Marshall County reports about 16 syphilis cases per 100,000 residents near the national average. No matter if you need testing after a possible exposure or as part of routine care in Preston, Alabama, you can weigh the convenience of an at-home kit against the personal attention of a clinic. See more options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Preston, AL. The nearest, Northeast Alabama Health Services, is about 6.7 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.
Northeast Alabama Health Services in Scottsboro runs on a sliding-scale fee structure with free HIV testing, and accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance: covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections by appointment.
A cost barrier at the clinic door is the gap between a test ordered and a test actually taken, and at Northeast Alabama Health Services, that gap closes completely. Every service here is provided at no fee, so the sliding scale doesn't bottom out at a reduced bill; it bottoms out at nothing.
Northeast Alabama Health Services maintains on-site interpretation services for non-English languages, meaning the conversation about your results, your treatment, and your next steps happens in the language you actually use to make decisions. Not filtered through a parallel process after the fact.
Clinics offering only the four-infection core panel leave hepatitis exposure unexamined unless a patient specifically requests it elsewhere. Northeast Alabama Health Services tests for hepatitis A, B, and C as part of its standard panel, and backs that up with hepatitis A and adult hepatitis B vaccines on-site.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Northeast Alabama Health Services, Inc. in Woodville welcomes walk-in patients for STI screening without an appointment. Federally qualified standing ties fees to a sliding income scale, and a single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing in one stop.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A safety-net rural health clinic about 12 miles from Preston. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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 7 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Preston, 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 value: single tests
$49 & 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 Marshall 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.
11491 US Hwy 431, Albertville, AL 35950
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
104 Alabama Ave Suite B, Albertville, AL 35950
CMS-certified lab
2505 US Highway 431 North, Boaz, AL 35957
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Preston. 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, 381 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Preston. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 77 offer telehealth.
Amanda Storey, MD
Family medicine · 4500 Main Street, Grant
Margaret Morr, MD
Family medicine · 23382 John T Reid Parkway, Scottsboro
Michael Simmons, MD
Urology · 750 Byron Road, Scottsboro
Younus Ismail, MD
Internal medicine · 302 Main Street South, Section
Richard Baird, MD
Internal medicine · 380 Woods Cove Road, Scottsboro
Richard Fikes, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 380 Woods Cove Road, Scottsboro
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 Preston, AL 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.
Barfield Enterprises
4.6 mi
5.3 mi Allyscripts
9.3 miSection Pharmacy
11 miFoodland Pharmacy SB
12 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Preston, AL.
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 Preston, 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 Marshall County, the county that includes Preston, compare with Alabama and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~20% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#49 of 67 Alabama counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 27% of the state
| Infection | Marshall County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 379.1 382 cases ▼ 42% | 651.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 64.5 65 cases ▼ 72% | 226.9 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 15.9 16 cases ▼ 44% | 28.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 6 6 cases ▼ 71% | 20.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 8.9 9 cases ▼ 64% | 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.
Between 2020 and 2023 in Marshall County, chlamydia has risen from 298.1 to 379.1 per 100,000 (27%), gonorrhea has fallen from 140.4 to 64.5 per 100,000 (54%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 1 to 15.9 per 100,000 (1490%).
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 Marshall County.
Local HIV snapshot
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.
Marshall County HIV care continuum (2023)
Marshall County recorded 14.6 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 16.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Marshall County residents living with HIV, 81.8% are in care · 64.5% 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.
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 Marshall County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Preston's workforce picture is quieter than most Alabama towns its size: just over half the adult population is actively employed or job-seeking, which means schedules here aren't shaped by shift rotations alone but also by caregiving, retirement, and part-time arrangements that don't follow a standard nine-to-five. That mix can actually open windows for testing that a factory-heavy community wouldn't have, though it also means that when someone *is* working, their hours may be less flexible than they look. The community leans heavily toward homeownership, with the stability, and the distance from services, that tends to come with it. That reality lands hardest on younger adults in their late teens and twenties, who are statistically most likely to need STI screening and least likely to plan around a round-trip on a rural highway.
The options listed on this page include enough variety in hours and fees that someone can match a clinic to their actual availability rather than defaulting to an ER. With a large share of households earning well above the county median and close to half of adults in married households, Preston reads as settled and private, which can make talking about sexual health feel awkward. The clinics here don't require that conversation with anyone other than a provider.
Getting there
At 5.2/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Preston 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 35769 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 35769 area around Preston: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Preston alone.
Preston sits in Marshall County, ZIP 35769. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Preston? 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 Marshall 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.
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 Preston-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 Preston 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 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).
In Alabama, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
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.
Learn more about confidential STD testing in AlabamaSource: 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.
Some clinics and labs take walk-ins for same-day testing; call ahead to confirm hours.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
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 379 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Alabama average.
In Alabama, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
It's cured with antibiotics; treating partners together prevents reinfection.
The CDC doesn't advise routine herpes testing without symptoms; if you have a sore, a swab of it is the most accurate test.
Yes, test after the window period, and if HIV exposure is a concern, ask about PEP within 72 hours.
Roughly 1–2 weeks after exposure gives a dependable gonorrhea result.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.