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STI Testing in Ireland: Clinics, Home Kits and PEP
What the HSE offers, what it costs and when to test, in plain words, before your next meet.
Use a public sexual health clinic or the HSE home test. The HSE says public clinic testing and treatment is free of charge, and the home test is open to anyone 17 or over in the Republic of Ireland. Its HIV window is about 6 to 12 weeks, depending on the test, and PEP must start within 72 hours.
- 17youngest age to order the HSE home test
- 72hours to start PEP after a likely exposure
- 28days in a PEP course
- 5days at most to have a copper coil fitted after sex
Where can you get tested in Ireland?
Looking after yourself is part of enjoying casual sex. This is general information, checked on 3 November 2026, not medical advice. The HSE’s contact line, HSE Live, is on freephone 1800 700 700. The old sexualwellbeing.ie address now redirects to the HSE’s own Sexual wellbeing page.
| Option | How to start | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Public sexual health clinic | Contact the clinic directly. The HSE lists them by county | Free of charge |
| HSE home test | Order a kit if you are 17 or over and live in the Republic | Free |
| GP, NGO or student health service | Contact the service | A fee, with no amount given |
Living in Northern Ireland? It has its own services and rules. See STI testing in the UK.
The HSE home test
How does the HSE home test work?
Order a kit
You must be 17 or over and live in the Republic of Ireland. The HSE says the service is run through SH:24.
See what it covers
It tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis.
Take your samples
The kit arrives in discreet packaging, according to the HSE. You then send your samples to the lab.
Wait for your results
The HSE says results are usually available within 72 hours of the lab receiving your samples. A positive chlamydia or gonorrhoea result arrives by text, with details of how to get free treatment from a sexual health clinic.
How long should you wait to test for HIV?
The HSE says the window period is usually about 6 weeks if you have blood taken at a clinic, and 12 weeks for rapid, self or home testing. During the window you can have HIV and still test negative, so repeat the test at the end of it, the HSE advises. Its chlamydia and syphilis pages give no testing window, so ask a clinic about those.
Free HIV tests are available at all public sexual health clinics, says the HSE. It also says that with a new partner it is a good idea for you both to be tested before sex without a condom. For the wider picture before a first date, read meeting for sex safely.
Took a risk? Here is what the HSE offers
PEP
PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis, should start as soon as possible and within 72 hours of likely exposure to HIV, says the HSE. Many sexual health and infectious disease services give it, and an emergency department can outside clinic hours. The medicine is free, though you may pay a fee for attending the ED. Out of hours after a sexual exposure, people aged 17 or over can use the HSE’s free online assessment, but only within 48 hours of the exposure. If it finds you need PEP, you get a referral letter, and with it you will not be charged the standard 100 euro ED fee. The course lasts 28 days.
PrEP
PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is medicine that reduces your risk of HIV. The HSE says it is free if you are likely to benefit, it is safe for you, you will attend follow-ups, usually every 3 to 6 months, and you hold a qualifying card, such as a Drugs Payment Scheme card or a medical card. You can get it through a public PrEP clinic or another approved provider. With a GP or private clinic you pay for the consultation, tests, STI treatment and vaccines, and if you cannot get it free you can buy it on prescription from a pharmacy.
Emergency contraception
The HSE says you can use emergency pills at any age: one within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex and one within 120 hours (5 days). Norlevo is available directly from pharmacists, and emergency pills are also available on prescription from a GP or family planning clinic. A copper coil can be fitted up to 5 days after unprotected sex, or up to 5 days after the earliest date of ovulation, whichever is earlier. For ages 17 to 35 living in Ireland, the HSE’s Free Contraception Service makes the coil free, and the morning-after pill too at pharmacies offering the service, with no prescription needed.
Questions about testing in Ireland
Is STI testing free in Ireland?
In public sexual health clinics, yes: the HSE says all STI testing and treatment there is free of charge, and it offers a free home test to people aged 17 or over in the Republic. Many GPs, NGOs and student health services charge a fee, and the HSE gives no amount.
Who can order the HSE home test?
The HSE says you must be 17 or older and live in the Republic of Ireland. The test checks for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis, and the HSE says results are usually available within 72 hours of the lab receiving your samples.
How soon after sex can I test for HIV?
According to the HSE, the window period is usually about 6 weeks for blood taken at a clinic and 12 weeks for rapid, self or home tests. You can have HIV and still test negative during that time, so repeat the test at the end of it.
Can I get emergency contraception without a prescription?
The HSE says Norlevo is available directly from pharmacists, and that emergency pills are also available on prescription from a GP or family planning clinic. For ages 17 to 35 living in Ireland, the HSE says the morning-after pill is free at pharmacies offering its Free Contraception Service, and you do not need a prescription there.
Sources and dates
- HSE pages on sexually transmitted infections (June 2026), the home STI test (September 2026), HIV testing (December 2024), PEP (May 2026), PrEP (March 2026), chlamydia (June 2026) and syphilis (September 2026).
- HSE pages on sexual health clinics, emergency contraception and the Free Contraception Service, no date shown. All read 3 November 2026.
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