Chlamydia reports in Jefferson County are 73% higher than the US average. If you need testing in Palos, Alabama, whether after a possible exposure or for routine care, community and public clinics are often low-cost or free, while private labs tend to offer faster results and more flexible scheduling.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Palos, AL. The nearest, Ensley Health Center, is about 12.5 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.
A safety-net federally qualified health center about 13 miles from Palos. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Alabama Regional Medical Services in Ensley runs rapid and conventional HIV testing alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and herpes testing, with same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs confirmed on-site. Fees follow a sliding scale open to all, and Medicaid and private insurance are accepted. Walk-ins welcome.
Herpes testing rarely appears on the default menu at STI clinics: it typically requires a separate request, a separate visit, or gets omitted entirely. At Alabama Regional Medical Services, herpes is included alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, so one visit covers the full picture without negotiating for an add-on.
PrEP at Alabama Regional Medical Services means the clinic handles the prescription and the ongoing monitoring, the periodic HIV testing and check-ins that keep the regimen clinically sound, rather than routing that management elsewhere. PEP is also available for prevention, handled through the same clinical staff.
Many clinics keep language access at the margins, a posted service to call if needed. Alabama Regional Medical Services offers Spanish directly and interpretation services for other languages as a built-in part of the visit, so the clinical conversation itself (testing, results, treatment) happens in the language the patient brings through the door.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
A public STD-testing site about 13 miles from Palos.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 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 13 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Palos, 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.
Also in the area
Beyond the public testing sites above, these federally certified (CLIA) labs serve Jefferson 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.
2165 Highway 78, Suite 100, Dora, AL 35062
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
3621 3rd Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35222
CMS-certified lab
3485 Independence Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Palos. 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, 868 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Palos. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 183 offer telehealth.
Daniel Mcdonald, MD
Family medicine · 385 Bryan Road, Sumiton
Charles Minor
Family medicine · 2165 Hwy 78, Dora
Benjamin Broome, MD
Internal medicine · 592 Fieldstown Road, Gardendale
Raymond Browne, MD
Internal medicine · 592 Fieldstown Road, Gardendale
Stevie Bennett
OB-GYN · 2528 Caufield Drive, Gardendale
Arthur Patton, MD
Family medicine · 527 Fieldstown Road, Gardendale
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 Palos, AL 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.
Brooklere Pharmacy 104
6.9 miBrooklere Pharmacy
7.3 mi
8.3 mi Food World Pharmacy
9.4 miForestdale Pharmacy
10 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Palos, AL.
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 Palos, 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 Jefferson County, the county that includes Palos, compare with Alabama and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~26% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#14 of 67 Alabama counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 79% of the state
| Infection | Jefferson County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 852.9 5,654 cases ▲ 31% | 651.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 355.9 2,359 cases ▲ 57% | 226.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 44.2 293 cases ▲ 55% | 28.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 36.2 240 cases ▲ 77% | 20.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 29.6 196 cases ▲ 21% | 24.5 | 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 Jefferson County, chlamydia has risen from 759 to 852.9 per 100,000 (12%), gonorrhea has fallen from 463.5 to 355.9 per 100,000 (23%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 14.4 to 44.2 per 100,000 (207%).
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 Jefferson County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Alabama 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.
Jefferson County HIV care continuum (2023)
Jefferson County recorded 26.4 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 16.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Jefferson County residents living with HIV, 68.6% are in care · 45.2% 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 Jefferson County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Palos takes its name from the Spanish word for "sticks": a reference to the wooden props that once shored up the coal mines that built this place, including the Bessie Mine and Lindbergh Number 6 Mine. Those operations shaped generations of families who stayed, bought homes, and raised children here. Today that stability remains a defining feature of the community, though the character of the population has shifted. Alongside longtime residents are young adults in their late teens through thirties, a demographic for whom routine confidential STI screening fits naturally into health maintenance, whether or not symptoms appear.
Testing in and around Palos is available through clinics and providers listed on this page. What matters most in a town where many people know one another is that screening results remain entirely confidential, your test, your information, your decision about next steps. No employer sees the outcome. No one in your family is automatically notified.
The comfort of established community and the privacy of medical confidentiality work together here. Residents can access testing without worry that results will travel through neighborhood networks or workplace gossip. That separation between personal health decisions and public life is something Palos residents have come to expect and deserve.
Getting there
At 4.29/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Palos 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 35062 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 35062 area around Palos: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Palos alone.
Palos sits in Jefferson County, ZIP 35062. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Palos? 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 Jefferson County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Alabama 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 Palos-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 Palos 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 Alabama 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 Alabama, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Alabama 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 AlabamaSource: 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, Adamsville, AL is close; compare it by distance against Ensley Health Center.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
Yes, public clinics in the area offer free or low-cost 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 853 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Alabama average.
In Alabama, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 35062; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
Just note your exposure dates and symptoms; for urine tests, hold off urinating ~1 hour before.
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.