The HIV diagnosis rate in Charleston County runs about 55% higher than the US average. You can get tested in Sullivan's Island, South Carolina if you've had a recent risk or simply test on a regular schedule. Consider whether you prefer clinics that may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, or private labs that typically charge a flat self-pay price.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Sullivan's Island, SC. The nearest, Labhub, LLC, is about 3.0 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.
Palmetto Primary Care Physicians in Mount Pleasant accepts Medicaid and private insurance, with fees for those paying directly, and runs the full panel (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, plus TB) with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections and appointments required.
Plenty of testing sites hand back a hepatitis C result and leave patients to navigate treatment elsewhere. Palmetto Primary Care Physicians carries the full arc, diagnosis through antiviral treatment, on-site, so a confirmed infection moves into a management plan without the patient having to start over somewhere new.
Palmetto Primary Care Physicians prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly, with the clinical infrastructure (labs, follow-up visits, adherence counseling) to monitor them over time. PrEP requires the regular HIV and kidney-function testing that keeps the prescription valid; that monitoring loop runs entirely within the practice.
Many STI practices field non-English speakers through external interpretation workarounds that sit outside the clinical conversation. Palmetto Primary Care Physicians makes interpretation services available as part of the visit itself, so the exchange between patient and provider (symptoms, history, treatment instructions) moves through a direct channel rather than around one.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Nov 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Mount Pleasant requires an appointment, so scheduling ahead is the move, but that visit covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, hepatitis B and C testing, same-visit bacterial treatment, and DoxyPEP for prevention, on a sliding-scale fee.
Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis sits outside the scope of most STI clinics, which leave patients to chase a prescription through a separate provider. South Carolina Department of Public Health in Mount Pleasant writes DoxyPEP on-site, keeping bacterial STI prevention in the same hands as testing and treatment.
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Mount Pleasant carries hepatitis C treatment as a standing clinical service, meaning antiviral therapy is initiated and managed at the same location that runs the confirmatory testing, without sending patients to a separate specialist.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, South Carolina Department of Public Health in Mount Pleasant tests for herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C in a single appointment. Meaning clinicians can cross-reference co-infections that a narrower four-infection panel would miss entirely.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Fetter Health Care Network in Charleston tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis B and C, with the full panel on a sliding scale open to any income, and every service here is provided at no charge. Appointments are required.
Sliding-scale clinics routinely hold a floor, a minimum co-pay, a flat charge for certain tests, a carve-out for treatment. At Fetter Health Care Network, the entire visit runs at no fee: testing, STI treatment, PrEP, vaccines, counseling. None of it carries a charge.
A language gap at a clinic doesn't just make the visit uncomfortable, it can leave a treatable infection untreated because the exposure history never fully communicated and the follow-up instructions didn't land. Fetter Health Care Network in Charleston builds interpretation services into appointments so that gap never opens.
Fetter Health Care Network prescribes and monitors PrEP directly: that means the baseline HIV and kidney-function labs, the initial prescription, and the ongoing every-three-month visits that keep the regimen current. PEP is also available for prevention when the timing calls for it.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
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 about 3 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Sullivan's Island, 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 Charleston 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.
306 Station 22 1/2 Street, Sullivans Island, SC 29482
CMS-certified lab
1952 Long Grove Dr Suite 202, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
776 Daniel Ellis Dr Suite 1A, Charleston, SC 29412
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Sullivan's Island. 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, 666 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Sullivan's Island. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 235 offer telehealth.
Kay Durst, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 306 Station 22, Sullivans Island
Elizabeth Porter, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 1438 North Point Lane, Mount Pleasant
Sylvia Clarkson, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 1440 Ben Sawyer, Mount Pleasant
Joseph Benich, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 1440 Ben Sawyer Boulevard, Mt Pleasant
Adam Hudepohl Telehealth
Family medicine · 1440 Ben Sawyer Boulevard, Mount Pleasant
Stanley Hall, MD Telehealth
Urology · 1122 Chuck Dawley Boulevard, Mt Pleasant
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 Sullivan's Island, 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.
Podaris Group
1.7 mi
1.9 mi 
2.1 mi Pitt Street Pharmacy
2.7 miDelta Pharmacy & Medical Supply
3.1 miPhoenix Pharmacy
3.4 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Sullivan's Island, 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 Sullivan's Island, 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 Charleston County, the county that includes Sullivan's Island, compare with South Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~15% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#26 of 46 South Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 43% of the state
| Infection | Charleston County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 577.3 2,450 cases ▼ 6% | 612.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 192.8 818 cases ▼ 13% | 222.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 18.9 80 cases ▲ 9% | 17.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 16.5 70 cases ▼ 12% | 18.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 14.4 61 cases ▲ 23% | 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 Charleston County, chlamydia has fallen from 695.9 to 577.3 per 100,000 (17%), gonorrhea has fallen from 330.9 to 192.8 per 100,000 (42%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 18.6 to 18.9 per 100,000 (2%).
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 Charleston 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.
Charleston County HIV care continuum (2023)
Charleston County recorded 21.3 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 18.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Charleston County residents living with HIV, 76.8% are in care · 50.8% 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 Charleston County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Waterway Arms and Myrtle Acres skew toward the established homeowners who define much of Sullivan's Island (mortgages paid down, households settled) which makes the roughly one-in-six residents who rent a distinctly different story. At over two thousand dollars a month, renting here is a financial commitment that compresses every discretionary decision, and for younger adults navigating new relationships alongside those costs, routine screening rarely climbs to the top of any given week. Charleston County's STI rates give context to why that matters.
The young adults who make up Sullivan's Island's smallest generational slice (people in their late teens and twenties, at the life stage when partner networks shift most often) are the same cohort that drives county-level chlamydia and gonorrhea figures upward every reporting cycle. A workforce participation rate that leaves meaningful room outside traditional employment hours suggests some flexibility, but unemployment running above the regional norm means that flexibility can come wrapped in financial stress, which has its own effect on whether a test actually gets scheduled. That reality doesn't make screening impossible; it just means planning for it specifically, the way you'd plan any crossing of the causeway.
Getting there
At 8.22/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Sullivan's Island 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 29482 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 29482 area around Sullivan's Island: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Sullivan's Island alone.
Sullivan's Island sits in Charleston County, ZIP 29482. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Sullivan's Island? 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 Charleston 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 Sullivan's Island-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 Sullivan's Island 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.
The closest is Labhub, LLC (3 mi); 7 options are within 30 miles.
Public clinics are free; private labs ~$24–$139, at-home kits $49+.
Yes, Fetter Health Care Network (6.3 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 577 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.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 29482; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
Medical records are protected under federal HIPAA law, ask the clinic how it handles your information.
It's reassuring, but if you tested early in the window period, retest a few weeks later to be sure.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.