New HIV diagnoses run about 28% lower than the US average in Onslow County. Whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening in Richlands, North Carolina, weighing the cost structure can help you decide between local clinics and private labs. Below, find your options for STI testing.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Richlands, NC. The nearest, Novant Health, is about 10.2 miles away. Compare community and public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits below.
Novant Health in Jacksonville brings hospital-system infrastructure to STI care: conventional HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis A/B/C testing on a sliding-scale fee, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and appointments required. Interpretation services extend that access to non-English speakers.
Novant Health carries hepatitis C care through both diagnosis and active treatment, meaning the clinical relationship that begins with an antibody test continues into the antiviral management phase without a handoff to another provider. That continuity shortens the gap between a confirmed result and a treatment start date.
For anyone without a regular prescribing provider, or paying out of pocket with access to Novant's sliding-scale fees, both PrEP and PEP are available through this practice, covering ongoing HIV prevention and post-exposure response under one clinical relationship rather than splitting those needs across separate systems.
Interpretation services at Novant Health in Jacksonville are available for non-English languages and are integrated into the appointment model, so the structured, provider-led visit that makes STI care here more thorough is the same format through which language access is delivered, preserving the clinical exchange rather than abbreviating it.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Star Medical Clinic in Jacksonville tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C on a sliding-scale fee, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, by appointment, with care delivered in Spanish.
Plenty of STI clinics cap their panel at four infections and leave everything else to be sorted separately. Star Medical Clinic tests for herpes, and for hepatitis A, B, and C alongside the standard bacterial and HIV workup. Meaning a fuller picture from a single appointment.
Star Medical Clinic prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly, no outside referral needed to access either prevention medication. Having both under the same clinical roof means ongoing PrEP monitoring and any time-sensitive PEP course are handled by providers already familiar with a patient's history.
For a Spanish-speaking patient without a regular provider (navigating medication adherence, HIV medical treatment, or a hepatitis B diagnosis) clinical accuracy in their primary language isn't a courtesy, it's essential. Star Medical Clinic delivers that care directly in Spanish, across counseling, treatment, and education.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Nov 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Onslow County Health Department in Jacksonville tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, and hepatitis C on a sliding-scale fee, with walk-ins welcome and same-visit treatment for bacterial infections. All services provided at no cost.
A fee, even a modest one, can quietly push a follow-up appointment off the calendar, leaving bacterial infections untreated and test results unacted on. At Onslow County Health Department, every service, from the initial test to treatment to counseling, carries no charge, so nothing interrupts the full course of care.
Many clinics handle non-English speakers through a remote line that keeps the patient at arm's length from their own care. Onslow County Health Department offers Spanish directly on staff and interpretation services for other languages, so the conversation about risk, results, and next steps happens in full, not in fragments.
A standard four-infection screen leaves herpes and hepatitis C off the table entirely, sending people elsewhere, or nowhere, for those answers. Onslow County Health Department tests for both alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, so a single visit covers infections that often go undetected at narrower clinics.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
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 about 10 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Richlands, 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 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 Onslow 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.
250 Huff Drive, Jacksonville, NC 28546
CMS-certified lab
4006 Henderson Drive, Jacksonville, NC 28546
CMS-certified lab
1000 Brabham Avenue, Jacksonville, NC 28546
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Richlands. 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, 283 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Richlands. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 69 offer telehealth.
Joseph Zastrow, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 8210 Richlands Highway, Richlands
Michael Lawrence, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 148 Cox Avenue, Richlands
Olan Kemp, MD
Family medicine · 4275 Western Boulevard, Jacksonville
Ryan Holland, MD Telehealth
Urology · 201 Williamsburg Parkway, Jacksonville
Jeffrey Bierly, MD
Urology · 2000 Brabham Avenue, Jacksonville
Gina Berthold, MD Telehealth
Infectious disease · 1000 Brabham Lane, Jacksonville
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 Richlands, NC 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.
Value RX Pharmacy
0.4 miBig Value Discount Drug Center
0.4 miKerr Drug
0.9 mi
0.9 mi 
1.5 mi 
9.1 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Richlands, NC.
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 Richlands, 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 $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
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
$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 Onslow County, the county that includes Richlands, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~30% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#20 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 80% of the state
| Infection | Onslow County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 818.5 1,749 cases ▲ 35% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 192.3 411 cases ▼ 21% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 9.4 20 cases ▼ 53% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 6.6 14 cases ▼ 58% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 10.8 23 cases ▼ 55% | 24 | 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 Onslow County, chlamydia has fallen from 1040.7 to 818.5 per 100,000 (21%), gonorrhea has fallen from 222.9 to 192.3 per 100,000 (14%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 10.3 to 9.4 per 100,000 (9%).
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 Onslow County.
Local HIV snapshot
Onslow County HIV care continuum (2023)
Onslow County recorded 9.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Onslow County residents living with HIV, 47.3% are in care · 41.8% 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 Onslow County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
East Franck Street anchors a stretch of Richlands where a notable share of households are renting: often younger adults who've recently landed jobs, moved for a relationship, or are still figuring out whether this part of Onslow County is home for the long haul. Those late-teen and twenty-something years carry their own particular health calculus: routine screening gets easy to defer when rent is already tight and a paycheck isn't guaranteed, which matters here given an unemployment picture that leaves a real slice of working-age residents between steady income and a manageable healthcare bill. The household profile tells a layered story. Richlands skews toward owned homes and larger family units, the kind of multigenerational or coupled-up arrangements where two people's health histories are genuinely intertwined.
With most married adults living in households that run closer to four people than two, a positive result affects more than one person's next steps, which makes accessible, low-threshold testing a practical household concern, not just an individual one. That's where the drive reality lands hardest. Every option listed on this page requires getting in a car, which means scheduling, fuel, and a stretch of Richlands Highway or Gum Branch Road between a decision and a result. Knowing that distance upfront turns an intention into a route you can actually plan.
Getting there
At 3.22/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Richlands 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 28574 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 28574 area around Richlands: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Richlands alone.
Richlands sits in Onslow County, ZIP 28574. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Richlands? 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 Onslow County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under North Carolina 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 Richlands-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 Richlands 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
North Carolina 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 North CarolinaSource: 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.
Novant Health, about 10.2 mi away, with 5 options within 30 miles.
Free at public clinics. Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
Onslow County Health Department, about 12.4 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Onslow County reported ~819 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the North Carolina average.
In North Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
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.
Untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and fertility problems, caught early, it's cured with antibiotics.
It can; oral HSV-1 transmits to the genitals during oral sex.
A urine test or swab finds trichomoniasis, one of the most treatable STIs.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.