Cleveland County reports about 14 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 residents, near the US average. Whether testing in Waco, North Carolina for the first time or seeking a routine screening, you'll find both community clinics offering low-cost or free options and private labs with faster results and flexible scheduling.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Waco, NC. The nearest, MainStreet Family Care, is about 5.6 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.
MainStreet Family Care in Cherryville handles gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and HIV testing on a sliding-scale fee, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections when results call for it: walk-ins welcome, and PrEP and PEP are on the menu for prevention.
MainStreet Family Care prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly, no outside referral to a specialist to access either medication. For anyone without a regular primary care provider, that means prevention and testing live at the same address, billed through insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or a sliding-scale fee.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, MainStreet Family Care tests for herpes simplex and both hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Two infections that a stripped-down panel quietly skips. Catching hepatitis B here also connects directly to the adult hepatitis B vaccine if immunity hasn't been established.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Oct 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN
Senior TLC - Shelby, a federally qualified health center in Shelby, welcomes walk-in patients for STI screening without an appointment. A single visit can cover syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing, with fees set on a sliding scale tied to household income.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Kintegra Health in Lawndale tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and HIV on a sliding-scale fee open to everyone, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, appointments required, and Spanish-language and interpretation services staffed on-site.
Kintegra Health includes herpes in its STI panel alongside the bacterial infections and HIV. That means a single visit produces a fuller picture, and any bacterial finding gets treated the same day rather than waiting on a follow-up appointment.
Many clinics test for HIV but send patients somewhere else for the medications that prevent it. Kintegra Health prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly, and PrEP is available for uninsured patients through dedicated program support.
Kintegra Health carries Spanish-language capacity and live interpretation services as standing clinical resources, not an on-call afterthought. STI counseling, treatment decisions, and medication adherence education all run through those same staffed channels.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Sep 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 6 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Waco, 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 range: couples & full panels
$79 & 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 Cleveland 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.
201 East Grover Street, Shelby, NC 28150
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
201 East Grover Street, Shelby, NC 28150
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
709 North Dekalb Street, Shelby, NC 28150
CMS-certified lab
201 East Grover Street, Shelby, NC 28150
CMS-certified lab
1124 North Washington Street, Shelby, NC 28150
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 Waco. 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, 557 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Waco. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 161 offer telehealth.
Sarah Kabemba Tshitenge, MD
Family medicine · 910 East Church Street, Cherryville
Marvin Ewy, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 7615 Dallas Cherryville Highway, Cherryville
Robert Murray, DO
Internal medicine · 1404 North Lafayette Street, Shelby
Christian Anderson, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 1124 North Washington Street, Shelby
Michael Keeley, MD
OB-GYN · 201 East Grover Street, Shelby
Elizabeth Borders, MD
OB-GYN · 201 East Grover Street, Shelby
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 Waco, NC 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.
Tas Drug
2.7 miHouser Drug Company
3.1 miKerr Drug
3.1 miShowing the 3 closest pharmacies to Waco, NC.
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 Waco, 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 $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
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 Cleveland County, the county that includes Waco, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~17% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#33 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 67% of the state
| Infection | Cleveland County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 586.9 595 cases ▼ 3% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 238.7 242 cases ▼ 2% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 25.6 26 cases ▲ 29% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 20.7 21 cases ▲ 31% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 18.7 19 cases ▼ 22% | 24 | 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 Cleveland County, chlamydia has fallen from 663.2 to 586.9 per 100,000 (12%), gonorrhea has fallen from 336.6 to 238.7 per 100,000 (29%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 3 to 25.6 per 100,000 (753%).
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 Cleveland County.
Local HIV snapshot
Cleveland County HIV care continuum (2023)
Cleveland County recorded 14 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Cleveland County residents living with HIV, 77.3% are in care · 67.8% 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 Cleveland County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Cherryville carries the quiet rhythm of a place where most households own their homes and have for years, a stability that runs through the fabric of daily life near J. Ralph Beam Jr. Heritage Park and out along NC 150 toward Shelby. With average households running above three people and more than half of adults married, this is a community built around shared domestic life, which also means sexual health decisions ripple through partnerships, not just individuals. What the numbers don't show on a card is how labor-force participation here reflects a community where a meaningful share of adults are outside the traditional nine-to-five workforce entirely (retired, caregiving, or otherwise) while those who are working often keep schedules that leave little room for midweek appointments.
For younger adults still in the years when STI rates run highest nationally, adding a long drive down NC 274 or NC 150 to reach a clinic can quietly convert a firm intention into an indefinite delay. With typical rents well below regional norms, cost is less likely the barrier; it's the distance. Checking the hours and fees in the clinic cards above before heading out from Aaron B. Moss Municipal Park makes that drive a one-stop trip rather than a wasted one.
Getting there
At 5.53/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Waco 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 28150 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 28150 area around Waco: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Waco alone.
Waco sits in Cleveland County, ZIP 28150. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Waco? 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 Cleveland County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under North 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 Waco-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 Waco 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 North 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 North Carolina, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
North 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 North 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.
Yes, several local labs offer same-day walk-in testing; best to call first.
Yes, Medicaid typically covers it, and public clinics are free either way.
Yes, free HIV testing is available at public clinics in the area.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Cleveland County reported ~587 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the North Carolina average.
At-home kits mail to 28150: self-collect, send to the lab, results in ~2–5 days.
In North 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.
Most results are ready in about 1–2 days.
Usually urine or a swab for chlamydia/gonorrhea, and blood for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.