Chlamydia rates in Grundy County are about 55% lower than the US average. If you live in Palmer, Tennessee and are wondering whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind, consider your options. Public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Palmer, TN. The nearest, Grundy County Primary Care Center, is about 7.8 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.
Grundy County Primary Care Center in Coalmont was built around patients who are uninsured, paying out of pocket, or caught between providers, and its federally qualified standing means STI screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia runs on a sliding-scale fee tied directly to income.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Tennessee Department of Health in Altamont charges nothing for any of its services, covering HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis C, and TB testing alongside STI treatment, HPV and hepatitis A and B vaccines, and partner notification. Appointments required.
The fee schedule at Tennessee Department of Health in Altamont has one entry: zero. Sliding scale, Medicaid, and free HIV testing are all available, but the baseline for every test, vaccine, and treatment on the menu is no charge at all. No income threshold, no tier to qualify for.
Tennessee Department of Health in Altamont lists Spanish as a service language: meaning clinical conversations, intake, and counseling run directly in Spanish rather than through an add-on. That staffing choice means medical detail doesn't compress under the weight of translation.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Tennessee Department of Health in Altamont tests for hepatitis C. A virus that often produces no symptoms for years. That single addition to the panel can surface an infection that would otherwise go undetected until liver damage is already underway.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Erlanger Health System in Dunlap tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C on a sliding-scale fee with Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance all accepted; bacterial infections can be treated the same visit, and appointments are required. Spanish-language care is available on staff.
Erlanger tests for herpes alongside hepatitis A, B, and C in addition to the core bacterial and viral infections. Meaning conditions that often require a separate visit elsewhere are caught and documented here, giving any follow-up provider a fuller clinical picture from the start.
Spanish is built into how care is delivered at Erlanger: clinical staff can conduct the exam, explain test results, and walk through treatment instructions directly in Spanish, without routing conversation through a secondary layer, so nothing is lost between what the provider says and what the patient hears.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 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 8 miles 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & 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.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 298 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 48 offer telehealth.
John Mckeown, MD
Family medicine · 2578 Main Street, Palmer
Patricia Mitchum, MD
Family medicine · 10120 Sr, Coalmont
Caleb May, DO
Family medicine · 15166 Rankin Avenue, Dunlap
James Layman
Family medicine · 16931 Rankin Avenue, Dunlap
Alan Kelley, MD
Family medicine · 13851 Hwy 28, Whitwell
Ashley Rhodes, MD
Family medicine · 21 1st Street, Monteagle
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, TN 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.
9.6 mi 
9.7 mi Cates Street Pharmacy
10 mi
11 mi Mikes Pharmacy
11 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Palmer, TN.
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.
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
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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 Grundy County, the county that includes Palmer, compare with Tennessee and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~19% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#61 of 95 Tennessee counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 36% of the state
| Infection | Grundy County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 222.1 31 cases ▼ 57% | 517.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 57.3 8 cases ▼ 69% | 186.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 14.3 2 cases ▼ 3% | 14.8 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | — no data | 11.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 7.2 1 cases ▼ 73% | 26.4 | 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 Grundy County, chlamydia has fallen from 273.5 to 222.1 per 100,000 (19%), gonorrhea has risen from 44.3 to 57.3 per 100,000 (29%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 7.4 to 14.3 per 100,000 (93%).
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 Grundy County.
Local HIV snapshot
Grundy County HIV care continuum (2022)
Grundy County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 14.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Grundy County residents living with HIV, 93.3% are in care · 60% 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 Grundy County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Bunker Hill sits at the quieter end of Palmer, home to households where most adults own rather than rent, and where a striking share of the workforce is simply not working right now. With unemployment running high and labor-force participation among the lowest you'll find anywhere in Tennessee, many residents are managing stretched budgets and irregular days, not the nine-to-five cadence that makes scheduling a clinic visit easy. Homes here are deeply affordable by any state measure, and rent is modest, but when earnings are thin and high-income households are genuinely rare, even a low-cost appointment can feel like a deliberate calculation.
Large households and a meaningful share of young adults (people still in their late teens and twenties, often juggling family obligations in a home with three or four other people) make routine screening something worth planning for, not assuming will happen on its own. That last fact matters most. The options listed here require a drive (past Ross Mountain, down toward larger communities) but knowing exactly which clinic fits your schedule and budget, before you leave the driveway, is what makes the trip actually happen.
Getting there
At 3.59/20 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 37365 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 37365 area around Palmer: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Palmer alone.
Palmer sits in Grundy County, ZIP 37365. 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 Grundy County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Tennessee 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 TennesseeSource: 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.
Grundy County Primary Care Center, about 7.8 mi away, with 7 options within 30 miles.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Public clinics serve people without insurance, often on a sliding scale.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Grundy County reported ~222 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Tennessee average.
In Tennessee, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and fertility problems, caught early, it's cured with antibiotics.
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.
Get treated, notify partners, pause sex until cleared, and follow up, the infection is manageable.
Often, yes, especially throat and rectal infections, which is why site-specific testing matters.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.