Syphilis in St. Tammany Parish is reported 47% lower than the US average. In Sun, Louisiana, if you've had a recent risk or simply test on a regular schedule, you might want to weigh visiting a clinic in-person that can start treatment or using an at-home kit. We list clinic and kit options below.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Sun, LA. The nearest, Washington Community Health Center, is about 7.0 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.
Washington Community Health Center in Bogalusa earns its federally qualified designation partly by tying fees to income, no one is turned away for inability to pay. Walk-ins are welcome for STI screening covering syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with costs adjusted to what each patient can afford.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 7 miles from Sun. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Our Lady of the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, with a standard fee schedule for the uninsured, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B and C, TB, and both rapid and conventional HIV testing. By appointment, with Spanish-language care on-site.
Without Spanish-language care at the point of treatment, a diagnosis can stall. A follow-up question goes unanswered, a medication instruction lands wrong, a second visit never happens. At Our Lady of the Angels Hospital, Spanish is carried through counseling and clinical care, so nothing requiring follow-through gets lost between languages.
Testing positive for hepatitis C at a clinic that can only hand off the result leaves a patient to navigate treatment independently. Our Lady of the Angels Hospital closes that gap: hepatitis C treatment is delivered on-site, keeping diagnosis and ongoing viral management connected.
A stripped-down panel stops at gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. Leaving herpes and hepatitis unaddressed unless a patient knows to ask elsewhere. Our Lady of the Angels Hospital runs a wider screen, adding herpes, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and TB to the standard panel in a single appointment.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 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 about 7 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Sun, 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 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 St. Tammany Parish, 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.
433 Plaza Street,1st Floor, Main Building, Bogalusa, LA 70427
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
67252 Industry Lane, Covington, LA 70433
CMS-certified lab
1202 South Tyler Street, Covington, LA 70433
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Sun. 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, 252 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Sun. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 75 offer telehealth.
Tucker Madden, MD
Family medicine · 79630 Hwy 21, Bush
Keisha Harvey, MD
Family medicine · 2781 South Columbia Street, Bogalusa
Kevin Plaisance, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 2781 South Columbia Street, Bogalusa
John Simon, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 1415 Ave F, Bogalusa
Purnachandra Yerneni, MD
Internal medicine · 1011 Ave F, Bogalusa
Gary Agena, MD
OB-GYN · 433 Plaza Street, Bogalusa
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 Sun, LA 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.
Starns Pharmacy
2.4 miNielsens Pharmacy
8.2 miCPS Drug Store
9.2 miPepes Drug Store
9.2 miRocky's Med Shoppe
9.7 miNielsen's City Drug Store
9.9 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Sun, LA.
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 Sun, 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 St. Tammany Parish, the parish that includes Sun, compare with Louisiana and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~28% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#61 of 64 Louisiana counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 5% of the state
| Infection | St. Tammany Parish | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 417.7 1,151 cases ▼ 47% | 792.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 116.1 320 cases ▼ 60% | 288.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 8.3 23 cases ▼ 68% | 26.1 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 6.9 19 cases ▼ 65% | 19.6 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 16.3 45 cases ▼ 69% | 52.6 | 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 St. Tammany Parish, chlamydia has risen from 367.4 to 417.7 per 100,000 (14%), gonorrhea has fallen from 130 to 116.1 per 100,000 (11%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 4.9 to 8.3 per 100,000 (69%).
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 St. Tammany Parish.
Local HIV snapshot
St. Tammany Parish HIV care continuum (2023)
St. Tammany Parish recorded 7.8 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 22.5 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among St. Tammany Parish residents living with HIV, 84.8% are in care · 78.3% 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 St. Tammany Parish tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Highway 21 stretches through St. That drive calculus matters for younger adults still sorting out their routines, relationships, and schedules, because the longer the round trip, the easier it is to let a routine screening wait another month. Sun's ownership rate tells something real about the community's character: the overwhelming majority of households here own their homes, many at values that reflect modest, working-class stability, and the roughly one-in-six who rent do so at some of the more affordable rates in the region.
A large average household size and a meaningful share of married adults suggest plenty of two-income and family units, but also that personal health appointments can feel like they compete with everyone else's needs under the same roof. Labor-force participation running below the national norm, alongside an unemployment rate with some cushion built into it, means the timing of a clinic run, whether midweek on Highway 41 or across the parish, can shift week to week depending on work schedules. For people in their late teens and twenties, whose years carry the sharpest risk for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and similar infections, options listed on this page spread the odds of finding one that fits an open afternoon and a manageable drive down LA 3241.
Getting there
At 7.05/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Sun 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 70427 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 70427 area around Sun: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Sun alone.
Sun sits in St. Tammany Parish, ZIP 70427. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Sun? 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 St. Tammany Parish: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Louisiana 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 Sun-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 Sun 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Louisiana 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 LouisianaSource: 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 7 options within a 30-mile drive.
Free at public clinics. Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
Yes, free HIV testing is available at public clinics in the area.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
St. Tammany Parish reported ~418 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Louisiana average.
In Louisiana, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, a body or genital rash can be a sign of syphilis or HIV, so get tested and evaluated.
Use condoms, test regularly, get the HPV and hep B vaccines, and ask about PrEP for HIV.
Sexually active people, especially under 25 or with new/multiple partners; everyone 13–64 should test for HIV at least once.
Yes, syphilis is cured with antibiotics (usually penicillin), and earlier treatment prevents long-term damage.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.