Syphilis in Union County runs about 66% higher than the US average. Whether it's your first STI test or a routine screening in Union County, South Carolina, weigh the benefits of clinics that may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees against private labs that let you pay a flat self-pay price.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Union, SC. The nearest, ReGenesis Health Care, is about 3.7 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.
ReGenesis Health Care in Spartanburg requires an appointment, so scheduling ahead means arriving to a visit that covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis A, B, and C testing, with treatment for bacterial infections the same day, on a sliding-scale fee accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance, and conducted in Spanish.
ReGenesis Health Care in Spartanburg delivers care directly in Spanish, not through an add-on service but as a named operational language of the clinic. That means clinical conversations, treatment decisions, and follow-up instructions all move in Spanish without loss of nuance between provider and patient.
The testing panel at ReGenesis runs to seven infections: HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis A, B, and C. Covering all three hepatitis strains in one appointment, paired with hepatitis A and B vaccination on-site, means exposure risks across the full hepatitis spectrum are addressed without splitting care across separate visits.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
ReGenesis Health Care - Bell Hill, in Spartanburg, earns its federally qualified status by anchoring fees to what patients actually earn. No one is turned away for inability to pay. Walk-in STI screening covers syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with costs sliding to match your income.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Piedmont Care in Spartanburg requires an appointment and delivers rapid HIV testing, self-test options, PrEP, and HIV medical treatment: every service at no fee, accepted whether insured, on Medicaid, or neither.
Every service at Piedmont Care, from HIV testing to ongoing medical treatment, carries no charge. That flat reality means a patient managing HIV care long-term faces the same zero-cost equation at the tenth visit as at the first.
Interpretation services are available for non-English languages across all of Piedmont Care's services. That reach means a patient discussing PrEP dosing schedules or long-term HIV treatment protocols can do so with full linguistic precision, not through approximation.
HIV-focused clinics often stop at diagnosis, leaving ongoing care to other systems. Piedmont Care is funded through Ryan White to carry patients from initial testing into sustained HIV medical treatment, no handoff to a separate provider required.
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 + HRSA
South Carolina Department of Public Health in Chester runs on appointments and delivers same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs alongside a full diagnostic panel, all on a sliding-scale fee accepted alongside Medicaid and private insurance, and leaves you with DoxyPEP for ongoing bacterial STI prevention.
Chester's public health department carries DoxyPEP as a standing service, meaning anyone paying out of pocket or lacking a prescribing provider doesn't have to navigate a separate clinical relationship to obtain it. The medication is available through the same appointment that handles testing and treatment.
Beyond antibody and confirmatory testing, the Chester clinic provides hepatitis C treatment directly. Prescribing antivirals and managing the course of care on-site. That means monitoring and medication happen within the same department that identified the infection, rather than being handed off to a separate specialist.
The panel at this clinic runs to seven infections: chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, herpes, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Including herpes and hepatitis B alongside the standard four means a single appointment produces a more complete picture of sexual health status without requiring separate referrals for those specific tests.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
North Central Family Medical Center in Chester tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, herpes, and hepatitis A, B, and C. A wider sweep than many single-purpose clinics. Fees run on a sliding scale, and Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance are all accepted. Appointments are required.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · 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 4 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Union, 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 Union 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.
1201 Furman L Fendley Highway, Union, SC 29379
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 Union. 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, 362 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Union. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 49 offer telehealth.
Charles Murdock
Internal medicine · 1201 Furman L Fendley Highway, Union
Carla Gentry, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 5229 Hwy 221, Roebuck
Michelle Hagenbuch, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 300 Plaza Circle, Clinton
Austin Mcjunkins, MD
Family medicine · 750 South Church Street, Spartanburg
Janice Wiggins, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 550 South Church Street, Spartanburg
David Cykert, MD
Internal medicine · 1200 East Main Street, Spartanburg
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 Union, 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.
Palmetto Drugs
0.7 miUnion Family Pharmacy
0.8 mi
0.8 mi 
0.9 mi 
14 mi Showing the 5 closest pharmacies to Union, 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 Union, 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 Union County, the county that includes Union, compare with South Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~22% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#18 of 46 South Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 61% of the state
| Infection | Union County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 657.2 175 cases ▲ 7% | 612.1 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 244.1 65 cases ▲ 10% | 222.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 26.3 7 cases ▲ 52% | 17.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 7.5 2 cases ▼ 60% | 18.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 3.8 1 cases ▼ 68% | 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 Union County, chlamydia has risen from 495.5 to 657.2 per 100,000 (33%), gonorrhea has fallen from 271.6 to 244.1 per 100,000 (10%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 29.6 to 26.3 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 Union 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.
Union County HIV care continuum (2022)
Union County recorded 35 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2022), against 18.3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Union County residents living with HIV, 88.2% are in care · 80.3% 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 Union County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
East Main Street and the Douglass Heights corridor are home to many of Union's younger adults, people in their late teens and twenties who are sorting out jobs, relationships, and housing at the same time. With roughly half the city renting rather than owning, and typical rents sitting low enough that several roommates or family members often share a single address, household life here tends to be communal and busy. That shared-space reality, combined with a labor-force participation rate that leaves a meaningful portion of adults outside steady nine-to-five schedules, means health appointments compete with irregular work hours, childcare, and tight budgets rather than a tidy calendar.
The economics reinforce that picture. Fewer than one in ten households clears six figures annually, and unemployment runs high enough that cost is a genuine consideration when someone weighs whether to get screened. The options listed on this page include sliding-scale and low-cost appointments, which matters concretely in a community where disposable income is stretched.
Getting to those options from Union requires a car for most trips. SC 49 and SC 18 are the practical routes out of the city toward larger health facilities, and the drive adds real time to an already compressed day. For younger residents near Douglass Heights or along Arthur Boulevard, knowing which listed clinic is closest and what it charges is the detail that turns a screening from a vague intention into something that actually fits a Union Tuesday.
Getting there
At 5.83/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Union 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 29379 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 29379 area around Union: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Union alone.
Union sits in Union County, ZIP 29379. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Union? 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 Union 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 Union-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 Union 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.
There are 6 options within a 30-mile drive.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Piedmont Care, about 23.1 mi away, provides free testing.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Union County reported ~657 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, above the South Carolina average.
In South Carolina, 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.
At-home kits mail to 29379: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
Your results are part of your HIPAA-protected medical record; you can ask any clinic about its own privacy practices.
Negative is good news, just retest later if the test was soon after a possible exposure.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.