STI testing in Spain: where to get tested, what to ask for and when to repeat

If you have been part of the lifestyle for a while, regular STI testing is not an embarrassing chore: it is part of the house rules, like using condoms or respecting a no. The hard part tends to be practical. Where do you go? Is it free? Do you have to give your name? What exactly should you ask for? This guide answers with what Spain's Ministry of Health and the Community of Madrid publish, read on 7 November 2026. It is general information, not medical advice. Healthcare in Spain is run by the autonomous regions, so what is available varies by where you live or stay.

First, the key point: many STIs have no symptoms

The Community of Madrid's STI page lists the common infections: HIV, syphilis, mpox, gonorrhoea, candidiasis, trichomoniasis, chlamydia, genital herpes, HPV and hepatitis A and B, plus scabies and pubic lice, which spread by skin contact. Symptoms can include itching, genital swelling, burning when urinating, discharge, sores and abdominal discomfort. But the page stresses that because many STIs cause no symptoms, it is worth testing even if you notice nothing. Its slogan: check your sexual health, any moment is a good moment.

Condoms remain the best protection against STIs and need to be used correctly and consistently. The page also notes that PrEP and PEP prevent HIV but not other STIs.

Where HIV testing is done

According to the Ministry of Health's HIV test FAQ, you can be tested at:

• Public health centres: primary care, specialist care, family planning and STI centres.
• Pharmacies in some regions. The Ministry names Cantabria, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Ceuta and the Basque Country.
• Private laboratories.
• NGOs.

Some STI centres in certain cities offer anonymous testing without any documentation. In the public system it is free and confidential, and confidentiality is also guaranteed in private healthcare under data protection law. Testing is voluntary.

The window period

The Ministry explains that the window period is the time between infection and the body producing detectable antibodies, during which a test can be negative even though you are infected. Antibodies usually appear within 2 to 8 weeks, almost everyone has them by 3 months, and in some cases it can take up to 6 months. A negative result with no new risk exposure means you are not infected, and the clinician will advise whether to repeat the test and when.

Rapid tests give a result in under 30 minutes from a finger-prick or saliva sample. A positive must be confirmed in a laboratory; a negative does not need confirmation, though it may need repeating later.

The free enVIHos home test

The Ministry and the NGO coalition Cesida launched enVIHos, a free home HIV self-test service. You fill in an anonymous questionnaire, give an address, and a partner pharmacy posts the kit within about three to five days. There are saliva and blood versions with results in about 20 minutes. The limit is four free tests per person per year. Remember that a self-test covers HIV only, not other STIs, and the same window period applies.

After a recent exposure

If the exposure was less than 72 hours ago, the Ministry says to go to a hospital emergency department, ideally within the first six hours, to discuss 28 days of preventive antiretroviral treatment (non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis). Do not wait to see what happens.

Other STIs

The Community of Madrid offers free, confidential rapid tests for HIV, syphilis and other STIs, with results in about 30 minutes and support from a health mediator, through its Sexual Health Service (by appointment), a mobile unit that needs no appointment and the Sandoval centres, which treat STIs with results in 3 to 4 days. If you are elsewhere in Spain, look for the equivalent on your region's health website or in the Ministry's map of community centres offering HIV testing. Syphilis and other STI testing varies by region, so call ahead.

What to ask for and when to repeat

To be honest about it: the Spanish sources we read do not set a repeat schedule for people with several partners. The Ministry says the professional will advise. As an international reference, the US CDC recommends testing for syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea every 3 to 6 months for its highest-risk groups (see our guide to vaccines and testing before you travel). A reasonable plan to take to the appointment:

1. Ask for a full check, not only HIV: syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea and hepatitis, plus throat and rectal swabs if relevant.
2. Be honest about your practices; the clinician decides which tests and sites on that basis.
3. Agree the interval with them and put it in your shared calendar.
4. Agree what you will do after a positive result: tell recent partners, pause, get treated.

Vaccines to ask about

Madrid's page mentions hepatitis B and HPV vaccines, given at the Sandoval centres and the Sexual Health Service, and says hepatitis A vaccination is free for higher-risk people. Mpox vaccination needs two doses for full protection. The page does not detail eligibility or general cost, so ask whether you qualify.

Sources (consulted 7 November 2026)

• Ministry of Health, HIV test FAQ
• Ministry of Health, enVIHos
• Community of Madrid, STIs

This article is general information and not a substitute for medical advice.