New HIV diagnoses in Pierce County run about 39% lower than the US average. If you've had a recent risk or simply test on a regular schedule in Tacoma, Washington, consider whether you prioritize cost or speed. Community and public clinics are often low-cost or free, while private labs tend to offer faster results and more flexible scheduling.
Available testing centers
12 testing options are listed for Tacoma, WA. The nearest, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest Hawaii Alaska Indiana Kentucky, is about 0.3 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.
Planned Parenthood Great Northwest Hawaii Alaska Indiana Kentucky in Tacoma tests for HIV (conventional and rapid), gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and herpes on a sliding-scale fee open to all; appointments are required, and bacterial STIs can be treated the same visit.
Interpretation services are available for non-English languages at every appointment, which means a patient's reported symptoms and sexual history reach the clinician with full precision, not approximate translations, directly shaping which tests get ordered and what treatment follows.
As a Title X family planning site, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest Hawaii Alaska Indiana Kentucky provides legally confidential STI and family planning services to minors. Meaning care and results are protected from parental disclosure by federal program requirements, not just clinic policy.
For anyone without a regular prescribing provider, this clinic carries PrEP for ongoing HIV prevention, PEP for post-exposure HIV management, and DoxyPEP for reducing bacterial STI transmission. Three medications requiring separate clinical judgment, all prescribable here, including a dedicated PrEP program for uninsured patients.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Tacoma tests for gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis A, B, and C, and HIV on a sliding-scale fee tied to income; insurance and Medicaid are accepted, and appointments are required.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health tests for herpes and hepatitis A, B, and C alongside the core bacterial and viral panel, which means a single visit produces results across infections that narrower panels would miss entirely, reducing the need for separate specialist referrals.
Doxy-PEP, the post-exposure antibiotic shown to reduce bacterial STI transmission, remains absent from many prevention menus. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health prescribes it alongside PrEP and PEP, consolidating three distinct prevention regimens under one provider relationship.
Interpretation services are available for non-English languages at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, meaning clinical conversations, from reviewing a DoxyPEP regimen to managing ongoing HIV treatment, carry the same precision regardless of the language a patient brings to the appointment.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Cedar River Clinics in Tacoma folds STI testing into full family planning care, so gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and HIV screening share an appointment with contraception, treatment, and prevention counseling. Fees run on a sliding scale and insurance or Medicaid covers the visit.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Community Health Care in Tacoma runs on a sliding scale accepting Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, with donations accepted: opening the full panel of HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and TB to nearly any budget. Appointments are required; bacterial infections are treated the same visit, and care is delivered in Spanish.
Many clinics handle Spanish through ad hoc arrangements that fragment the clinical conversation. Community Health Care delivers care in Spanish directly: meaning the history-taking, counseling, and treatment discussion happen in the same language from start to finish, not reconstructed after the fact.
Community Health Care carries dedicated PrEP support for uninsured patients, a structural commitment that goes beyond simply prescribing. PEP is also available, giving the clinic coverage across both the ongoing-prevention and post-exposure ends of HIV risk management.
Diagnosing hepatitis C and actually curing it are two different clinical commitments, and most testing sites only make the first one. Community Health Care in Tacoma treats hepatitis C on-site, so a reactive result moves directly into a care plan rather than toward an outside specialist.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma S 14th St, in Tacoma, welcomes walk-ins for STI screening without an appointment. Backed by federal FQHC standing, the clinic ties fees to income on a sliding scale. A single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma S. 19th St. in Tacoma, earned federal qualification as a community health center, which translates directly into sliding-scale STI screening priced against each patient's income. Walk-ins are welcome for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing without an appointment required.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Sea Mar Community Health Centers in Tacoma tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis A, B, and C on a sliding-scale fee open to everyone, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections. Care delivered in Spanish throughout.
Plenty of clinics manage a translated form or a bilingual front-desk moment, then hand off to English-only providers for the clinical conversation. At Sea Mar Community Health Centers in Tacoma, Spanish is a primary language of care: spoken by staff through testing, results, and treatment.
Getting a hepatitis C antibody result is one thing; having somewhere to actually treat it is another. Sea Mar Community Health Centers in Tacoma closes that gap entirely, on-site hepatitis C treatment means a positive result leads to a care plan, not a search for a specialist.
