Story County runs about 50% lower than the US average for new HIV diagnoses. If you are looking for testing in Story City, Iowa, whether for a one-time concern or regular check-ups, you can choose between same-day testing at some clinics or planning around your own schedule with labs and at-home kits. See the options listed below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Story City, IA. The nearest, Hamilton County Public Hospital, is about 8.9 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 about 9 miles from Story City. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
McFarland Clinic in Ames runs by appointment, and that structure lets a single visit cover the full panel (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and TB) with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, sliding-scale fees, and PrEP and PEP on-site.
Without a clinic that prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly, patients face the delay and cost of an extra specialist visit. Sometimes missing the window that matters. McFarland Clinic in Ames writes both prescriptions in-house, and also offers PrEP coverage for uninsured patients, keeping the prevention pathway intact from the first appointment forward.
McFarland Clinic in Ames treats hepatitis C on-site, which means a positive result leads directly to a treatment plan rather than a separate referral to another provider. Shortening the time between diagnosis and cleared infection.
McFarland Clinic tests for herpes and both hepatitis B and C alongside the core bacterial and viral panel, which means infections that go undetected at a narrower clinic are caught and addressed within the same appointment in Ames.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Primary Health Care in Ames tests for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and hepatitis B and C on a sliding-scale fee that adjusts to income. Medicaid and Medicare accepted. Appointments are required; bacterial STIs are treated the same visit.
Primary Health Care in Ames carries hepatitis C treatment on-site, meaning a confirmed diagnosis moves directly into a managed treatment plan without routing to a separate specialist, which keeps viral load monitoring and medication management in the hands of the provider who already knows your case.
Without a clinic that prescribes and manages both PrEP and PEP internally, prevention can stall at the recommendation stage. A prescription that never gets written is a gap in protection. Primary Health Care in Ames closes that gap by handling initiation, follow-up labs, and ongoing PrEP management directly.
Spanish-language services at Primary Health Care in Ames are delivered by staffed bilingual providers, meaning clinical conversations (symptom history, medication instructions, follow-up planning) happen directly in Spanish rather than through an intermediary layer added after the fact.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Obria Medical Clinics in Ames folds STI testing into a family-planning practice, so gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C share the same visit with contraceptive and reproductive care. The sliding-scale fee applies to everyone, walk-ins are welcome, and bacterial infections can be treated the same day.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 15 miles from Story City. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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 9 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Story City, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & 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 Story 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.
705 Eighth Street, Story City, IA 50248
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
1018 Duff Avenue, Ames, IA 50010
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
640 South 19th Street, Nevada, IA 50201
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Story City. 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, 83 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Story City. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 20 offer telehealth.
Todd Berryhill, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 705 8th Street, Story City
Einar Arason, DO
Internal medicine · 3815 Stange Road, Ames
Danielle Pellow, MD
Internal medicine · 1215 Duff Avenue, Ames
Rupal Amin, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 1111 Duff Avenue, Ames
Laura Moeller, MD
Family medicine · 3600 West Lincolnway, Ames
Molly Thompson, DO
Family medicine · 230 South 6th Street, Nevada
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 Story City, IA 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.
Medicap Pharmacy
0.5 miNucara Pharmacy
0.5 miFrederick C & Ann M Marcalus
8.8 miFoods
9.4 mi
9.4 mi 
9.7 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Story City, IA.
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 Story City, 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
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or 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 Story County, the county that includes Story City, compare with Iowa and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~19% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#10 of 99 Iowa counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 90% of the state
| Infection | Story County | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 514.4 507 cases ▲ 21% | 426.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 88.3 87 cases ▼ 24% | 116.8 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 7.1 7 cases ▼ 31% | 10.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 6.1 6 cases ▼ 34% | 9.2 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 4.1 4 cases ▼ 59% | 9.9 | 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 Story County, chlamydia has fallen from 554.1 to 514.4 per 100,000 (7%), gonorrhea has fallen from 110.6 to 88.3 per 100,000 (20%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 9.1 to 7.1 per 100,000 (22%).
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 Story County.
Local HIV snapshot
Story County HIV care continuum (2023)
Story County recorded 6.9 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 5.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Story County residents living with HIV, 84.1% are in care · 81% 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 Story County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Getting tested in Story City means planning ahead. The town itself has limited in-house capacity, so residents typically travel to nearby larger communities for comprehensive screening. A straightforward drive that most manage without difficulty. What matters is knowing where to go: clinics listed on this page serve Story City and the surrounding area, and many offer the confidentiality and scheduling flexibility that make testing feel less like a hassle and more like routine health maintenance.
Story City draws people who build lives here: families who stay, homeowners who invest in their neighborhoods near Story City Park and beyond. That stability is real, but it also means younger adults in their twenties and thirties sometimes hesitate to seek screening locally, worried about who might see them walk through a door. That concern is legitimate in a place where people recognize faces. The testing available in and around Story City happens in settings where your visit remains genuinely private, without the weight of small-town visibility.
Routine screening catches infections early, before symptoms appear, when treatment is simplest. For the young adults here, whether they're established or still figuring out their next move, that peace of mind is worth the small effort of finding the right clinic and booking an appointment.
Getting there
At 6.36/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Story City 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 50248 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 50248 area around Story City: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Story City alone.
Story City sits in Story County, ZIP 50248. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Story City? 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 Story County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Iowa 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 Story City-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 Story City 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 Iowa 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 Iowa, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own; a parent may be notified only in the case of a positive HIV test result.
Iowa 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 IowaSource: 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.
Hamilton County Public Hospital, about 8.9 mi away, with 5 options within 30 miles.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
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.
Story County reported ~514 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the Iowa average.
In Iowa, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
For people with a cervix, HPV is screened via Pap/HPV testing; no standard screening test exists for men.
PrEP is taken before exposure to prevent HIV; PEP is emergency medicine started within 72 hours after a possible exposure.
Public and community clinics test everyone; several provide LGBTQ-affirming services.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.