Near Putnam, there are about 169 gonorrhea cases per 100,000 residents, near the US average. Welaka, Florida, has different STI testing options whether it's your first test or a routine screening. Community clinics and public health departments can be low-cost or even free but may have longer waits; private labs might give you faster results but generally cost more.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Welaka, FL. The nearest, Aza Health, is about 7.9 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.
Aza Health in Crescent City runs by appointment, so arriving means your time is protected and the visit moves. Testing, sliding-scale fees, same-visit treatment for bacterial STIs, and Spanish-language care are all part of a single scheduled encounter.
Aza Health screens for hepatitis A, B, and C alongside the standard bacterial and HIV tests, and backs the A and B results with on-site vaccination. Catching chronic hepatitis B or C at the same appointment as a routine STI screen shortens the timeline between exposure and confirmed status considerably.
Spanish functions as a full clinical language at Aza Health: not a supplemental service but the medium through which history, results, and treatment decisions are communicated. For patients who reason through health decisions in Spanish, that operational fact shapes the quality of every exchange in the room.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jun 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
A public safety-net rural health clinic about 11 miles from Welaka. Sliding-scale STD testing and care are typical here, call ahead to confirm the exact panel and pricing.
Tests offered
Florida Department of Health in Putnam County, in Palatka, requires an appointment and covers gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, rapid and conventional HIV testing on a sliding-scale fee: with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, PrEP, HPV and hepatitis vaccines, and all services provided at no fee.
An untreated infection or a skipped follow-up visit often comes down to what the bill will look like afterward. At the Florida Department of Health in Putnam County, that calculation disappears entirely. Every service, from testing through treatment to PrEP management, carries no fee.
Many clinics hand off language access to an outside line that isn't in the room where care actually happens. At the Florida Department of Health in Putnam County, interpretation services are available for non-English languages as part of the clinical encounter itself, so a provider can discuss symptoms, treatment options, and next steps directly.
Ryan White Program funding at the Florida Department of Health in Putnam County supports the full HIV care continuum operationally: a positive result moves into ongoing medical treatment with antiretroviral prescribing, viral load monitoring, and medication adherence counseling. All coordinated within the same clinical team that ran the initial test.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified May 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 8 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Welaka, 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 Putnam 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.
400 North State Road 19, Palatka, FL 32177
CMS-certified lab
600 Zeagler Drive, Palatka, FL 32177
CMS-certified lab Accredited · COLA
611 Zeagler Drive, Palatka, FL 32177
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 Welaka. 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, 220 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Welaka. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 75 offer telehealth.
Roy Hinman, MD
Family medicine · 811 North Summit Street, Crescent City
Moustafa Eldick, MD
Internal medicine · 899 North Summit Street, Crescent City
Rebeca Juarbe Arrillaga Telehealth
Internal medicine · 300 South Main Street, Crescent City
Heather Stewart, MD Telehealth
General practice · 100 North Lake Street, Crescent City
Miguel Dejuk, MD
Internal medicine · 800 Zeagler Drive, Palatka
Satish Ravi, MD
Internal medicine · 800 Zeagler Drive, Palatka
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 Welaka, FL 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.
Aza Health
7.9 miCommunity Pharmacy
9.7 mi
11 mi A-1 Pharmacy
11 miShowing the 4 closest pharmacies to Welaka, FL.
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 Welaka, 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
Visit from $39
Online STI treatment & DoxyPEP: same-day prescriptions 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 Putnam County, the county that includes Welaka, compare with Florida and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~19% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#18 of 67 Florida counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 73% of the state
| Infection | Putnam County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 497.7 378 cases ≈ the state average | 498.9 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 168.5 128 cases ▼ 18% | 206.7 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 14.5 11 cases ▼ 25% | 19.3 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 25 19 cases ≈ the state average | 25.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 17.1 13 cases ▼ 55% | 37.7 | 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 Putnam County, chlamydia has fallen from 631.5 to 497.7 per 100,000 (21%), gonorrhea has fallen from 276.9 to 168.5 per 100,000 (39%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 8.2 to 14.5 per 100,000 (77%).
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 Putnam County.
Local HIV snapshot
Putnam County HIV care continuum (2023)
Putnam County recorded 7.7 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 (2023), against 22.7 statewide and 13.7 nationally. Among Putnam County residents living with HIV, 83.5% are in care · 72.5% 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 Putnam County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Somewhere between the Welaka National Fish Hatchery Aquarium and the quiet ball fields at Willard Hazen Ball Park, daily life here moves at a rhythm shaped more by household routines than by commuter clocks. That rhythm matters when you think about getting tested for STIs, because reaching any of the options listed on this page almost certainly means getting in a car and driving a meaningful distance out of town. The community skews heavily toward homeowners, and households here tend to be larger than the state average, which means schedules are often organized around family obligations rather than solo convenience.
With fewer than half of residents actively in the workforce, those who are employed carry real time constraints, and the low share of households clearing six figures means cost-sensitive options matter. Young adults in their late teens and twenties represent a smaller slice of Welaka than in most Florida cities, yet that age group nationally accounts for the vast majority of new STI diagnoses, so accessible options still carry outsized importance here. Putnam County's STI rates add local urgency to that picture.
Getting there
At 5.33/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Welaka 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 32189 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 32189 area around Welaka: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Welaka alone.
Welaka sits in Putnam County, ZIP 32189. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Welaka? 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 Putnam County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Florida 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 Welaka-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 Welaka 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 Florida 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 Florida, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Florida 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 FloridaSource: 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.
The closest is Aza Health (7.9 mi); 7 options are within 30 miles.
Most plans cover STD screening; a clinic or lab can bill insurance, or you can pay a flat self-pay price.
Public clinics nearby offer free HIV testing.
Local options test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Rapid HIV, a full panel covers the common ones.
About 498 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), above the Florida average.
In Florida, 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.
Likely yes, if you were past the window period; otherwise retest, and keep up routine screening with new partners.
Resistance is rising, which is why the CDC advises a particular treatment; don't self-treat, get tested and treated correctly.
Start treatment, tell recent partners so they can test, avoid sex until cleared, and retest if advised, most STIs resolve with care.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.