Polson, Montana sees syphilis reports run about 81% lower than the national average. Whether you're addressing a one-time concern or setting up regular check-ups, consider that community and public clinics are often low-cost or free, while private labs tend to offer faster results and more flexible scheduling. See the options listed below.
Available testing centers
6 testing options are listed for Polson, MT. The nearest, St Lukes Community Hospital, is about 0.5 miles away. Compare 5 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 rural health clinic in Polson. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Logan Health in Polson accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance, with a sliding scale covering those who pay out of pocket, and the panel itself spans HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis C, and TB, with HPV, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B vaccines available on the same appointment.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Providence in Polson accepts Medicaid and private insurance, with a fee structure that scales to income, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB. Appointments required, bacterial infections treated same visit.
Without interpretation available at the point of care, a language barrier doesn't just slow things down: it leaves symptoms undescribed, treatment instructions misunderstood, and follow-up care skipped. At Providence, interpretation services for non-English languages are part of the appointment itself, so nothing in the clinical conversation gets lost or deferred.
Providence prescribes and monitors both PrEP and PEP directly. PrEP involves an initial HIV and kidney function screening, then ongoing lab work, typically every three months, to confirm continued eligibility and refill prescriptions. PEP is dispensed with a full 28-day course and clinical follow-up built in, not handed off.
The basic STI panel at many clinics stops at gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. Infections with clear public-health reporting incentives. Providence extends testing to herpes, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, catching infections that a narrower panel would leave undetected and unmanaged.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Lake County Public Health in Polson accepts Medicaid and most insurance, with sliding-scale fees covering everyone else, and the panel goes beyond the standard four to include hepatitis B and hepatitis C alongside rapid HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Appointments are required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Providence Montana in Ronan schedules appointments for STI screening that covers syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV testing in a single visit. Fees are structured on a sliding scale tied to income, so patients across a range of financial situations can afford the care they need.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Polson, 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 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 Lake 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.
107 6th Avenue Southwest, Ronan, MT 59864
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 1 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Polson. 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, 22 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Polson. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 4 offer telehealth.
Milissa Grandchamp, NP
Family medicine · 5 4th Avenue East, Polson
Nathaniel Ebersole, DO
Internal medicine · 6 13th Avenue East, Polson
Kelly Bagnell, MD
OB-GYN · 63351 US Hwy 93, Ronan
Kimberly Damrow, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 107 6th Avenue Southwest, Ronan
Edred Vizcarra, MD
Family medicine · 126 6th Avenue Southwest, Ronan
Amy Reed Friedman, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 306 Stoner Loop, Lakeside
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 Polson, MT 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.
Credena Health Pharmacy Lakeshore
0.3 mi
0.8 mi 
0.9 mi 
1.0 mi Healthcare Plus Retail Pharmacy
1.0 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Polson, MT.
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 Polson, 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 $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
$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
How reported STI rates in Lake County, the county that includes Polson, compare with Montana 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.
#11 of 56 Montana counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 80% of the state
| Infection | Lake County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 342 114 cases ▲ 6% | 322.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 48 16 cases ▼ 29% | 67.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 3 1 cases ▼ 89% | 27.5 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 3 1 cases ▼ 76% | 12.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 24 8 cases ▼ 12% | 27.2 | 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 Lake County, chlamydia has fallen from 462.5 to 342 per 100,000 (26%), gonorrhea has fallen from 134.9 to 48 per 100,000 (64%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 3.2 to 3 per 100,000 (6%).
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 Lake County.
Local HIV snapshot
Lake County HIV care continuum (2023)
Lake County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Lake County residents living with HIV, 90.9% are in care · 90.9% 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 Lake County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Salish Point Park sits at the quieter end of town, a short walk from the water but a long drive from almost everything else in daily life, and that driving reality shapes how Polson residents handle health care. US 93 is the backbone here, the same road that brings traffic through on Polson Bridge and threads past Ducharme Park, and for most people a medical appointment means getting in the car and planning around it. That planning is real when unemployment runs as high as it does in Polson and the majority of households earn well below six figures. For the nearly half of residents who rent, at monthly costs that still strain budgets relative to local wages, an extra afternoon off work for a clinic visit isn't a casual decision.
Younger adults in their late teens and twenties, a meaningful slice of this small community, tend to move more, form new relationships more often, and test less consistently precisely when consistent screening matters most. Low-cost, same-week options listed here exist partly because those competing pressures are real for a lot of people in this town. With the city offering almost no practical foot traffic between landmarks, the options on this page (spread across hours, cost tiers, and distance) mean someone leaving work on US 93 heading north can often find something that fits the actual commute home.
Getting there
At 4.79/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Polson 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 59860 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 59860 area around Polson: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Polson alone.
Polson sits in Lake County, ZIP 59860. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Polson? 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 Lake County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Montana 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 Polson-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 Polson 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 Montana 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 Montana, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Montana 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 MontanaSource: 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, Ronan, MT is close; compare it by distance against St Lukes Community Hospital.
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, HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Herpes, Trichomoniasis, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 342 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Montana average.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Montana, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, partners should test and be treated together to avoid passing it back and forth.
Yes, from a reputable lab, confirm any positive with a clinician for treatment.
Start treatment, tell recent partners so they can test, avoid sex until cleared, and retest if advised, most STIs resolve with care.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.