STD Testing in Paragon, AL: Free, Same-Day & Confidential
Choctaw County reports about 457 chlamydia cases per 100,000 residents, near the U.S. average. Whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening in Paragon, Alabama, you can choose between visiting a clinic for immediate support or using an at-home kit for convenience.
3 testing options are listed for Paragon, AL. The nearest, Franklin Primary Health Center, is about 3.1 miles away. Compare 1 community and public clinic, private labs, and at-home kits below.
How to read these listings
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.
Community health center 3.1 miles
Franklin Primary Health Center
3.2(7)?
Review sources
Google6
EasySTD1
Rated 3.2 out of 5 from 7 reviews
Franklin Primary Health Center, in Gilbertown, runs on a sliding-scale fee structure with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance all accepted, and every service, including HIV testing, is available at no cost. Appointments are required for the full panel: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, rapid and conventional HIV, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB.
Read full overviewShow less
No Bill Issued for Any Service Here
Sliding-scale clinics routinely leave a remaining charge after insurance or income adjustments. At Franklin Primary Health Center, no service generates a bill. The sliding scale reaches zero across the board, not just for HIV testing.
Herpes and Hepatitis Fill Out the Panel
A standard STI panel often stops at gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, leaving herpes and hepatitis as separate referrals. Franklin Primary Health Center tests for herpes alongside hepatitis A, B, and C. All under one appointment.
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.
The nearest testing center is about 3 miles away, if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Paragon, 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 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
Quest Diagnostics
$79 & up
Panel:
8-infection panel incl. chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, hepatitis & herpes: single tests too
Sample:
Quest Mobile: a phlebotomist collects your sample at home
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
Other CLIA-certified labs near Paragon, AL
Beyond the public testing sites above, these federally certified (CLIA) labs serve Choctaw 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.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Paragon. 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
Clinicians near Paragon, AL who may help arrange STD testing
Beyond dedicated clinics, 28 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Paragon. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 5 offer telehealth.
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
Pharmacies near Paragon, AL
Compare the pharmacies closest to Paragon, AL. Contact a location directly to confirm pharmacy-counter hours, services, prices, and product availability before visiting.
Directory records identify nearby pharmacies. Service, stock, price, and hours information is shown only when supported by current location-specific evidence.
Prevention & treatment
PrEP, prevention & online treatment
Testing is one step. For residents of Paragon, 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.
PrEP & DoxyPEP
Mistr
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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
STDs & HIV in Choctaw County: the local picture
How reported STI rates in Choctaw County, the county that includes Paragon, compare with Alabama and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~23% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#40
#40 of 67 Alabama counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 40% of the state
Reported STD rates per 100,000, Choctaw County vs Alabama vs U.S.
Choctaw CountyAlabamaU.S.▲▼ = Choctaw County vs the state average
Infection
Choctaw County
Alabama
United States
Chlamydia
457.156 cases▼ 30%
651.1
492.2
Gonorrhea
155.119 cases▼ 32%
226.9
179.5
Syphilis (P&S)
40.85 cases▲ 43%
28.6
15.8
Syphilis (early)
—
20.4
16
Syphilis (late/unknown)
8.21 cases▼ 67%
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.
Reported STD rates in Choctaw County over time (per 100,000)
Chlamydia ▲ 21% vs 2022
Chlamydia Gonorrhea Syphilis (P&S)
Between 2020 and 2023 in Choctaw County, chlamydia has risen from 355.3 to 457.1 per 100,000 (29%), gonorrhea has risen from 118.4 to 155.1 per 100,000 (31%), and P&S syphilis has held roughly steady from 40.8 to 40.8 per 100,000.
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
What shapes testing access in and around Paragon, AL
Adults uninsured
11%
No routine checkup
19%
No transportation
10.9%
Binge drinking
13%
Frequent mental distress
18.9%
Depression
26.4%
Below poverty line
17.2%
Primary-care ratio
2,507 : 1
Choctaw County
Primary-care shortage score 14 / 26
Medically Underserved Area · IMU 58.2
Social Vulnerability Index · 65th percentile nationally
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 Choctaw County.
Local HIV snapshot
HIV in Choctaw County (2023)
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.
People living with HIV
266 / 100k
Choctaw County HIV care continuum (2020)
Choctaw County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2020), against 16.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Choctaw County residents living with HIV, 65.4% are in care · 61.5% 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.
Pregnant or planning to be?Congenital syphilis is the fastest-rising STI: what to test, and when
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 Choctaw County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Compiled and checked by EasySTD's editorial team against CDC and public-health sources. This is educational information, not a substitute for advice from a licensed clinician. Our editorial guidelines →
Toxey marks the edge of a community where most households own their homes and nearly half of all adults are married, a domestic stability that shapes how health decisions get made, often quietly folded into a couple's shared calendar rather than an individual errand. With average households running small and a labor-force participation rate that leaves a significant share of adults outside the conventional nine-to-five, Paragon's rhythms don't always match the schedules that drive-in clinics expect. That same rootedness, though, coexists with real logistical weight. A threshold that reliably separates the people who follow through from those who don't.
The single option listed on this page reflects that thinness of local infrastructure, which matters most for younger adults in their late teens and twenties, the years when STI exposure is statistically highest and when an inconvenient commute is often enough reason to postpone care indefinitely. Choctaw County's STI figures are already visible on this page, and for residents of Paragon they represent a local reality, not an abstraction. Staying current with screening is simply what it looks like to take those numbers seriously from this address.
Getting there
How residents reach STD testing in Paragon, AL
Walkability4.61 / 20 · Least walkable
At 4.61/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Paragon 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 36908 snapshot
Residents
1,708
Median age
42.5
Median income
$54,775
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 36908 area around Paragon: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Paragon alone.
Paragon sits in Choctaw County, ZIP 36908. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Toxey
Nearby cities & towns
STD testing near Paragon, AL
Just outside Paragon? These nearby communities have their own testing guides: clinics, at-home kits, and free screening close to home.
STD testing in Paragon, AL: screening, costs & privacy
Everything to know before you test in Choctaw 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.
Who should test, and whenCDC screening schedule + each infection's detection window
Who should get tested, and how often
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
When to test: STD detection windows
Testing too early can return a false negative, confirm timing with a Paragon-area provider.
What each STD test costsMedicare reference prices per lab test, a benchmark before you pay out of pocket
These are the federal Medicare reference prices for processing each lab test. Public clinics and the community health centers serving Paragon 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.
Confidentiality & consent in AlabamaMinor consent and partner treatment (EPT) under state law, plus how to test privately
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).
Can a minor consent on their own?
In Alabama, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Can my partner be treated too? (EPT)
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.
