STD Testing in Penfield Heights, AL: Free, Same-Day & Confidential
About 44 syphilis cases per 100,000 people make it common in Jefferson County. If you live in Penfield Heights, Alabama, you might want testing for a one-time concern or regular check-ups. Some places offer faster results or flexible scheduling, while others may charge less, or nothing at all. The options in Penfield Heights, Alabama, are listed below.
7 testing options are listed for Penfield Heights, AL. The nearest, Jefferson County Department of Health, is about 1.0 miles away. Compare community and public clinics, 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.
Premium Partner
Labcorp
Most popular Results in 1–2 days
1.9(16)?
Review sources
Google14
EasySTD2
Rated 1.9 out of 5 from 16 reviews
Address
50 Medical Park Drive East, Birmingham, AL 35235 3.3 miles away
Today's offer: $10 off any test panel, applied automatically at checkout.
Closest to you 1.0 miles
Jefferson County Department of Health
3.2(20)?
Review sources
Google17
EasySTD3
Rated 3.2 out of 5 from 20 reviews
Jefferson County Department of Health in Birmingham runs a full diagnostic panel (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and HIV) with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections confirmed on-site. Appointments are required, fees slide with income, and all services are provided at no cost.
Read full overviewShow less
Every Service Carries a Zero Balance
Sliding-scale clinics routinely reduce costs, they rarely eliminate them entirely. At Jefferson County Department of Health, every service on the menu, from testing through treatment, is provided at no fee, so the bill at the end of the visit is simply nothing.
Clinical Conversations Happen in Spanish
Many clinics handle non-English speakers through workarounds that keep the patient one step removed from the actual conversation. Jefferson County Department of Health offers Spanish directly alongside interpretation services for other languages, so the exchange between patient and provider stays immediate and unfiltered.
DoxyPEP Is a Standing Prescription Option
Jefferson County Department of Health prescribes DoxyPEP, doxycycline taken after a sexual exposure to reduce the risk of bacterial STIs, which means patients with an active prevention strategy can leave the visit with that prescription in hand rather than pursuing it separately.
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Gonorrhea
Syphilis
Herpes
Chlamydia
Conventional HIV
Serves
Low Income Persons
Persons with HIV
Persons with STI
Care services
Family Planning
STI Treatment
Prevention services
STI Prevention/Education
HIV/AIDS Prevention/Education
HIV Test Counseling
Condom Distribution
Fees & payment
Medicaid Accepted
Medicare Accepted
Fee
Insurance Accepted
Free HIV Test
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Community health center 3.8 miles
Christ Health Center, Inc. - Live Oaks
4.2(27)?
Review sources
Google25
EasySTD2
Rated 4.2 out of 5 from 27 reviews
A safety-net federally qualified health center about 4 miles from Penfield Heights. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Christ Health Center for Servant Leadership - Woodlawn
No ratings yet
A safety-net federally qualified health center about 4 miles from Penfield Heights. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
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 1 mile away, if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Penfield Heights, 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 Penfield Heights, AL
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.
Childrens Hospital of Alabama
1600 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233
CMS-certified labAccredited · College of American Pathologists
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Penfield Heights. 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 Penfield Heights, AL who may help arrange STD testing
Beyond dedicated clinics, 881 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Penfield Heights. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 184 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 Penfield Heights, AL
Compare the pharmacies closest to Penfield Heights, AL. Contact a location directly to confirm pharmacy-counter hours, services, prices, and product availability before visiting.
Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Penfield Heights, AL.
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 Penfield Heights, 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.
Online treatment
Wisp
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions 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
STDs & HIV in Jefferson County: the local picture
How reported STI rates in Jefferson County, the county that includes Penfield Heights, compare with Alabama and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~24% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#14
#14 of 67 Alabama counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 79% of the state
Reported STD rates per 100,000, Jefferson County vs Alabama vs U.S.
Jefferson CountyAlabamaU.S.▲▼ = Jefferson County vs the state average
Infection
Jefferson County
Alabama
United States
Chlamydia
852.95,654 cases▲ 31%
651.1
492.2
Gonorrhea
355.92,359 cases▲ 57%
226.9
179.5
Syphilis (P&S)
44.2293 cases▲ 55%
28.6
15.8
Syphilis (early)
36.2240 cases▲ 77%
20.4
16
Syphilis (late/unknown)
29.6196 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.
Reported STD rates in Jefferson County over time (per 100,000)
Chlamydia ▼ 7% vs 2022
Chlamydia Gonorrhea Syphilis (P&S)
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
What shapes testing access in and around Penfield Heights, AL
Adults uninsured
15.6%
No routine checkup
18.3%
No transportation
16.8%
Binge drinking
12.1%
Frequent mental distress
19.2%
Depression
22.6%
Below poverty line
24.9%
Primary-care ratio
900 : 1
Jefferson County
Primary-care shortage score 24 / 26
Medically Underserved Area · IMU 51.5
Social Vulnerability Index · 73rd 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 Jefferson County.
Local HIV snapshot
HIV in Jefferson 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
696 / 100k
New diagnoses (2023)
147cases countywide
On PrEP (coverage)
18.5%
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.
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 Jefferson 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 →
Along Pinson Valley Parkway, where AL 79 cuts through the heart of Penfield Heights, the households lining the corridor tell a quiet story: fewer than one in four adults here are married, and with an average home holding just over two people, health decisions tend to land on a single set of shoulders. That independence can be a strength, but it also means there's no built-in nudge from a partner who noticed the reminder card on the fridge. The rental majority in neighborhoods like Sunrise East and Huffman, where $835 a month is a typical rent, signals a population that tends to be younger, more mobile, and more likely to include people in their late teens and twenties, exactly the years when STI rates climb.
With unemployment running well above national norms and labor-force participation relatively low, scheduling around work shifts or stretched budgets is a real constraint. A clinic that charges on a sliding scale or stays open on a weekend morning matters differently here than it does somewhere with steadier employment and higher household incomes. East Lake Park is a neighborhood landmark many residents navigate past regularly; clinics near that corridor may simply be easier to reach on an ordinary errand.
Getting there
How residents reach STD testing in Penfield Heights, AL
Walkability9.26 / 20 · Below average
At 9.26/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Penfield Heights 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 35217 snapshot
Residents
12,468
Median age
41.7
Median income
$38,769
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 35217 area around Penfield Heights: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Penfield Heights alone.
Penfield Heights sits in Jefferson County, ZIP 35217. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Southern Museum Of Flight
Mil Mi-25s 88-0616
Chief William C Hewitt Park
East Lake Park
Lynn Park
Bell UH-1H Iroquois
Neighborhoods & communities
Sunrise East
Roebuck
East Lake
Huffman
Tarrant
Marks Village
Woodlawn
Major routes
US 11 (Parkway E)
AL 79 (Pinson Valley Parkway)
Nearby cities & towns
STD testing near Penfield Heights, AL
Just outside Penfield Heights? These nearby communities have their own testing guides: clinics, at-home kits, and free screening close to home.
STD testing in Penfield Heights, AL: screening, costs & privacy
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.
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 Penfield Heights-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 Penfield Heights 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.
