The Checkpoint network covers four of Switzerland's major cities. Beyond them, the picture is patchier — but the insurance infrastructure and university hospital system mean emergency care (PEP) and specialist referrals are accessible from anywhere in the country.

Bern

Bern is Switzerland's capital and the centre of German-speaking central Switzerland.

Checkpoint Bern Website: checkpointbern.ch Operates under Aids-Hilfe Bern. Offers testing, counselling, and SwissPrEPared enrolment. Check the website for current opening hours and booking — the Bern Checkpoint is smaller than Zürich or Geneva but provides the full core service.

Inselspital (Universitätsspital Bern) Freiburgstrasse 18, 3010 Bern The university hospital for the Bern region. Emergency department (Notfall) for PEP, venereology outpatient clinic for complex STI treatment, and infectious disease department for PrEP and HIV management.

Basel

Basel straddles the German, French, and Swiss cultural borders and has a sizeable gay scene.

Universitätsspital Basel (USB) Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel Emergency department and infectious disease department. PEP access 24/7 via the Notfall. For routine testing, Basel residents often access Checkpoint Zürich or Bern, or use local GP/outpatient options.

Aids-Hilfe beider Basel The regional AIDS organisation for Basel city and canton. May provide counselling and harm reduction services. Check their current offerings at ahbb.ch.

LGBTQ+ Basel: Milchjugend and other community organisations — check pinkcross.ch for current Basel contacts.

Lausanne / Vaud

Lausanne is the main city of French-speaking Vaud canton and the third-largest metropolitan area in Switzerland.

Checkpoint Vaud Website: checkpointvaud.ch The French-language Checkpoint for Vaud. Full services including testing, SwissPrEPared enrolment, and counselling. Located in the Lausanne area.

CHUV (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois) Rue du Bugnon 46, 1011 Lausanne Major university hospital. Emergency department (Urgences) for PEP. Infectious disease and STI outpatient clinics for ongoing care.

Ticino (Italian-Speaking Switzerland)

Ticino is Switzerland's Italian-speaking canton, bordering northern Italy. Its health services are delivered in Italian and the cultural context is distinct from German or French Switzerland.

University hospital: The main hospital in Ticino is the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC) with the Ospedale Regionale di Lugano as the main acute centre. Emergency department (pronto soccorso) for PEP — same process as the rest of Switzerland.

No dedicated Checkpoint: There is no Checkpoint branch in Ticino. Testing and support services are less developed than in the German or French-speaking regions. The nearest Checkpoint is likely to be in Milan (Italy) rather than within Switzerland — and cross-border insurance doesn't apply for planned care, only emergencies. Proximity to northern Italy means many Ticino gay men use Italian services for community-oriented care; see the Italy guide for Italian options.

Emergency phrases in Italian:

  • PEP at A&E: "Ho avuto un'esposizione sessuale ad alto rischio per l'HIV e ho bisogno della profilassi post-esposizione."
  • STI test: "Vorrei uno screening completo per le malattie sessualmente trasmissibili."

Smaller Cities and Rural Switzerland

Testing: Outside the Checkpoint cities, the most practical option for three-site screening is travelling to the nearest Checkpoint, or booking at a GP/outpatient practice with a specific request for throat and rectal swabs. Note that many GPs in Switzerland are not experienced with three-site gay men's sexual health — ask directly whether they can perform rectal and throat swabs.

PrEP: SwissPrEPared centres are concentrated in the Checkpoint cities. If you are in a smaller city or rural area, the referral can still be coordinated remotely — contact the nearest Checkpoint by email or phone to initiate the process, and attend for the initial consultation and monitoring appointments when needed.

PEP: Every cantonal hospital (Kantonsspital / hôpital cantonal) has an emergency department with access to HIV medication. The 72-hour window is absolute — travel time does not change this. If you need PEP, go to the nearest hospital immediately. Switzerland's compact geography means no one is more than an hour or two from a significant hospital.

Gay community outside cities: Switzerland's rural and smaller-city gay community is thin. Online networks and apps are the primary infrastructure. Zürich (by train from most German-speaking Switzerland) and Geneva (for Romandie) are the hubs people travel to for community events. Pink Cross maintains a national events and groups directory at pinkcross.ch.

Cross-Border Considerations

Switzerland borders Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein. For people near the border:

  • Insurance: LAMal covers emergency care in Switzerland. Planned cross-border care (e.g., going to Germany for testing) is not normally covered — you pay full private rates abroad.
  • Ticino/Italy border: Emergency care in Italy is covered under EU regulations for Italian citizens with EHIC, but Swiss residents using Italian services for planned care pay at Italian rates.
  • Basel area: Basel city effectively sits on three countries. German and French residents in Switzerland use Swiss services; Swiss residents don't have LAMal cover for German or French medical care except in genuine emergencies.

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