Chlamydia cases in Bernalillo County are 30% higher than the national average. If you live in Ponderosa Pine, New Mexico you may be looking for screening for a one-time concern or regular check-ups. Some people prefer to visit a clinic to consult with a provider, while others use an at-home kit for convenience.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Ponderosa Pine, NM. The nearest, First Choice Community Healthcare, is about 11.6 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.
First Choice Community Healthcare in Edgewood requires an appointment and covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, HIV, hepatitis C, and TB testing on a sliding-scale fee open to anyone, with same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs, and clinical staff who deliver that care in Spanish.
Without Spanish-language clinical staff, a patient navigating STI results or treatment decisions faces gaps that delay care and compound risk. At First Choice Community Healthcare, Spanish is carried by the people providing care: meaning test results, treatment plans, and follow-up happen in full, without a second appointment to fill the language gap.
Many clinics will confirm a hepatitis C infection and stop there, leaving patients to locate a specialist willing to take the case. First Choice Community Healthcare in Edgewood treats hepatitis C on-site, from diagnosis through the antiviral regimen, so the path from a positive antibody test doesn't end at detection.
When substance-use treatment lives somewhere else entirely, the second appointment often never happens, and an STI that intersects with active substance use goes unmanaged on both fronts. First Choice Community Healthcare keeps that treatment in-house alongside STI care, closing the gap between two conditions that frequently arrive together.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
University of New Mexico Health System in Albuquerque pairs testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections found, all on a fee structure that accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance. An appointment is required.
University of New Mexico Health System provides care directly in American Sign Language and Spanish, with interpretation available for other languages: meaning clinical conversations about symptoms, treatment, and follow-up happen in real time, not across a communication gap that can blur the details that matter.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, University of New Mexico Health System tests for hepatitis A, B, and C, infections with different transmission routes and clinical implications, so a single appointment can produce a hepatitis picture alongside the standard bacterial and viral workup.
Languages
American Sign Language, English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
A public safety-net federally qualified health center about 15 miles from Ponderosa Pine. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
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 12 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Ponderosa Pine, 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 Bernalillo 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.
601 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Avenue Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87102
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
610 Broadway Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87102
CMS-certified lab
504 Elm Street Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87102
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Ponderosa Pine. 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, 698 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Ponderosa Pine. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 203 offer telehealth.
Elyssa Ackerman, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 12127B Hwy 14 North, Cedar Crest
Adam Ulibarri, MD
Family medicine · 13701 Encantado Road Northeast, Albuquerque
Emilia Vesper, MD
Family medicine · 8 Medical Ctr Road, Edgewood
Nancy Greces, MD
Internal medicine · 12101 Lomas Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque
Julian Rowe, MD
OB-GYN · 1950 C Old, Edgewood
Yolanda Bryant, MD
Family medicine · 2121 Juan Tabo Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque
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 Ponderosa Pine, NM 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.
10 mi May Cedar Crest HLTH MRT Pharmacy
10 miSmiths Pharmacy Window
10 miSmiths Pharmacy
10 mi
10 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Ponderosa Pine, NM.
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 Ponderosa Pine, 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 $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or to your pharmacy
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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
How reported STI rates in Bernalillo County, the county that includes Ponderosa Pine, compare with New Mexico 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.
#2 of 33 New Mexico counties for chlamydia, among the very highest in the state
| Infection | Bernalillo County | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 640.7 4,303 cases ▲ 22% | 523.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 261.8 1,758 cases ▲ 55% | 169 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 44.1 296 cases ▲ 20% | 36.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 24.9 167 cases ▲ 38% | 18.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 74.3 499 cases ▼ 3% | 76.6 | 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 Bernalillo County, chlamydia has risen from 595.9 to 640.7 per 100,000 (8%), gonorrhea has fallen from 293.7 to 261.8 per 100,000 (11%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 30.2 to 44.1 per 100,000 (46%).
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 Bernalillo County.
Local HIV snapshot
Bernalillo County HIV care continuum (2023)
Bernalillo County recorded 14.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 10.4 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Bernalillo County residents living with HIV, 80.8% are in care · 73.8% 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 Bernalillo County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Mornings in Ponderosa Pine often begin with a walk through Sunflower Meadow Park or a glance toward Mount Washington before the day's obligations take over. That same deliberate pace, the kind that comes from choosing to stay in one place, shapes how residents approach health decisions here too. STI testing fits into the rhythms of a community where people tend to remain for years, building families and roots, and where young adults moving through their twenties and thirties benefit from straightforward access to confidential screening without fanfare. Testing in and around Ponderosa Pine reflects the town's preference for direct, private care. Clinics listed on this page understand that in a place where many households span generations and where neighbors' lives intertwine, discretion isn't negotiable.
It's foundational. A test result stays between a person and their provider; no information travels through the social fabric unless someone chooses to share it. Whether someone seeks screening as part of routine health maintenance, before a new relationship, or because something prompted a question, the clinics serving Ponderosa Pine offer the same confidentiality and clinical standards available anywhere. What differs is the setting: the unhurried tone of a community that values stability, and the knowing that getting tested here means receiving care in a place where you belong.
Getting there
At 4.9/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Ponderosa Pine 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 87059 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 87059 area around Ponderosa Pine: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Ponderosa Pine alone.
Ponderosa Pine sits in Bernalillo County, ZIP 87059. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Ponderosa Pine? 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 Bernalillo County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under New Mexico 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 Ponderosa Pine-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 Ponderosa Pine 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
New Mexico 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 New MexicoSource: 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.
Nearest is First Choice Community Healthcare, about 11.6 mi away; 7 are within 30 miles. An at-home kit shipped to 87059 also works.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
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.
Bernalillo County reported ~641 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the New Mexico average.
In New Mexico, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Chlamydia is checked with a simple urine sample or a swab; lab results usually come back in a day or two.
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.
Reassuring if you tested after the window, just retest if it was early, and screen again with new partners.
Yes, site matters; oral/anal exposure needs a throat or rectal swab, which urine testing won't catch.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.