In Dare County, reported syphilis runs about 84% lower than the US average. If you've recently had a risk or test on a regular schedule in Waves, North Carolina, choose between community clinics, often low-cost or free, and private labs, which tend to offer faster results and more flexible scheduling. The options below can help you find what you need.
Available testing centers
1 testing option is listed for Waves, NC. The nearest, Labcorp at Walgreens, is about 31.8 miles away. Compare private labs and at-home kits below.
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 32 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Waves, 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 Dare 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.
4927 South Croatan Highway, Nags Head, NC 27959
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
5112 North Croatan Highway, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
CMS-certified lab
40894 Nc Highway 12, Avon, NC 27915
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Waves. 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, 34 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Waves. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 12 offer telehealth.
Jamie Fountain, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 40894 Nc Highway, Avon
Shannon Sawin, MD
Family medicine · 402 Budleigh Street, Manteo
Robert Wetzel, MD
Internal medicine · 604 Amanda Street, Manteo
Jeffrey Ray, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 5002 South Croatan Highway, Nags Head
Francis Fraboni, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 4917 South Croatan Highway, Nags Head
Derwin Gray, MD
OB-GYN · 4917 South Croatan Highway, Nags Head
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 Waves, 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.
Beach Pharmacy
16 mi
25 mi Island Pharmacy
26 miBeach Pharmacy of Hatteras
27 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Waves, 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 Waves, 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 Dare County, the county that includes Waves, compare with North Carolina and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data.
#73 of 100 North Carolina counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 27% of the state
| Infection | Dare County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 275.5 105 cases ▼ 55% | 607.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 34.1 13 cases ▼ 86% | 243.2 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 2.6 1 cases ▼ 87% | 19.9 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 2.6 1 cases ▼ 84% | 15.8 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | — no data | 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 Dare County, chlamydia has risen from 165.2 to 275.5 per 100,000 (67%), gonorrhea has fallen from 65 to 34.1 per 100,000 (48%), and P&S syphilis has fallen from 2.7 to 2.6 per 100,000 (4%).
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 Dare County.
Local HIV snapshot
Dare County HIV care continuum (2021)
Dare County recorded 0 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2021), against 15.1 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Dare County residents living with HIV, 80.6% are in care · 71% 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 Dare County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
NC 12 stretches the length of this Outer Banks village, and reaching the one option listed on this page means committing to that road for a meaningful stretch, well past the Jug Handle Bridge, before a clinic comes into view. For a place where nearly half of residents rent rather than own, that kind of trip carries real weight: renters here are more likely to be mid-lease, juggling seasonal work rhythms, without the flexibility that comes with a settled household. That seasonal employment picture is worth sitting with. A substantial share of the workforce is active, yet unemployment runs high.
A pattern typical of barrier-island communities where work arrives in waves tied to the tourist calendar. When income is inconsistent and schedules shift week to week, a clinic visit that requires driving the full length of NC 12 can quietly stay on the back burner, not from lack of concern but from the logistics of getting there between shifts or off-season. What grounds the community itself is a notably high share of married, multi-person households. Average sizes that suggest families rather than solo renters passing through.
In neighborhoods like Lance's Landing and Island Pines, people tend to put down roots even when their economic footing shifts seasonally. For couples and families in that structure, routine screening is simply one more practical thing a household manages together, like any other appointment.
Getting there
At 7.3/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Waves 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 27968 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 27968 area around Waves: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Waves alone.
Waves sits in Dare County, ZIP 27968. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Waves? 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 Dare 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 Waves-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 Waves 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.
Usually yes, it can be billed to insurance, or paid out of pocket at a flat rate.
A full panel typically covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
Dare County reported ~276 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the North Carolina average.
In North Carolina, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
A positive means treatment is the next step; many STIs are cured with antibiotics, and all are treatable.
Your results are part of your HIPAA-protected medical record; you can ask any clinic about its own privacy practices.
Yes, test even without symptoms, and tell the provider which infection so they can treat or retest appropriately.
Use condoms, test regularly, get the HPV and hep B vaccines, and ask about PrEP for HIV.
No; "everything" means a panel of several tests, and some need a repeat later to be conclusive.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.