209 West Evergreen Avenue, Palmer
Sachin Parekh, MD
Family medicine · 247 South Alaska Street, Palmer
Jason Brooks, MD
Family medicine · 258 South Alaska Street, Palmer
Bryan Dahms, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 12039 East Maple Springs Way, Palmer
David Penn, MD
Family medicine · 2500 South Woodworth Loop, Palmer
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 Palmer, AK 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.
Fred Meyer Pharmacy
0.4 miCarrs
0.4 mi
0.4 mi Showing the 3 closest pharmacies to Palmer, AK.
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 Palmer, 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
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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the borough that includes Palmer, compare with Alaska and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~35% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#17 of 30 Alaska counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 43% of the state
| Infection | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Alaska | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 322.8 372 cases ▼ 54% | 697.7 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 83.3 96 cases ▼ 73% | 310.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 4.3 5 cases ▼ 81% | 22.5 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 1.7 2 cases ▼ 84% | 10.9 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 6.9 8 cases ▼ 65% | 20 | 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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough, chlamydia has fallen from 366.1 to 322.8 per 100,000 (12%), gonorrhea has fallen from 141 to 83.3 per 100,000 (41%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 8.4 to 4.3 per 100,000 (49%).
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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough.
Local HIV snapshot
Sources: AIDSVu (Emory/Gilead) · CDC AHEAD. 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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
West Bogard Road sees a steady mix of families and younger renters whose households run notably large by Alaskan standards, and for people in their late teens and twenties still sorting out work and relationships, a routine screening can feel like one more errand that keeps getting deferred. With unemployment running high and only about a quarter of households reaching six-figure income, cost pressure is real for the renters who make up a meaningful share of Palmer's population, and a $976 monthly rent leaves little cushion for out-of-pocket health spending that feels optional until it isn't.
That budget reality matters because the young adults living near the Alaska State Fairgrounds and along the East Palmer-Wasilla Highway corridor represent a substantial slice of the borough's population, and chlamydia and gonorrhea track closely with that under-35 life stage regardless of income or relationship status. Matanuska-Susitna Borough's STI figures, visible in the tables elsewhere on this page, reflect a region where access to care has always required planning.
The options listed on this page spread across the borough and beyond, and for Palmer residents that typically means getting in a car and committing to a drive on the Glenn Highway. Knowing exactly which site fits your hours and your wallet before you leave is what actually changes whether the appointment happens on a Tuesday or gets postponed another month.
Getting there
At 6.04/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Palmer 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 99645 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 99645 area around Palmer: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Palmer alone.
Palmer sits in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, ZIP 99645. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Palmer? 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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Alaska 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 Palmer-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 Palmer 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 Alaska 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 Alaska, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Alaska 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 AlaskaSource: 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 Mat-Su Health Services (0.4 mi); 7 options are within 30 miles.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Yes, Alaska Department of Health (8.4 mi) offers free testing, and public clinics serve the uninsured.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 323 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Alaska average.
In Alaska, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
It depends: a blood draw covers HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis, while urine or a swab covers chlamydia and gonorrhea.
The gap between exposure and when a test can reliably detect the infection; testing inside it can miss a real infection.
Yes, test after the window period, and if HIV exposure is a concern, ask about PEP within 72 hours.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.