Montana has a reported gonorrhea rate in Cascade County that runs about 63% lower than the US average. If you're seeking STI testing in Vaughn, Montana for a one-time concern or regular check-ups, weigh your options: clinics may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, while many labs let you pay a flat self-pay price. Consider the options below.
Available testing centers
4 testing options are listed for Vaughn, MT. The nearest, Benefis Health System, is about 11.8 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.
Benefis Health System in Great Falls meets patients paying out of pocket, between insurance gaps, or managing tight budgets with appointment-based STI screening (syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV testing) priced on a sliding scale tied to income.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Community Health Care Center - Renaissance Square, in Great Falls, earned federal qualification as a community health center. A status that ties STI screening directly to a sliding-scale fee structure calibrated to each patient's income. Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing is available without an appointment.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
A free or low-cost STD-testing site about 13 miles from Vaughn.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Dec 2025 · 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 12 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Vaughn, 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 Cascade 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.
1600 Division Road, Great Falls, MT 59404
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
1400 29th Street South Suite 1, Great Falls, MT 59405
CMS-certified lab Accredited · Joint Commission
1101 26th Street South, Great Falls, MT 59405
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Vaughn. 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, 114 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Vaughn. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 34 offer telehealth.
Carey Welsh, MD
Family medicine · 1600 Division Road, Great Falls
Marcella Barker, MD
Family medicine · 25 14th Avenue Northwest, Great Falls
Dana Morgan, MD
Family medicine · 400 13th Avenue South, Great Falls
David Chess, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 1130 17th Avenue South, Great Falls
Zahra Shariff, MD
Internal medicine · 1130 17th Avenue South, Great Falls
James Legan, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 401 15th Avenue South, Great Falls
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 Vaughn, MT 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.
Smiths Food & Drug Centers
11 miSams Pharmacy 10
12 miShopko Stores Operating
12 mi
12 mi Osco Pharmacy
12 miShowing the 5 closest pharmacies to Vaughn, MT.
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 Vaughn, 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
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
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
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 Cascade County, the county that includes Vaughn, compare with Montana and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~26% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#9 of 56 Montana counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 84% of the state
| Infection | Cascade County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 372.2 316 cases ▲ 15% | 322.6 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 66 56 cases ▼ 3% | 67.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 24.7 21 cases ▼ 10% | 27.5 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 9.4 8 cases ▼ 24% | 12.4 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 37.7 32 cases ▲ 39% | 27.2 | 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 Cascade County, chlamydia has fallen from 537.8 to 372.2 per 100,000 (31%), gonorrhea has fallen from 289.1 to 66 per 100,000 (77%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 13 to 24.7 per 100,000 (90%).
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 Cascade County.
Local HIV snapshot
Cascade County HIV care continuum (2021)
Cascade County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2021), against 3 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Cascade County residents living with HIV, 80.4% are in care · 66.1% 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 Cascade County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
In a town where people know their neighbors and stay for decades, the decision to get tested for STDs carries a particular weight. Vaughn residents value their privacy, and that's precisely why confidential testing matters. Not as a formality, but as a genuine safeguard. The clinics and health services listed on this page understand that discretion isn't just policy; it's respect for how communities like this one actually function.
Young adults in Vaughn, from late teens through their thirties, face the same health realities as their peers elsewhere, yet the intimate fabric of small-town life can make routine screening feel more consequential. Testing remains the only way to know your status and access treatment if needed, and the providers available in and around Vaughn offer exactly that clarity without fanfare. Long-term residents and those just settling here alike can access testing through the services listed on this page. Whether someone has lived on the same property for twenty years or recently moved to build a life here, confidential care is available: straightforward, private, and grounded in the health needs of people who value both their autonomy and their standing in the community.
Getting there
At 7.98/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Vaughn 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 59404 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 59404 area around Vaughn: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Vaughn alone.
Vaughn sits in Cascade County, ZIP 59404. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Vaughn? 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 Cascade County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Montana 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 Vaughn-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 Vaughn 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 Montana 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 Montana, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Montana 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 MontanaSource: 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.
Some clinics and labs take walk-ins for same-day testing; call ahead to confirm hours.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
Yes, community and public clinics test the uninsured, with sliding-scale fees.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 372 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Montana average.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 59404; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
In Montana, 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.
The gap between exposure and when a test can reliably detect the infection; testing inside it can miss a real infection.
Yes, test after the window period, and if HIV exposure is a concern, ask about PEP within 72 hours.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.