Sexual health clinics typically address one slice of a person's health, leaving substance-use concerns for another provider, another appointment, another day. Sea Mar Community Health Centers in Tacoma offers substance-abuse treatment alongside STI care, so both needs can be addressed within the same practice.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma 1307 S. 11th St. in Tacoma, carries federal community health center designation, which means STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) is offered on a sliding-scale fee tied to income, so out-of-pocket cost adjusts to what a patient can actually pay.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
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 less than a mile away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Tacoma, 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 Pierce 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.
19th At South Union, Tacoma, WA 98405
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
2617 East L Street, Tacoma, WA 98421
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
1717 South J Street, Tacoma, WA 98405
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
315 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Tacoma, WA 98405
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
209 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Tacoma, WA 98405
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 Tacoma. 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, 2,864 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Tacoma. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 1,192 offer telehealth.
Lyle Calcamuggio, MD
OB-GYN · 1812 South J Street, Tacoma
Ashley Christensen, DO
OB-GYN · 1717 J Street, Tacoma
Dwight Poehlmann, MD
OB-GYN · 1717 South J Street, Tacoma
Kalli Plummer, DO
OB-GYN · 1608 South J Street, Tacoma
David Carlson, DO
Family medicine · 1608 South J Street, Tacoma
Alex Borchert, MD Telehealth
Urology · 1608 South J Street, Tacoma
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 Tacoma, WA 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.
Northwest Medical Specialties Pharmacy
0.4 miCommunity Health Care
0.5 mi
0.6 mi Sea Mar Community Health Centers
0.6 miLinh Q Nguyen
0.6 miPuget Sound Pharmacy
0.9 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Tacoma, WA.
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 Tacoma, 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.
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
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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 Pierce County, the county that includes Tacoma, compare with Washington and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~30% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#6 of 39 Washington counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 85% of the state
| Infection | Pierce County | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 466.8 4,335 cases ▲ 32% | 354.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 164.7 1,530 cases ▲ 27% | 129.6 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 30.8 286 cases ▲ 45% | 21.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 14.6 136 cases ▲ 17% | 12.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 28.6 266 cases ▲ 25% | 22.9 | 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 Pierce County, chlamydia has fallen from 607.7 to 466.8 per 100,000 (23%), gonorrhea has fallen from 239.7 to 164.7 per 100,000 (31%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 11.8 to 30.8 per 100,000 (161%).
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 Pierce County.
Local HIV snapshot
Pierce County HIV care continuum (2023)
Pierce County recorded 8.4 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 6.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Pierce County residents living with HIV, 79.3% are in care · 72.4% 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 Pierce County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
McCarver Neighborhood sits close enough to Downtown Tacoma that a walk along Pacific Avenue feels routine, yet the daily math of life here still shapes who gets around easily and who doesn't. With just over a quarter of households clearing six figures and a typical rent that consumes a real share of most paychecks, cost is a genuine filter when people weigh optional appointments. Nearly half of residents rent rather than own, and an average household nudging above three people means schedules are rarely one person's alone to manage. That household texture matters for sexual health specifically.
Tacoma's young adults, people moving through their late teens and twenties, are the years when new relationships form fastest and when routine screening catches the most. A workforce participation rate that leaves some margin for midday appointments is helpful in theory, but an unemployment rate that isn't negligible means some residents are also weighing bus fare and lost hourly wages against a clinic visit. If you're near Wright Park, that central location puts several of the closer listed options within a reasonable drive down South Sprague Avenue. Pulling up the nearest clinic's hours from there is the single most useful move this page can offer.
Getting there
At 9.59/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Tacoma 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.
Tacoma sits in Pierce County. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Tacoma? 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 Pierce County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Washington 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 Tacoma-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 Tacoma 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 Washington 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 Washington, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Washington 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 WashingtonSource: 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 Planned Parenthood Great Northwest Hawaii Alaska Indiana Kentucky (0.3 mi); 12 options are within 30 miles.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Yes, public clinics in the area offer free or low-cost testing.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 467 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Washington average.
In Washington, 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, most chlamydia infections cause no symptoms, so screening is the only reliable way to catch it.
You self-collect a sample at home, mail it in, and view results online, no clinic visit needed.
Likely yes, if you were past the window period; otherwise retest, and keep up routine screening with new partners.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.