Gonorrhea rates in Pontotoc County run about 15% lower than the US average. Whether starting a new relationship or seeking ongoing care in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, consider your time and convenience. Some clinics offer same-day appointments, while labs and at-home kits provide more flexibility.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Pontotoc, MS. The nearest, Pontotoc Health Services, is about 1.0 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 community safety-net rural health clinic about 1 mile from Pontotoc. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
North Mississippi Health Services in Pontotoc integrates STI care into an established regional health system, pairing the standard panel (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis B and C) with sliding-scale fees, same-visit bacterial treatment, and Spanish-language care. Appointments required.
Leaving herpes or hepatitis B and C untested means a separate appointment, a separate bill, and weeks of not knowing. North Mississippi Health Services tests for both in the same visit as the standard bacterial and HIV workup, so a gap in the picture doesn't become a gap in treatment.
PrEP at North Mississippi Health Services means an ongoing clinical relationship: the prescribing provider monitors kidney function and HIV status at required intervals, adjusting the regimen as needed. PEP is also available, dispensed and managed through the same practice rather than handed off.
When STI care requires a go-between to translate, the clinical nuance (symptom timelines, medication adherence, exposure specifics) gets compressed or lost entirely, and the untreated detail is the costly one. North Mississippi Health Services delivers care directly in Spanish, keeping the full clinical conversation intact.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 1 mile from Pontotoc. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
A community safety-net federally qualified health center about 1 mile from Pontotoc. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
ARcare in Pontotoc tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV on a sliding-scale fee structure that accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance: appointments are required, and bacterial STIs caught here are treated at the same visit.
Chasing down a prevention prescription through a separate provider means scheduling delays, extra copays, and coverage gaps that leave people unprotected longer than necessary. ARcare in Pontotoc writes PrEP and PEP prescriptions directly, so prevention stays on the same timeline as testing rather than stalling in a separate referral queue.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · 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 1 mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Pontotoc, 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 range: couples & full panels
$79 & up
Best for simplicity & support
$89 & 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 Pontotoc 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.
176 South Main Street, Pontotoc, MS 38863
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
109 Highway 15 South, Pontotoc, MS 38863
CMS-certified lab
12 Brookes Crossing, Pontotoc, MS 38863
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 3 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Pontotoc. 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, 202 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Pontotoc. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 22 offer telehealth.
Denise Sojourner, MD
Family medicine · 359 Old Oak Circle, Pontotoc
Christopher Park, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 47 South Main Street, Pontotoc
Samuel Holdiness, MD
Internal medicine · 345 Hwy 15 North, Pontotoc
Jennifer Lowery, MD
Family medicine · 176 South Main Street, Pontotoc
Robert Carter, MD
Family medicine · 353 Hwy 15 North, Pontotoc
Gabrielle Alexander, MD
OB-GYN · 1793 Cliff Gookin Boulevard, Tupelo
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 Pontotoc, MS 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.
0.5 mi Montgomery Drug Company
1.2 mi
2.4 mi Friendship
5.3 miSherman Drugs
12 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Pontotoc, MS.
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 Pontotoc, 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.
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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
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 Pontotoc County, the county that includes Pontotoc, compare with Mississippi and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~29% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#62 of 82 Mississippi counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 24% of the state
| Infection | Pontotoc County | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 488.3 154 cases ▼ 30% | 700.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 152.2 48 cases ▼ 39% | 251.1 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 47.6 15 cases ▲ 58% | 30.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 31.7 10 cases ▲ 94% | 16.3 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 69.8 22 cases ▲ 8% | 64.8 | 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 Pontotoc County, chlamydia has fallen from 654.2 to 488.3 per 100,000 (25%), gonorrhea has fallen from 410.5 to 152.2 per 100,000 (63%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 12.8 to 47.6 per 100,000 (272%).
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 Pontotoc County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: Mississippi 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.
Pontotoc County HIV care continuum (2023)
Among Pontotoc County residents living with HIV, 81.5% are in care · 77.8% 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 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 Pontotoc County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Pontotoc households tend to run large and lean married: the kind of homes where health decisions often ripple outward, touching partners, children, and extended family under one roof. That family-centered dynamic shapes when and how people seek care, including testing that rarely feels urgent until it does. Younger adults here, people still navigating early relationships and the mid-twenties churn of life changes, face the years when STIs transmit most readily, and having a clear path to screening matters precisely because daily life in Pontotoc doesn't make it automatic. Nearly half of residents rent, with typical monthly costs sitting low enough that housing isn't the dominant squeeze, but with fewer than half the adult population active in the workforce, scheduling around jobs and caregiving leaves narrow windows.
The county STI picture adds weight to that calculus. With a meaningful share of high-earner households concentrated alongside significant economic variation, access isn't evenly distributed. Knowing which clinic near Court Square or along MS 15 fits your schedule and budget is the kind of specific information that turns awareness into an actual appointment kept.
Getting there
At 4.22/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Pontotoc 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 38863 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 38863 area around Pontotoc: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Pontotoc alone.
Pontotoc sits in Pontotoc County, ZIP 38863. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Pontotoc? 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 Pontotoc County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Mississippi 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 Pontotoc-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 Pontotoc 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Mississippi 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 MississippiSource: 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, Ecru, MS is close; compare it by distance against Pontotoc Health Services.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Yes, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 488 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Mississippi average.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
In Mississippi, 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, 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.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.