Van Buren County reports about 15 syphilis cases per 100,000 residents, near the US average. If you have a one-time concern or want regular check-ups in Spencer, Tennessee, consider the options below. Clinics may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, and some private labs may let you choose a flat self-pay price.
Available testing centers
6 testing options are listed for Spencer, TN. The nearest, Cumberland Family Care, is about 0.3 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.
A community safety-net rural health clinic in Spencer. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Tennessee Department of Health in Spencer tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, treating bacterial infections the same visit when results warrant. Appointments are required, and every service (testing, treatment, vaccines) runs on a sliding scale with no floor.
Fee schedules at many public clinics bottom out at a minimum charge regardless of income. At Tennessee Department of Health in Spencer, every service, from the STI panel to hepatitis vaccines to TB treatment, is provided at no cost, full stop.
For someone whose primary language is Spanish and who lacks a regular provider, the Tennessee Department of Health in Spencer delivers care directly in Spanish: clinical history, treatment instructions, and follow-up all conducted in the same language, without routing through a separate service.
Anyone without a specialist or a primary care relationship who needs hepatitis C treatment will find the Tennessee Department of Health in Spencer equipped to carry it through on-site, not just confirm the antibody, but manage active treatment without sending patients elsewhere to find it.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Spencer, 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.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 151 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Spencer. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 48 offer telehealth.
Kristina Mouksian, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 87 Generations Drive, Spencer
Michael Cox, MD
Internal medicine · 508 Mose Drive, Sparta
Alan Drake, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 287 West Turn Table Road, Sparta
Elizabeth Townsley, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 401 Sewell Drive, Sparta
Rameen Hashemiyoon, MD
Internal medicine · 401 Sewell Road, Sparta
Ty Webb, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 457 Vista Drive, Sparta
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 Spencer, TN 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.
Spencer Drug
0.9 mi
13 mi 
13 mi 
13 mi Payless Family Pharmacy
14 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Spencer, TN.
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 Spencer, 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 $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
$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 Van Buren County, the county that includes Spencer, compare with Tennessee and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~23% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#87 of 95 Tennessee counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 8% of the state
| Infection | Van Buren County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 154 10 cases ▼ 70% | 517.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 77 5 cases ▼ 59% | 186.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 15.4 1 cases ▲ 4% | 14.8 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | — no data | 11.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 46.2 3 cases ▲ 75% | 26.4 | 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 Van Buren County, chlamydia has risen from 129.7 to 154 per 100,000 (19%), gonorrhea has risen from 32.4 to 77 per 100,000 (138%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 48.6 to 15.4 per 100,000 (68%).
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 Van Buren County.
Local HIV snapshot
Van Buren County HIV care continuum (2023)
Van Buren County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 14.8 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Van Buren County residents living with HIV, 85.7% are in care · 71.4% 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 Van Buren County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Mitchell Knob rises above Spencer, a landmark that draws the eye across Van Buren County, and from its slopes, the town itself spreads modest and rooted, where people tend to stay. That sense of belonging, of knowing the landscape and the people in it, shapes how residents think about health care. STI testing in and around Spencer reflects that reality: clinics and providers listed on this page understand that confidentiality isn't incidental here, it's foundational. Young adults moving through their twenties and thirties, whether they've grown up locally or arrived more recently, need to know that a test result stays private and that seeking screening carries no whisper through town.
The cost of living in Spencer remains low compared to much of the state, but economic tightness is real for some households, which means access to affordable or sliding-scale testing matters concretely. Testing sites in the area recognize that barrier and work to keep screening accessible. Whether you're a longtime resident or newer to Van Buren County, routine screening is straightforward and discreet. The providers available in Spencer and nearby communities are equipped to answer questions, offer testing without judgment, and give you results you can trust.
Getting there
At 3.9/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Spencer 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 38585 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 38585 area around Spencer: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Spencer alone.
Spencer sits in Van Buren County, ZIP 38585. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Spencer? 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 Van Buren County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Tennessee 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 Spencer-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 Spencer 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Tennessee 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 TennesseeSource: 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, and public clinics are free either way.
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.
Van Buren County reported ~154 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Tennessee average.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
In Tennessee, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
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.
No real difference for testing, "STI" is just the current term for what used to be called "STD."
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.