Horry County reports about 495 chlamydia cases per 100,000 residents, near the US average. Whether you need testing after a possible exposure or as part of routine care in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, you can weigh your options between clinics that bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees and private labs that let you pay a flat self-pay price. See your choices below.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Surfside Beach, SC. The nearest, Labcorp, is about 1.1 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.
Little River Medical Center in Myrtle Beach is a full medical clinic where STI care (rapid and conventional HIV testing, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C) runs on a sliding scale, with appointments required and all services provided at no fee.
For anyone without insurance, between providers, or managing care entirely on their own dollar, Little River Medical Center covers the full scope of STI services (testing, treatment, PrEP, and ongoing HIV management) at no charge. That standing commitment means no fee calculation before or after the visit.
For patients who navigate health decisions in Spanish, or in any non-English language through interpretation services, Little River Medical Center in Myrtle Beach delivers every service, from testing to treatment counseling, without a language barrier shaping what care is actually received.
Ryan White funding at Little River Medical Center means HIV-positive patients don't need to piece together care from separate sources, the same clinic that runs the rapid or conventional HIV test also manages ongoing HIV/AIDS medical treatment, keeping the path from diagnosis to long-term care unbroken.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
LRMC Health Access in Myrtle Beach extends federally qualified, sliding-scale STI screening to anyone paying out of pocket, between providers, or navigating gaps in coverage. Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing scales to income, while Ryan White-funded HIV care addresses broader needs for those already in treatment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Community Kitchen in Myrtle Beach bases its STI screening fees on a sliding scale tied to income, so cost is never a barrier to care. Federally qualified, the clinic provides screening for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia without requiring an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis C on a sliding-scale fee with appointments required, and every service, from testing to treatment to vaccines, is provided at no charge.
Sliding-scale clinics typically reduce costs, they rarely eliminate them entirely. At South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach, the fee structure doesn't taper down to a reduced bill; testing, treatment, PrEP, DoxyPEP, and vaccines all come at no cost, period.
When STI care isn't available in Spanish, follow-through breaks down: prescriptions go unfilled, treatment gets delayed, and prevention conversations don't land. South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach delivers the full clinical encounter in Spanish, so nothing is lost between the conversation and the care.
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Myrtle Beach prescribes and manages all three prevention medications directly: PrEP requires ongoing HIV testing and kidney-function monitoring handled by the same staff who initiate it; PEP is dispensed and tracked through completion; DoxyPEP is prescribed with the clinical context to use it correctly after bacterial-STI exposure.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Aug 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Careteam+ in Conway tests for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis C, herpes, and more on a sliding-scale or no-fee basis, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia. Appointments are required; every service carries no charge for those who qualify.
Careteam+'s no-fee structure applies across the entire service menu: not just testing, but treatment, PrEP, HIV medical care, and hepatitis management. That single policy means cost never becomes the reason someone delays a hepatitis B diagnosis or skips a follow-up.
Careteam+ operates in Spanish and through interpretation services for other languages, two distinct channels, not a fallback. For conditions like HIV or hepatitis C that require sustained counseling and adherence education, consistent language access across every appointment shapes whether treatment actually holds.
Many testing sites hand off HIV-positive patients to separate providers for ongoing care. Careteam+ operates under Ryan White funding, which underwrites the entire continuum, from the rapid test through medication adherence counseling and long-term HIV/AIDS medical treatment, within the same clinic.
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 + HRSA
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 1 mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Surfside Beach, 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 Horry 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.
2734 Beaver Run Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC 29575
CMS-certified lab
1120 Glenns Bay Rd Suite 120, Surfside Beach, SC 29575
CMS-certified lab
300 Singleton Ridge Road, Conway, SC 29526
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Surfside Beach. 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, 398 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Surfside Beach. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 67 offer telehealth.
John Rathbun, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 997 Hwy 17 South, Surfside Beach
Dan Muntean, MD
Family medicine · 1413 Hwy 17 North, Surfside Beach
Semenawit Burka, MD
Internal medicine · 1413 Hwy 17 South 307, Surfside Beach
Eileen Conaway, DO
Family medicine · 2347 South Hwy 17, Murrells Inlet
Charles Busse, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 910 M Gilead Drive, Murrells Inlet
Joseph Palomba, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 2520 South Hwy 17, Murrells Inlet
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 Surfside Beach, 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.
0.3 mi 
0.5 mi Ocean Lakes Pharmacy
0.9 miYour CBD Store
1.3 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Surfside Beach, 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 Surfside Beach, 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
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
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 Horry County, the county that includes Surfside Beach, compare with South Carolina 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.
#33 of 46 South Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 28% of the state
| Infection | Horry County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 494.6 1,966 cases ▼ 19% | 612.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 156.5 622 cases ▼ 30% | 222.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 11.3 45 cases ▼ 35% | 17.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 19.1 76 cases ▲ 2% | 18.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 1 4 cases ▼ 91% | 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 Horry County, chlamydia has fallen from 537.3 to 494.6 per 100,000 (8%), gonorrhea has fallen from 229.9 to 156.5 per 100,000 (32%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 9.4 to 11.3 per 100,000 (20%).
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 Horry 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.
Horry County HIV care continuum (2023)
Horry County recorded 15.1 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 18.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Horry County residents living with HIV, 82.5% are in care · 72.3% 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 Horry County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
The ocean breeze and seasonal tourism that define Surfside Beach also bring the rhythm of transient work, young families, and people in transition. Making STI testing something that fits naturally into preventive health, not an exception. Young adults moving through town for jobs on the coast, or settling into neighborhoods like Lakeview and Harbor Lights, often find themselves managing health care in a new place. Routine screening becomes part of ordinary life here, especially when confidentiality is built into how clinics work and results don't ripple through a tight-knit social circle.
Testing in and around Surfside Beach is accessible through the providers and clinics listed on this page, many within a short distance of US 17 Business and SC 544. For residents facing financial pressure, a reality in households stretched thin by seasonal income or rising costs, some clinics offer sliding-scale fees or work with insurance to keep screening affordable. The key is finding a place where you feel comfortable and where staff treat testing as routine medical care, not judgment. What matters most is knowing that you can get tested without delay, whether you're here year-round or passing through.
Clinics in the area understand that people in their twenties and thirties need straightforward access to screening, and that confidentiality isn't theater. It's how they operate. Starting with a call to confirm what a clinic offers takes the guesswork out of showing up.
Getting there
At 8.44/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Surfside Beach 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 29575 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 29575 area around Surfside Beach: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Surfside Beach alone.
Surfside Beach sits in Horry County, ZIP 29575. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Surfside Beach? 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 Horry 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 Surfside Beach-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 Surfside Beach 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.
Possibly, Myrtle Beach, SC is close; compare it by distance against Labcorp.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
Yes, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 495 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the South Carolina average.
Lab results typically come back in 1–2 days.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In South Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 29575; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
HPV and hepatitis B vaccines prevent those infections, ask a provider if you're due.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.