STI and HIV testing and prevention in Spain

Key rules

• Anonymous testing: You can take an HIV test anonymously and confidentially, usually free, at NGO centres and public STI clinics.
• Rapid results: Rapid HIV tests often give a result in about 20 minutes, and a positive result is confirmed in the public system.
• PrEP: PrEP is publicly funded, needs a medical assessment and public health coverage, and is prescribed only at approved centres in your region.
• Health card: Some regions offer free testing without a health card, so ask when you book.

Where to get tested

You can get tested for free or at low cost, and you do not have to give your name. The two main routes are public clinics and community organisations.

Public services. Some cities have a dedicated public STI clinic, such as Drassanes in Barcelona or the Sandoval centre in Madrid. Elsewhere, ask your primary care centre or a sexual and reproductive health centre. Ask what is free in your area.

Community organisations. Groups such as Stop SIDA, Apoyo Positivo, Cruz Roja, CESIDA and Projecte dels NOMS offer free rapid HIV and syphilis tests. They are often the easiest place to start if you are new and unsure of the system.

Availability varies by city and region. If you live in a smaller town, check with your nearest primary care centre or search for the closest community checkpoint.

Getting tested anonymously

Yes, you can take an HIV test anonymously and confidentially. Say so when you book or arrive. NGO community centres and public STI clinics in many regions offer this, usually free.

Rapid tests often give a result in about 20 minutes, so you can wait for it. If a rapid test is positive, the result is confirmed through the public health system, and staff will explain the next step.

Some regions offer free testing without a health card. Ask when you book whether you need one.

Getting PrEP

PrEP is medication that prevents HIV. It has been publicly funded in Spain since November 2019 through the National Health System.

• Who can get it. It is aimed at higher-risk groups, such as men who have sex with men, trans people, sex workers and people with repeated STIs.
• How. You need a medical assessment. It is prescribed at hospital infectious disease units and some STI centres.
• Coverage. You need to be covered by the public health system.
• Where. Each region decides which centres can prescribe it, so some centres are accredited and others are not.

The simplest step is to ask the staff at a testing centre. They can tell you where PrEP is prescribed in your region and how to be referred.

The checklist below walks you through the steps. The quick answers cover privacy and what you can buy at a pharmacy.

Checklist

• Ask your primary care centre or a sexual and reproductive health centre about free or low-cost STI tests if there is no clinic nearby.

• Ask for an anonymous and confidential HIV test when you book or arrive.

• Ask whether you need a health card.

• Stay for the rapid HIV result, which often comes in about 20 minutes.

• Go to the public health system to confirm the result if a rapid HIV test is positive.

• Ask the clinic staff about PrEP (medication that prevents HIV) and how to get it through the public system.

Quick answers on privacy, pharmacies and anonymous testing

Can a teenager get contraception without a parent knowing?

Yes, at 16 and 17 you can get contraception on your own, with medical confidentiality. If you are under 16, the clinician checks whether you are mature enough to decide, and if so can provide contraception confidentially. In practice, no parent's permission is needed to prescribe it.

Can I take an HIV test anonymously in Spain?

Yes, anonymous and confidential HIV testing is available at community centres run by NGOs and at public STI clinics in many regions. It is usually free, and rapid tests often give a result in about 20 minutes. A positive result is then confirmed in the public health system. Which places offer it varies by city.

Which contraceptives can I buy at a pharmacy without a prescription?

You can buy condoms (male and female), spermicides and emergency contraception without a prescription. The pill, ring, patch, implant, injections and IUDs all need a prescription or a doctor's procedure.