Lexington County reports about 15 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 residents, near the US average. Whether it's your first test or a routine screening in South Congaree, South Carolina, consider whether you prefer a clinic that may bill insurance or a private lab with a flat self-pay price. Review your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for South Congaree, SC. The nearest, South Carolina Department of Public Health, is about 6.3 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.
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Lexington requires appointments and covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis C, and TB testing on a sliding-scale fee accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. With same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs and PrEP and DoxyPEP available on-site.
Tracking down PrEP through a primary care referral or DoxyPEP through a separate provider means delays measured in weeks, gaps where consistent prevention simply doesn't happen. South Carolina Department of Public Health in Lexington writes and manages PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP directly, so prevention starts from the same visit as testing.
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Lexington tests for hepatitis C in addition to HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, which means a single appointment can surface a hep C infection that would otherwise go undetected until symptoms appear or a separate lab order is placed.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Cooperative Health in West Columbia covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis C, and TB testing, treating bacterial infections in the same visit when results warrant it. Fees run on a sliding scale, with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance all accepted. An appointment is required.
Cooperative Health maintains on-site interpretation services for non-English-speaking patients: not a scheduling add-on but a staffed capability present during the clinical encounter itself, so the conversation about testing, results, and treatment happens directly, without a relay.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Cooperative Health tests for hepatitis C in the same visit, which means a patient leaves knowing their status across all five rather than scheduling a separate appointment elsewhere to fill that gap.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Brookland Community Pediatrics, in West Columbia, carries federally qualified health center standing. A designation that ties STI screening fees directly to each patient's income on a sliding scale. Walk-in appointments are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing without needing to commit to a fixed cost upfront.
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 South Congaree, 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 Lexington 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.
3314 Platt Springs Roads, West Columbia, SC 29170
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
1600 Lake Murray Boulevard, Columbia, SC 29212
CMS-certified lab
3799 12th Street Ext, Suite 105, Cayce, SC 29033
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near South Congaree. 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, 463 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of South Congaree. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 114 offer telehealth.
John Dunn, MD
Family medicine · 3316 Platt Springs Road, West Columbia
Clarence Coker, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 3314 Platt Springs Road, West Columbia
Elizabeth Darragh, MD
Family medicine · 2836 Augusta Road, West Columbia
Robert Smith, MD
Family medicine · 1612 Airport Boulevard, West Columbia
Aamir Mohiuddin, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 3085 Taylor Road, Cayce
Peter Bailey, MD
Family medicine · 3799 12th St Ext, Cayce
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 South Congaree, SC 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.
0.4 mi 
0.4 mi Pine Ridge Pharmacy
1.6 miAirport Pharmacy
1.8 mi
3.0 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to South Congaree, SC.
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 South Congaree, 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 $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
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
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 Lexington County, the county that includes South Congaree, compare with South Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~25% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#36 of 46 South Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 22% of the state
| Infection | Lexington County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 455.5 1,410 cases ▼ 26% | 612.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 169 523 cases ▼ 24% | 222.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 10 31 cases ▼ 42% | 17.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 14.2 44 cases ▼ 24% | 18.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 16.8 52 cases ▲ 44% | 11.7 | 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 Lexington County, chlamydia has fallen from 466.7 to 455.5 per 100,000 (2%), gonorrhea has fallen from 209.2 to 169 per 100,000 (19%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 7.5 to 10 per 100,000 (33%).
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 Lexington County.
Local HIV snapshot
Federal priority area: South Carolina 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.
Lexington County HIV care continuum (2023)
Lexington County recorded 15 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 18.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Lexington County residents living with HIV, 83.3% are in care · 69.2% 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 Lexington County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Manufacturing and construction work anchor South Congaree's economy, drawing people who value stability and plan to stay. That same rootedness, the kind that shows in maintained yards and long tenure at a single employer, makes routine health screening feel less like a crisis response and more like ordinary maintenance. STI testing in and around South Congaree fits that practical mindset: a straightforward step, not a dramatic one, especially for the young adults in the community who know that early detection protects their own health and their partners' alike. The modest cost of living here means residents often weigh healthcare choices carefully.
Testing sites listed on this page include providers accustomed to working with people who need clarity on what they'll pay and what their results mean. Confidentiality is built into how clinics operate, not as an afterthought or special accommodation, but as standard procedure. What you discuss with a provider stays with that provider; results don't circulate through the community. South Congaree's character is one of people who show up and follow through.
That same steadiness applies to sexual health: getting tested isn't a break from routine, it's part of it. Clinics serving the area understand that residents often prefer straightforward service, minimal wait, and no unnecessary steps, and they've built their schedules and processes to match.
Getting there
At 6.91/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in South Congaree 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 29170 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 29170 area around South Congaree: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not South Congaree alone.
South Congaree sits in Lexington County, ZIP 29170. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside South Congaree? 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 Lexington County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under South 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 South Congaree-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 South Congaree 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 South 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 South Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
South 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 South 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.
Some clinics and labs take walk-ins for same-day testing; call ahead to confirm hours.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Yes, public clinics in the area offer free or low-cost testing.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 456 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the South Carolina average.
In South Carolina, 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.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
A urine sample or a swab (genital, throat, or rectal) detects gonorrhea, often tested alongside chlamydia.
Likely yes, if you were past the window period; otherwise retest, and keep up routine screening with new partners.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.