Sonoma County reports about 15 syphilis cases per 100,000 residents, near the US average. Whether you show symptoms or just want peace of mind in Sea Ranch, California, consider your options for STI testing. Public clinics keep costs down, private labs prioritize speed, and at-home kits trade a clinic visit for convenience.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Sea Ranch, CA. The nearest, Redwood Coast Medical Services - Sea Watch, is about 5.6 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.
A public safety-net federally qualified health center about 6 miles from Sea Ranch. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Redwood Coast Medical Services in Gualala runs on appointments and covers gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, and conventional HIV testing: bacterial infections treated same visit, with fees on a sliding scale accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance. Care is delivered in Spanish.
Plenty of STI clinics test for the standard four and leave herpes off the panel entirely, meaning an infection can go unnamed and unmanaged for months. Redwood Coast Medical Services tests for herpes directly, so the picture of what's present is complete from the start.
When substance-use treatment isn't part of STI care, the gap between them is a place where follow-through breaks down. A second appointment, a separate provider, a reason to stop. Redwood Coast Medical Services holds both, so neither goes unaddressed because of the friction of getting somewhere else.
Without Spanish-language care at the point of service, the cost is real: questions go unasked, treatment instructions get misread, and results don't land with the weight they should. At Redwood Coast Medical Services, Spanish is the language the care itself is delivered in. Not routed around, not approximated.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Redwood Coast Med SVC Resrc CTR in Gualala welcomes walk-ins for STI screening without an appointment. Federal qualification ties fees to a sliding income scale, and a single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing for anyone who comes through the door.
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 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Sea Ranch, 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 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 Sonoma 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.
3883 Airway Drive, Suite 203, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
CMS-certified lab
196 Wikiup Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
CMS-certified lab
6880 Palm Avenue, Sebastopol, CA 95472
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Sea Ranch. 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, 28 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Sea Ranch. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 4 offer telehealth.
Stacey Carroll, MD
Family medicine · 46900 Ocean View Way, Gualala
Cary Smeltzer, DO
Family medicine · 13500 Airport Road, Boonville
Noel Serrano, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 300 Cherry Creek Road, Cloverdale
Patricia Kennel, MD Telehealth
OB-GYN · 8207 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg
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 Sea Ranch, CA 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.
Gualala Pharmacy
5.4 miGualala Community Pharmacy
5.4 miPharmblue California
19 miCloverdale Pharmacy
24 mi
24 mi 
29 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Sea Ranch, CA.
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 Sea Ranch, 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
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
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 Sonoma County, the county that includes Sea Ranch, compare with California and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~6% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#25 of 58 California counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 57% of the state
| Infection | Sonoma County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 362.6 1,747 cases ▼ 26% | 491.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 103.4 498 cases ▼ 46% | 190.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 14.9 72 cases ▼ 9% | 16.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 15.8 76 cases ▼ 17% | 19.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 13.5 65 cases ▼ 71% | 46.7 | 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 Sonoma County, chlamydia has risen from 269.2 to 362.6 per 100,000 (35%), gonorrhea has fallen from 131.5 to 103.4 per 100,000 (21%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 13.1 to 14.9 per 100,000 (14%).
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 Sonoma County.
Local HIV snapshot
Sonoma County HIV care continuum (2023)
Sonoma County recorded 9.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.9 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Sonoma County residents living with HIV, 86.8% are in care · 83.4% 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 Sonoma County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
People drift to Sea Ranch for the coast itself: to wake up near Ohlson Beach, to build a life around the bluff walks and the Native Plant Garden's quiet corners, to slow down on a stretch of CA 1 where the rhythm shifts. But young adults who plant themselves here, whether for a season or a decade, still need the same preventive care they'd seek anywhere else. Routine STI screening fits into that practical picture: something you handle before it becomes something you hide, before uncertainty starts coloring the relationships you're building in a tight-knit place. Testing in and around Sea Ranch draws on confidentiality as a working premise, not a luxury.
Clinics and providers listed on this page understand that discretion matters more acutely when your town is built on long-standing connections, when you see the same faces at the farmers' market and the same families across generations at the local school. What you learn about your health stays yours alone. The mix of people here (homeowners who've chosen to stay, couples raising children, people retired into a slower life) means the health resources serve everyone at different stages. Young adults navigating early relationships or transitions, though, benefit from knowing that testing is available without fanfare, without judgment, and with the same professional standard you'd find anywhere else.
Getting there
Sea Ranch scores 10.96/20 on the EPA walkability index, so many trips are walkable or a short ride, though a car still gives you the widest choice of testing centers.
Source: EPA National Walkability Index 2021.
ZIP 95497 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 95497 area around Sea Ranch: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Sea Ranch alone.
Sea Ranch sits in Sonoma County, ZIP 95497. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Sea Ranch? 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 Sonoma County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under California 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 Sea Ranch-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 Sea Ranch 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 California 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 California, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
California 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 CaliforniaSource: 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.
Yes, several local labs offer same-day walk-in testing; best to call first.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it.
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.
Sonoma County reported ~363 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the California average.
In California, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
At-home kits mail to 95497: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
Yes, sores or ulcers can indicate herpes or syphilis and should be evaluated quickly, ideally while a sore is present.
Use condoms, test regularly, get the HPV and hep B vaccines, and ask about PrEP for HIV.
Many STIs are fully cured with antibiotics; others, like HIV and herpes, are well managed with treatment.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.