Cerro Gordo County reported gonorrhea levels are 66% lower than the national average. For quick testing in Swaledale, Iowa, whether for a one-time concern or regular check-ups, your choice may come down to community clinics offering low-cost or free services, or private labs that tend to return results faster and have more flexible scheduling. Either way, see your options below.
Available testing centers
6 testing options are listed for Swaledale, IA. The nearest, Belmond Community Hospital, is about 6.7 miles away. Compare 3 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 7 miles from Swaledale. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health in Mason City runs appointments-only, so scheduling ahead is the entry point, but a single visit covers HIV (rapid and conventional), syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and TB, all at no fee.
Fee-sliding and partial subsidies are how most public health clinics manage cost, a portion covered, a portion not. Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health charges nothing at all: every test, every STI treatment, every vaccine, PrEP, and HIV test carries a flat fee of zero, with no exceptions buried in the fine print.
Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health offers Spanish-language services directly, and interpretation for other languages is available for appointments. For anyone whose primary language isn't English (navigating a diagnosis, a prevention regimen, or follow-up care) that standing capability means clinical conversations happen with real precision, not guesswork.
PrEP requires more than a single prescription: it demands baseline HIV and kidney-function testing, regular viral screenings, and prescription renewals on a structured schedule. Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health staffs that entire cycle in-house, including PEP for post-exposure prevention, all coordinated through the clinic without routing care to outside providers.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Feb 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Review sources
MercyOne Mason City's hospital-grounded clinic brings specialist depth to STI care (standard panel, sliding-scale fees, same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, and appointments required) closing with PrEP and PEP as standing prevention tools, not afterthoughts.
Prevention-focused prescribing gets quietly offloaded at many STI clinics, PrEP handled by primary care, PEP chased down through urgent care. MercyOne Mason City holds both in-house, meaning ongoing HIV prevention and post-exposure medication are managed within the same clinical relationship as testing and treatment.
Hepatitis C treatment at MercyOne Mason City means direct-acting antiviral therapy, not a handoff to a gastroenterologist or infectious disease specialist elsewhere. On-site treatment keeps monitoring, dosing adjustments, and sustained virologic response confirmation within one clinical team.
Beyond the gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV baseline, MercyOne Mason City's panel includes herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C testing. That breadth matters for hepatitis specifically: because treatment is available on-site, a reactive hepatitis C result doesn't stall at diagnosis. It moves directly toward care.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Today's offer: $10 off any test panel, applied automatically at checkout.
Today's offer: $10 off any test panel, applied automatically at checkout.
Today's offer: $10 off any test panel, applied automatically at checkout.
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 |
|---|
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. Widen the distance or clear the service-type filter.
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 Swaledale, 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 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 Cerro Gordo 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.
2420 4th Street Southwest, Mason City, IA 50401
CMS-certified lab
478 Tiffany Drive, Mason City, IA 50401
CMS-certified lab
250 South Crescent Drive Suite #M2200, Mason City, IA 50401
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Swaledale. 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, 95 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Swaledale. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 10 offer telehealth.
Lisa Kapler, MD
Family medicine · 203 South 2nd Street, Sheffield
Mckenzie Brekken, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 1410 6th Avenue South, Clear Lake
Tracey Mcintire, MD
OB-GYN · 401 South 17th Street, Clear Lake
Mark Mahoney, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 2800 4th Street Southwest, Mason City
Charity Baker, DO
Family medicine · 320 North Eisenhower Avenue, Mason City
Lori Lindstrom, MD
Family medicine · 1327 6th Street Southwest, Mason City
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
Compare the pharmacies closest to Swaledale, IA. Contact a location directly to confirm pharmacy-counter hours, services, prices, and product availability before visiting.
Mercy Health Services-Iowa
7.7 miHasco
12 miThrifty White Pharmacy
12 miMr Pharmacy
12 mi
12 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Swaledale, 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 Swaledale, 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.
PrEP & DoxyPEP
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
Online treatment
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
PrEP & DoxyPEP
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
Online treatment
Visit from $0 insured
Telehealth STI treatment and sexual-health care, delivered or 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 Cerro Gordo County, the county that includes Swaledale, compare with Iowa and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~16% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#22 of 99 Iowa counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 78% of the state
| Infection | Cerro Gordo County | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 358.4 152 cases ▼ 16% | 426.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 61.3 26 cases ▼ 48% | 116.8 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 9.4 4 cases ▼ 9% | 10.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 11.8 5 cases ▲ 28% | 9.2 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 2.4 1 cases ▼ 76% | 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 Cerro Gordo County, chlamydia has fallen from 459.1 to 358.4 per 100,000 (22%), gonorrhea has fallen from 280.6 to 61.3 per 100,000 (78%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 7 to 9.4 per 100,000 (34%).
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
Primary-care shortage score 10 / 26
Social Vulnerability Index · 13th percentile nationally
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 Cerro Gordo County.
Local HIV snapshot
Cerro Gordo County HIV care continuum (2023)
Cerro Gordo County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 5.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Cerro Gordo County residents living with HIV, 83.9% are in care · 71% 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 Cerro Gordo County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Editorially Reviewed & Fact-Checked · Updated
Reviewed by EasySTD Editorial Team
Compiled and checked by EasySTD's editorial team against CDC and public-health sources. This is educational information, not a substitute for advice from a licensed clinician. Our editorial guidelines →
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Ingebretson Park sits at the quiet center of a town where most residents have put down lasting roots: nearly three-quarters own their homes, and the majority of households are married couples. That drive lands harder on the roughly one-in-four households renting in town. With typical rents well under five hundred dollars a month, budgets are often lean, and the younger adults who make up Swaledale's smaller but still present under-35 crowd, the years when STI rates run highest, are more likely to be in that renter tier, weighing whether a clinic visit fits the week's schedule and gas money. Labor-force participation here is solid, which means many people are working set hours, making mid-week appointments a genuine coordination problem rather than a casual choice.
For residents without employer coverage or with high out-of-pocket costs, the sliding-scale and low-fee options among the clinics listed here carry real weight. Someone in a single-income household, paying $467 a month in rent in Cerro Gordo County, isn't choosing between convenience and principle. Cost is the concrete deciding factor.
Getting there
At 4.72/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Swaledale 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 50477 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 50477 area around Swaledale: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Swaledale alone.
Swaledale sits in Cerro Gordo County, ZIP 50477. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Swaledale? 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 Cerro Gordo 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 Swaledale-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 Swaledale 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.
Clear Lake, IA is a nearby town with options, the listing shows each one's distance so you can pick the closest.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Public clinics serve people without insurance.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Cerro Gordo County reported ~358 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Iowa average.
At-home kits mail to 50477: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
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.
Get treated, notify partners, pause sex until cleared, and follow up, the infection is manageable.
Often, yes, especially throat and rectal infections, which is why site-specific testing matters.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.