Gonorrhea in Montgomery County runs 21% lower than the national average. If you've had a recent risk or regularly schedule tests in Star, North Carolina, you can weigh community clinics for affordability and private labs for quicker results and flexible scheduling. We list your options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Star, NC. The nearest, Goshen Medical Center - Star, 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.
Goshen Medical Center - Star, located in Star, carries federal qualification as a community health center, which means STI screening costs scale to each patient's income rather than a fixed rate. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing. No appointment needed to get started.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A safety-net rural health clinic about 7 miles from Star. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Montgomery County Health Department in Troy tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis B and C on a sliding scale, with all services available at no fee: appointments required, and same-visit treatment for bacterial infections.
Sliding-scale pricing still leaves most clinics with a floor, a minimum charge that follows patients out the door. At Montgomery County Health Department, the scale runs all the way to zero and stays there: every service, every visit, no remaining balance owed.
When a clinic can't serve someone in Spanish, the gap between a test result and understanding it can mean a delayed diagnosis or treatment that never gets started. Montgomery County Health Department delivers STI care, counseling, and prevention education directly in Spanish. No secondary step between patient and provider.
Leaving herpes or hepatitis off a panel means a second appointment, often at a different clinic, before a complete picture exists. Montgomery County Health Department tests for herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C alongside HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, so gaps don't linger between visits.
Languages
English, 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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Star, 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 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 Montgomery 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.
507 North Main Street, Troy, NC 27371
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Showing the nearest 1 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Star. 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, 156 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Star. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 36 offer telehealth.
Paul Grimm, MD
Family medicine · 2265 Nc Hwy 24 27 East, Biscoe
James Liffrig, MD
Family medicine · 522 Allen Street, Troy
Victor Farrah, DO
Family medicine · 520 Allen Street, Troy
Pallavi Sindhu, MD
Family medicine · 520 Allen Street, Troy
Jaspaul Jawanda, MD Telehealth
Infectious disease · 520 Allen Street, Troy
John Woodyear, MD
Family medicine · 507 North Main Street, Troy
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 Star, 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.
GMC Pharmacy at Star
0.3 miKerr Drug
2.8 miBiscoe Pharmacy
2.8 mi
2.9 mi Standard Drug
6.6 miTroy Pharmacy
7.4 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Star, 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 Star, 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
$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
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 Montgomery County, the county that includes Star, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~14% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#45 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 55% of the state
| Infection | Montgomery County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 509.9 133 cases ▼ 16% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 141.8 37 cases ▼ 42% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 3.8 1 cases ▼ 81% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 11.5 3 cases ▼ 27% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 7.7 2 cases ▼ 68% | 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 Montgomery County, chlamydia has risen from 450.5 to 509.9 per 100,000 (13%), gonorrhea has fallen from 201.9 to 141.8 per 100,000 (30%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 3.9 to 3.8 per 100,000 (3%).
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 Montgomery County.
Local HIV snapshot
Montgomery County HIV care continuum (2021)
Montgomery County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2021), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Montgomery County residents living with HIV, 72% are in care · 68% 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 Montgomery County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
South Main Street runs through a Star where home values sit well below state norms and typical rents stay modest enough that housing costs rarely crowd out other essentials, yet a labor-force participation rate well under two-thirds of adults, paired with meaningful unemployment, means many households are managing on irregular or limited income. With nearly three in four residents owning their homes and average households running close to four people, this is a place built around settled, multigenerational family life, not the transient churn of a college town. That stability is real, but it can create its own pressure: when work is uncertain and incomes are concentrated at the lower end, a medical errand that requires gas money, lost wages, or an afternoon off can quietly become something that just doesn't happen.
That calculus matters most for younger adults in Star: people in their late teens and twenties who are statistically at the center of STI transmission nationally but who may be juggling part-time work, shared households, and no clear path to a regular provider. Town Park may be the natural gathering spot in Star, but the nearest low-cost testing option is almost certainly somewhere up US 220 ALT. Knowing which one fits your schedule before you need it is the practical starting point.
Getting there
At 5.1/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Star 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 27356 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 27356 area around Star: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Star alone.
Star sits in Montgomery County, ZIP 27356. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Star? 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 Montgomery 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 Star-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 Star 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.
The closest is Goshen Medical Center - Star (0.3 mi); 5 options are within 30 miles.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Yes, Montgomery County Health Department (6.9 mi) offers free testing, and public clinics serve the uninsured.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 510 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the North Carolina average.
In North Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, the CDC recommends STI screening early in pregnancy, since untreated infections can affect the baby.
A clinic offers same-day answers and on-site treatment; an at-home kit trades that for privacy and convenience, both use real lab testing.
Just note your exposure dates and symptoms; for urine tests, hold off urinating ~1 hour before.
Expedited partner therapy lets a provider treat a partner without an exam, where state law allows.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.