Syphilis in Washington County runs about 80% lower than the US average. If you live in Westerly, Rhode Island, and are considering STI testing before starting a new relationship or as part of ongoing care, you'll find clinics may bill insurance or offer sliding-scale fees, while many private labs let you pay a flat self-pay price.
Available testing centers
9 testing options are listed for Westerly, RI. The nearest, Wood River Health Services, is about 1.9 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.
Wood River Health Services in Westerly runs by appointment and covers the full STI panel on a sliding-scale fee open to everyone, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia, and conducts care in Spanish.
Wood River Health Services delivers STI care in Spanish, which means test counseling, treatment decisions, and follow-up all happen in the same language: no relay, no lag between what's said and what's understood.
The panel at Wood River Health Services extends to herpes and hepatitis C alongside gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. Six infections tested at one appointment, with on-site hepatitis C management available for confirmed cases.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
11 Wells Street, Suite 6 in Westerly earns its federal qualification by tying fees to income on a sliding scale: walk in without an appointment and leave having covered syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia screening in a single visit.
Tests offered
Fees & payment
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Health Department in Ledyard runs appointments-only STI care that covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and TB in a single visit, with same-visit treatment for bacterial infections, and every service carries no fee.
The Health Department is funded to absorb the full cost of every service it provides (testing, counseling, STI treatment, TB evaluation) so no billing system is engaged at checkout. There is no fee schedule running in the background, no copay collected at the window.
Clinicians here run herpes testing and both hepatitis B and hepatitis C antibody screens as part of the same appointment that covers the bacterial and viral core panel. That means lab orders for infections go out from a single visit, with results reviewed and counseling provided on each.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Community Health Center in Groton operates with a full STI panel (rapid and conventional HIV, hepatitis C, herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) alongside same-visit treatment for bacterial infections. Appointments are required, and all services are provided at no fee.
Sliding-scale clinics still send some patients home with a bill. At Community Health Center, no service (testing, treatment, vaccines, PrEP) carries a charge, full stop. That applies regardless of insurance status or income.
Many clinics handle language access as an afterthought, patching in remote interpretation after the fact. Community Health Center provides Spanish-language services directly, alongside broader interpretation support, so the clinical conversation happens in the language the visit actually needs.
Community Health Center prescribes both PrEP and PEP directly, meaning prevention medication is managed within the same relationship as testing and treatment: no separate provider to locate, no gap between the decision and the prescription.
Languages
English, Interpretation Services Available for Non-English Languages, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Nov 2025 · Source: CDC NPIN + HRSA
Thundermist Health Center in Wakefield tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis A, B, and C, and TB on a sliding-scale fee open to everyone; bacterial infections are treated the same visit. Appointments are required.
Thundermist Health Center carries both PrEP and PEP within its HIV prevention services, meaning the clinical team managing your testing is the same one prescribing and monitoring ongoing antiretroviral prevention. No handoff to a separate provider required.
Dedicated STI clinics rarely hold a substance-use treatment program on the same roster. Thundermist Health Center in Wakefield does, so patients navigating both concerns work within one clinical home rather than coordinating between separate systems.
Thundermist's panel extends to hepatitis A, B, and C alongside the bacterial and viral STI screen. A meaningful capability for anyone without a primary care provider who would otherwise order those tests separately. Hepatitis C infection identified here can move directly into on-site treatment and management.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Jan 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 2 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Westerly, 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 Washington 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.
25 Wells Street, Westerly, RI 02891
CMS-certified lab Accredited · College of American Pathologists
320 Phillips Street, North Kingstown, RI 02852
CMS-certified lab
6 Payne Road, New Shoreham, RI 02807
CMS-certified lab
Source: CMS CLIA registry (Provider of Services), Q1 2026. Federal public records: active CLIA-certified laboratories near Westerly. 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, 543 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Westerly. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 140 offer telehealth.
Carla Cesario, MD
Family medicine · 268 Post Road, Westerly
Lisa Licare
OB-GYN · 45 Wells Street, Westerly
Jeffrey Joseph, MD
OB-GYN · 45 Wells Street, Westerly
Sumaira Ali, MD Telehealth
Internal medicine · 45 Wells Street, Westerly
Louis Iovino, DO Telehealth
Internal medicine · 35 Wells Street, Westerly
Ingrid Feder, MD
Family medicine · 25 Wells Street, Westerly
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 Westerly, RI 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.
1.1 mi Osco Pharmacy
1.2 miSeaside Pharmacy
1.3 mi
1.5 mi 
1.6 mi 
1.6 mi Showing the 6 closest pharmacies to Westerly, RI.
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 Westerly, 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.
From $0 insured
Telehealth PrEP & DoxyPEP with at-home testing and ongoing monitoring
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
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 Washington County, the county that includes Westerly, compare with Rhode Island and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~24% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#2 of 5 Rhode Island counties for chlamydia, among the very highest in the state
| Infection | Washington County | Rhode Island | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 282.3 367 cases ▼ 41% | 480.8 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 45.4 59 cases ▼ 70% | 152.6 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 3.1 4 cases ▼ 62% | 8.2 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 3.1 4 cases ▼ 66% | 9.1 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 3.8 5 cases ▼ 84% | 23.7 | 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 Washington County, chlamydia has risen from 239.5 to 282.3 per 100,000 (18%), gonorrhea has risen from 27.7 to 45.4 per 100,000 (64%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 2.3 to 3.1 per 100,000 (35%).
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 Washington County.
Local HIV snapshot
Washington County HIV care continuum (2023)
Among Washington County residents living with HIV, 45.5% are in care · 40.9% 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 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 Washington County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Chase Hill feels like a place where things stay put, longtime homeowners, quiet streets, a rhythm that resists disruption. But for anyone without a car, getting from Dunns Corners or Winnapaug to a clinic means navigating a town where walking doesn't really get you there, and US 1 is more of a drive than a destination. That practical gap matters most for younger adults still sorting out jobs, leases, and relationships. The crowd most likely to benefit from routine screening and least likely to have the schedule flexibility to make it happen. With unemployment elevated enough that irregular work hours are a real feature of daily life here, and rents that can crowd out discretionary spending, a low-cost or no-cost testing option isn't a bonus.
It's often the reason someone actually goes. More than a third of Westerly households rent, which tends to mean more mobility, more transitions, and more moments when a quick check-in on sexual health is both relevant and easy to delay. The options listed on this page vary in cost, hours, and distance: details that land differently depending on whether you're coming off a shift, stretching a paycheck, or just trying to find something reachable along RI 3 on a weeknight. Knowing what's close and what's covered is the part worth looking up before you need it.
Getting there
At 8.95/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Westerly 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 02891 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 02891 area around Westerly: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Westerly alone.
Westerly sits in Washington County, ZIP 02891. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Neighborhoods & communities
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Westerly? 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 Washington County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Rhode Island 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 Westerly-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 Westerly 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Rhode Island 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 Rhode IslandSource: 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.
Possibly, New London, CT is close; compare it by distance against Wood River Health Services.
Medicaid generally covers STD testing, and public clinics test for free regardless of coverage.
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 282 cases per 100,000 residents (2023), below the Rhode Island average.
Yes, at-home kits ship to 02891; you collect a sample, mail it back, and get results in about 2–5 days.
PrEP (HIV-prevention medicine for HIV-negative people) is available locally, any provider can prescribe it.
In Rhode Island, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Yes, partners should test and be treated together to avoid passing it back and forth.
Likely yes, if you were past the window period; otherwise retest, and keep up routine screening with new partners.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.