Reported syphilis cases in Dorchester County are about 29% lower than the national average. If you've had a recent risk or simply test regularly in Summerville, South Carolina, consider that clinics might bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, whereas many labs have flat self-pay pricing. Below are your options.
Available testing centers
12 testing options are listed for Summerville, SC. The nearest, Fetter Health Wellness Center for Women, is about 2.0 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.
Fetter Health Wellness Center for Women, in Summerville, earns its federally qualified health center designation by tying STI screening fees directly to each patient's income. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing, with no fixed price. What you pay scales to what you earn.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Fetter Health Care Network in Summerville is a federally qualified community health center, threading STI care through the same infrastructure as primary and family medicine. Appointments are required; the standard panel covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB, all on a sliding-scale fee with Medicaid and Medicare accepted, same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, and HPV and hepatitis vaccines on-site. Services are available in Spanish and through interpretation for other languages.
Fetter carries Spanish-language services as a staffed clinical competency, with interpretation available for additional languages at the point of care. That operational fact means medication counseling, PrEP adherence education, and TB treatment discussions all proceed in the language of the appointment. Not summarized afterward.
Fetter holds both PrEP and PEP prescribing capacity in-house, including a dedicated PrEP program for uninsured patients. For anyone without a primary care provider, or paying cash, that means initiation, follow-up labs, and adherence counseling all live at the same clinic address. No external prescriber to track down.
When a hepatitis C test at Fetter returns reactive, the treatment pathway stays within the same network: clinicians prescribe direct-acting antivirals, coordinate the confirmatory RNA testing, and monitor response through the cure window. The care is not handed off, the prescribing authority and follow-up monitoring are internal to Fetter's primary care infrastructure.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Fetter Health Center for Pediatric Wellness-Summerville, in Summerville, anchors its STI care in the federal health center model, where fees adjust to income and no one is turned away for inability to pay. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening without an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Summerville tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis C on a sliding-scale fee; insurance and Medicaid are accepted. Appointments are required, and bacterial infections can be treated the same visit. Prevention extends to PrEP and DoxyPEP.
For anyone managing prevention without a regular provider, whether paying cash or navigating coverage gaps, the clinic prescribes PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP directly, no separate specialist needed. Sliding-scale fees apply to those services, keeping the full prevention toolkit reachable regardless of what insurance looks like.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Summerville's public health clinic runs herpes and hepatitis C testing in the same appointment. Hepatitis C results come from the same lab workflow, no separate referral order, no second visit to a different facility to get those draws done.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Dorchester Family Health Center in Summerville carries full federal qualification as a community health center, which means its STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) is priced on a sliding scale tied to household income, keeping testing within reach no appointment needed.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A community safety-net federally qualified health center about 8 miles from Summerville. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Thaddeus J Bell, MD Support Center in North Charleston earned its federally qualified designation by tying STI screening fees directly to each patient's income. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing, with sliding-scale pricing ensuring the cost adjusts to what you can realistically pay.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Palmetto Community Care in Charleston takes walk-ins for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and TB testing, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, HPV and hepatitis vaccines, and sliding-scale fees. All services provided at no charge.
The no-fee model at Palmetto Community Care isn't carved out for a single program: it applies across testing, treatment, vaccines, PrEP, PEP, DoxyPEP, and hepatitis C and B treatment alike. Staff bill Medicaid or insurance where applicable; when neither applies, the cost to the patient is still zero.
Spanish-language services at Palmetto Community Care extend through the clinical encounter itself: counseling, medication adherence education, and prevention services included. That means nuanced conversations about PrEP dosing schedules or DoxyPEP timing happen in Spanish without an intermediary layer shaping what gets communicated.
Needing PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP from separate providers means separate appointments, separate follow-up schedules, and gaps where none of the three are actively managed. Palmetto Community Care prescribes and monitors all three (oral PrEP, post-exposure PEP, and doxycycline-based DoxyPEP) within its own clinical structure, with uninsured PrEP covered at no fee.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 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 2 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Summerville, 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 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 Dorchester 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.
1624 North Main Street, Summerville, SC 29483
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
295 Midland Parkway, Summerville, SC 29485
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
328 Midland Parkway, Summerville, SC 29485
CMS-certified lab
1114 North Main Street, Summerville, SC 29483
CMS-certified lab
602 North Main Street, Summerville, SC 29483
CMS-certified lab
Showing the nearest 5 CLIA-certified labs.
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Summerville. 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, 693 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Summerville. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 242 offer telehealth.
Shenia Singleton, MD
Internal medicine · 1112 North Main Street, Summerville
David Smith, MD
Family medicine · 133 East 1st North Street, Summerville
Brian Keller, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 133 East 1st North Street, Summerville
Herold Nazon, MD
Family medicine · 410 North Main Street, Summerville
David Castellone, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 213 West 4th North Street, Summerville
Caisson Hogue Telehealth
Family medicine · 809 North Cedar Street, Summerville
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 Summerville, 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.
0.2 mi Guerin's Pharmacy
1.3 mi
1.5 mi Showing the 3 closest pharmacies to Summerville, 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 Summerville, 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 $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
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 Dorchester County, the county that includes Summerville, 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.
#17 of 46 South Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 63% of the state
| Infection | Dorchester County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 720.1 1,223 cases ▲ 18% | 612.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 230.8 392 cases ▲ 4% | 222.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 11.2 19 cases ▼ 35% | 17.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 17.1 29 cases ▼ 9% | 18.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 15.9 27 cases ▲ 36% | 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 Dorchester County, chlamydia has fallen from 744.1 to 720.1 per 100,000 (3%), gonorrhea has fallen from 303.3 to 230.8 per 100,000 (24%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 9.9 to 11.2 per 100,000 (13%).
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 Dorchester 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.
Dorchester County HIV care continuum (2023)
Dorchester County recorded 19.7 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 18.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Dorchester County residents living with HIV, 86% are in care · 60.6% 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 Dorchester County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Old Trolley Road cuts through some of Summerville's quieter subdivisions, past neighborhoods like Corey Wood and Huntington Farms, where most residents own their homes and household sizes tend to run larger than the national average. That ownership majority, combined with households averaging more than three people, means many adults here are juggling family schedules, shared finances, and the kind of recurring monthly costs that leave little room for discretionary health appointments. With roughly one in four households clearing six figures and a meaningful share of working-age adults currently outside the labor force, the financial texture here is mixed enough that clinic fees and travel time both register as real considerations.
Young adults in their late teens and twenties make up a substantial slice of Summerville's population, and they represent the years when STI exposure tends to peak, partly because relationship patterns shift frequently and testing hasn't always become a habit yet. For that group especially, the easier and cheaper a screening is to reach, the more likely it actually happens. Dorchester County's STI numbers give enough context to make routine screening a practical priority rather than a precaution reserved for symptoms, and the clinic options listed here reflect the range of schedules a town this size actually produces.
Getting there
At 7.43/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Summerville 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 29485 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 29485 area around Summerville: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Summerville alone.
Summerville sits in Dorchester County, ZIP 29485. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Summerville? 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 Dorchester 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 Summerville-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 Summerville 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.
There are 12 options within a 30-mile drive.
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.
Dorchester County reported ~720 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the South Carolina average.
At-home kits mail to 29485: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
In South Carolina, 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.
Get treated, notify partners, pause sex until cleared, and follow up, the infection is manageable.
Yes, site matters; oral/anal exposure needs a throat or rectal swab, which urine testing won't catch.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.