Alexander County reports about 511 gonorrhea cases per 100,000 residents, well above the US average. If you live in Tamms, Illinois and want STI testing, whether you have symptoms or just want peace of mind, there are different options to consider. Clinics may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, while private labs let you pay a flat self-pay price. The comprehensive list below can help.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Tamms, IL. The nearest, Chesi, 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.
Chesi in Tamms tests for HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, and hepatitis C on a sliding-scale fee accepted by Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurance. Appointments are required, and bacterial infections can be treated the same visit.
Leaving hepatitis C off the panel means a second appointment somewhere else, a gap where a chronic infection continues unaddressed. Chesi tests for hepatitis C alongside the standard bacterial infections and HIV, so a single visit captures the full picture rather than producing an incomplete one.
PrEP at Chesi means an ongoing clinical relationship: the prescription, the required HIV and kidney-function monitoring, and the dose adjustments over time are handled on-site. PEP is also available, stocked and staffed so the regimen can begin without routing through another provider.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Southern 7 Health Department in Ullin tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, both rapid and conventional, on a sliding scale with donations accepted and Medicaid and Medicare welcomed. HPV and hepatitis A and B vaccines are available alongside STI treatment, and appointments are required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jul 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Dongola Medical Clinic serves Dongola residents who are uninsured, paying cash, or caught between providers, and its federally qualified standing means STI screening adjusts to income. Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing are available on a sliding-scale basis, no insurance required to get a fair rate.
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 Tamms, 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.
Local clinicians
Beyond dedicated clinics, 130 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Tamms. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 17 offer telehealth.
Razia Sami, MD
Internal medicine · 13245 Kessler Road, Cairo
Timothy Mcpherson, DO Telehealth
Family medicine · 2102 Main Street, Scott City
Magid Fahim, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 315 Brady Mill Road, Anna
John Cerny, MD
Family medicine · 517 North Main Street, Anna
Trevin Mayabb, MD
Family medicine · 100 East Outer Road, Scott City
Peter Jiang, MD
Infectious disease · 1723 Broadway Street, Cape Girardeau
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 Tamms, IL 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.
Bode Drug
12 miCape Pharmacy
15 miMedicap Pharmacy
15 miKNL Prescriptions
15 miUnion County Drug
15 miMedicenter Pharmacy Anna
15 miShowing the 6 closest pharmacies to Tamms, IL.
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 Tamms, 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 $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions to your pharmacy
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
$0 with most insurance
Free online PrEP & DoxyPEP: HIV prevention, home lab kits, no in-person visit
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 Alexander County, the county that includes Tamms, compare with Illinois and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~18% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#7 of 102 Illinois counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 93% of the state
| Infection | Alexander County | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 766.8 36 cases ▲ 37% | 557.7 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 511.2 24 cases ▲ 153% | 202.3 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | — no data | 11.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | — no data | 10.9 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | — no data | 26 | 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 Alexander County, chlamydia has risen from 763.4 to 766.8 per 100,000 (0%), and gonorrhea has fallen from 572.5 to 511.2 per 100,000 (11%).
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 Alexander County.
Local HIV snapshot
Alexander County HIV care continuum (2020)
Alexander County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2020), against 14.7 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Alexander County residents living with HIV, 50% are in care · 44.4% 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 Alexander County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Rattlesnake Hill and Burner Hill anchor a town where most households own their homes outright and have done so for years: roots run deep here, families are large, and nearly half of adults are married. That settled majority coexists with a younger slice of residents who are still sorting out where they land: new partnerships, shifting living arrangements, and the particular uncertainty that comes before stability takes hold. For people in that late-teens-to-late-twenties stretch, routine screening tends to feel less urgent than rent, work schedules, or childcare, and in a place where unemployment runs meaningfully higher than statewide norms and fewer than one in twenty households clears six figures, cost is a real consideration, not an abstract one. The options listed on this page include low-cost and sliding-scale services, which matters when a $368 monthly rent still represents a significant share of a tight budget.
What changes the calculation most, though, is the driving reality. Getting tested means planning a trip, often to another city entirely. For the portion of residents who aren't in the labor force or whose work hours are irregular, that's a manageable window; for those working unpredictable shifts, the drive itself is the obstacle. Knowing which of the listed options holds weekend or evening hours, and what they charge, is the practical thing to check before committing to the road.
Getting there
At 4.17/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Tamms 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 62988 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 62988 area around Tamms: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Tamms alone.
Tamms sits in Alexander County, ZIP 62988. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Tamms? 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 Alexander County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Illinois 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 Tamms-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 Tamms 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 Illinois 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 Illinois, a minor aged 12 or older can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Illinois 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 IllinoisSource: 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 Chesi (0.3 mi); 5 options are within 30 miles.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Public clinics nearby offer free HIV 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 767 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Illinois 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 Illinois, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, most chlamydia infections cause no symptoms, so screening is the only reliable way to catch it.
Yes, from a reputable lab, confirm any positive with a clinician for treatment.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.