Marion County's syphilis rate runs about 14% lower than the US average. Whether you're starting a new relationship or maintaining ongoing care, nearby Whitwell, Tennessee offers a mix of community clinics that are low-cost, even free, and private labs that provide faster results and more scheduling flexibility. Listed below are options to weigh in both categories.
Available testing centers
7 testing options are listed for Whitwell, TN. The nearest, Tennessee Department of Health, is about 9.8 miles away. Compare community and public clinics, private labs, and at-home kits below.
Tennessee Department of Health in Jasper tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, with TB testing folded in, through a public health department that also delivers STI treatment and family planning, all on an appointment basis, with every service provided at no fee.
Every service at Tennessee Department of Health in Jasper (testing, treatment, vaccines, family planning) carries no fee, which means the scope of care a patient can realistically pursue isn't shaped by what they can afford to add to a visit.
Interpretation services are available for non-English languages at Tennessee Department of Health in Jasper, so the clinical conversation (symptoms, treatment instructions, follow-up) reaches patients with the same precision regardless of the language spoken.
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
Erlanger Health System in Signal Mountain requires an appointment, so scheduling ahead means arriving with a visit already structured around gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV testing, same-visit bacterial treatment, HPV and hepatitis vaccines, and sliding-scale fees accepted alongside Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance. With Spanish-language care available throughout.
Spanish is available as a direct service language at Erlanger, not a workaround bolted on at check-in. That means clinical conversations (symptom history, treatment instructions, follow-up planning) happen in Spanish from the first exchange, so nothing critical gets compressed or lost in translation.
The testing panel at Erlanger runs hepatitis A, B, and C antibody work alongside herpes and TB screening in addition to the standard bacterial and HIV tests: all ordered, collected, and processed within the same appointment. That breadth means a clinician can map a fuller picture of exposure in a single visit rather than splitting the workup across separate referrals.
Languages
English, Spanish
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Apr 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
Music City PrEP Clinic in Chattanooga builds its STI care around PrEP and HIV management, covering gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and hepatitis A, B, and C on a sliding scale. With appointments required and same-visit treatment available for bacterial infections. Every service carries no fee.
Every service at Music City PrEP Clinic runs at no cost, which means the sliding scale bottoms out at zero for anyone who needs it. That removes any financial reason to delay testing, treatment, or starting a prevention regimen.
Many testing-only clinics hand off PrEP and PEP to outside providers, leaving patients to navigate a separate system. Music City PrEP Clinic prescribes and manages both in-house, so prevention medication is a direct clinical service rather than a separate errand.
Beyond gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, Music City PrEP Clinic tests for hepatitis A, B, and C. infections with different transmission routes and clinical implications. Catching all three in a single appointment shapes a more complete picture of where a patient's health actually stands.
Languages
English
Tests offered
Serves
Care services
Prevention services
Fees & payment
Listing verified Mar 2026 · Source: CDC NPIN
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 10 miles away; if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to Whitwell, 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 for simplicity & support
$89 & 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 Marion 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.
325 South Cedar Ave Suite 1, South Pittsburg, TN 37380
CMS-certified lab
1000 Highway 28, Jasper, TN 37347
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 Whitwell. 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, 376 primary-care, OB-GYN, infectious-disease and other clinicians have a CMS practice record within 30 miles of Whitwell. They may be able to evaluate symptoms or order a confidential STD panel during a regular visit, and 60 offer telehealth.
Alan Kelley, MD
Family medicine · 13851 Hwy 28, Whitwell
Linda Yu, DO
OB-GYN · 2600 Taft Highway, Signal Mountain
Paul Miranda, MD
Family medicine · 2589 Bristlecone Lane, Signal Mtn
John Mckeown, MD
Family medicine · 2578 Main Street, Palmer
Mary Mckenzie Telehealth
Family medicine · 1238 Taft Highway, Signal Mountain
Karin Boeck, MD Telehealth
Family medicine · 24 Mountain View Drive, Kimball
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 Whitwell, TN 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.
11 mi Signal Mountain Pharmacy
11 miMikes Pharmacy
13 mi
13 mi Showing the 4 closest pharmacies to Whitwell, TN.
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 Whitwell, 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.
$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
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
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 Marion County, the county that includes Whitwell, compare with Tennessee and U.S. averages, based on the most recent 2023 surveillance data. An estimated ~27% of residents are aged 15–34 (ACS), the age group with the highest reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates nationally.
#48 of 95 Tennessee counties for chlamydia, a higher rate than 49% of the state
| Infection | Marion County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 279.1 82 cases ▼ 46% | 517.4 | 492.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 78.3 23 cases ▼ 58% | 186.4 | 179.5 |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 13.6 4 cases ▼ 8% | 14.8 | 15.8 |
| Syphilis (early) | 6.8 2 cases ▼ 41% | 11.5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (late/unknown) | 6.8 2 cases ▼ 74% | 26.4 | 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 Marion County, chlamydia has fallen from 378 to 279.1 per 100,000 (26%), gonorrhea has fallen from 128.3 to 78.3 per 100,000 (39%), and P&S syphilis has risen from 6.9 to 13.6 per 100,000 (97%).
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 Marion County.
Local HIV snapshot
Marion County HIV care continuum (2023)
Among Marion County residents living with HIV, 83.3% are in care · 54.2% 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 Marion County tests for syphilis.
Source: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus, 2023 (county-level congenital syphilis is not published).
Local resources & officials
Data & references
Local context
Whitwell Park sits at the quiet center of a town where most households own their homes and have for years, the kind of place where people know the stretch of SR 28 by feel rather than by name. The options listed on this page are no exception, there are no testing sites within the town itself, so reaching even the nearest one requires planning a trip out. That matters most for younger adults still building relationships and routines, for whom an unplanned half-day on the road is a genuine obstacle.
With more than half the adult population not in the workforce and a significant share of renters paying around the median rent on modest incomes, discretionary time and travel money both run thin. For the roughly one in three households here that rents, often at lower income levels than the ownership-heavy majority, cost at the point of care can be the deciding factor. The options listed on this page include sliding-scale and low- or no-cost visits; knowing which clinic honors that before the drive begins is the most useful thing this page can offer a Whitwell resident.
Getting there
At 3.82/20 on the EPA walkability index, day-to-day errands in Whitwell 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 37397 snapshot
ZIP-level Census figures for the wider 37397 area around Whitwell: a single ZIP can span several communities, so they describe the area, not Whitwell alone.
Whitwell sits in Marion County, ZIP 37397. Local context that shapes where residents test:
Local landmarks
Major routes
Nearby cities & towns
Just outside Whitwell? 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 Marion County: the CDC's screening guidelines, each infection's detection window, per-test reference prices, and your privacy rights under Tennessee 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 Whitwell-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 Whitwell 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee, a minor of any age can consent to confidential STI testing and treatment on their own, no parental permission is required.
Tennessee 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 TennesseeSource: 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.
Signal Mountain, TN is a nearby town with options, the listing shows each one's distance so you can pick the closest.
Free at public clinics. Private labs run about $24 for one test and $139 for a full panel; at-home kits are $49+.
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.
Marion County reported ~279 chlamydia cases per 100,000 in 2023, below the Tennessee average.
Yes, PrEP, a daily pill that helps prevent HIV in HIV-negative people, is available in the area.
In Tennessee, people under 18 can consent to confidential STD testing and treatment on their own.
Untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and fertility problems, caught early, it's cured with antibiotics.
A kit ships to your address; you collect a urine, swab, or finger-stick sample, mail it to the lab, and get results online in a few days.
Get treated, notify partners, pause sex until cleared, and follow up, the infection is manageable.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.