Lea County, New Mexico has reported gonorrhea about 27% lower than the US average. If you're in Tatum, New Mexico before starting a new relationship or as part of ongoing care, you may have a choice between community clinics, which are often low-cost or free, and private labs, which offer faster results and more flexible scheduling. See your options for testing below.
Available testing centers
4 testing options are listed for Tatum, NM. The nearest, Nor-Lea Hospital District, is about 0.5 miles away. Compare 1 community and public clinic, 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 public safety-net rural health clinic in Tatum. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
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 Tatum, 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 value: single tests
$49 & 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 Lea 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.
1301 North Turner Street, Hobbs, NM 88240
CMS-certified lab
4900 North Lovington Highway, Hobbs, NM 88240
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
1600 North Main Street, Lovington, NM 88260
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 Tatum. 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, 13 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Tatum. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit.
Marsha Dunkley, MD
Family medicine · 1600 North Main, Lovington
Sara Thorp, DO
Family medicine · 1600 North Main, Lovington
Jay Frankfather, MD
OB-GYN · 603 Cowboy Way, Plains
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 Tatum, NM 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.
United Supermarkets
20 miNowell Pharmacy
21 miB&J Drug
21 miMichael's Prescription Corner
21 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Tatum, NM.
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 Tatum, 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
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
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 Lea County, the county that includes Tatum, compare with New Mexico and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~38% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#13 of 33 New Mexico counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 61% of the state
| Infection | Lea County | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 417.5 301 cases ▼ 20% | 523.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 131.8 95 cases ▼ 22% | 169 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 36.1 26 cases ▼ 1% | 36.6 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 18 13 cases ▼ 1% | 18.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 81.8 59 cases ▲ 7% | 76.6 | 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 Lea County, chlamydia has fallen from 441.9 to 417.5 per 100,000 (6%), gonorrhea has fallen from 182.7 to 131.8 per 100,000 (28%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 25.5 to 36.1 per 100,000 (42%).
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 Lea County.
Local HIV snapshot
Lea County HIV care continuum (2022)
Lea County recorded 15.6 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 10.4 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Lea County residents living with HIV, 70% are in care · 53.3% 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 Lea County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Tatum sits where the plains roll open under big sky, and the steadiness of the place (long-held homes, families who've lived here for decades) makes it easy to let health routines slip. Routine STI screening belongs in that same practical order as checking the car or scheduling a checkup, especially for younger adults moving through their twenties and thirties. Testing in and around Tatum listed on this page fits into ordinary life without fanfare. Multigenerational households mean privacy takes on real weight here. A screening that stays confidential isn't just policy, it's how people in close-knit homes manage their own health decisions without broadcast.
The clinics and providers serving Tatum understand that difference between knowing your neighbors and sharing everything with them. Whether you're newly partnered, between relationships, or just keeping baseline health in order, the testing available near Tatum keeps that conversation between you and a provider. Results don't travel further than you decide. The goal is straightforward: make screening as unremarkable as any other health step, so that doing it feels like the sensible choice it is.
Getting there
At 4.88/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Tatum 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 88267 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 88267 area around Tatum: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Tatum alone.
Tatum sits in Lea County, ZIP 88267. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Tatum? 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 Lea County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under New Mexico 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 Tatum-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 Tatum 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
New Mexico 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 New MexicoSource: 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 is 1 option within a 30-mile drive.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Lea County reported ~418 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the New Mexico average.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
In New Mexico, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Your results are part of your HIPAA-protected medical record; you can ask any clinic about its own privacy practices.
Use condoms, test regularly, get the HPV and hep B vaccines, and ask about PrEP for HIV.
Yes, test even without symptoms, and tell the provider which infection so they can treat or retest appropriately.
A blood draw screens for syphilis, with a confirmatory test if it's reactive.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.