Eastern Estonia — particularly the Ida-Virumaa county centred on Narva — has one of the highest HIV rates in Europe. This is a legacy of the 1990s–2000s epidemic among people who inject drugs, but HIV remains a real presence in this community, with ongoing transmission including among men who have sex with men.
The good news: Linda Kliinik in Narva has become an excellent, professional, stigma-free resource for sexual health in the east.
Linda Kliinik — The Main Option in Narva
Linda Kliinik Linda 4, 20306 Narva Phone: +372 35 74 455
Linda Kliinik is a specialised HIV and STI clinic in Narva that has developed particular expertise in working with the local Russian-speaking population. Staff are experienced, professional, and non-judgemental. Services include:
- HIV testing (free)
- Full STI panels including syphilis, hepatitis B/C, gonorrhoea, chlamydia
- HIV treatment and monitoring
- PrEP counselling and referral
- Harm reduction services
Language: Russian is the primary working language at Linda Kliinik, reflecting the Narva population. Estonian is also spoken. English is available with some staff.
Three-Site Testing in Narva
Request three-site testing explicitly when booking — throat, rectal, and urethral swabs for gonorrhoea and chlamydia, in addition to blood tests for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis:
"Palun kolm kohta testimine — kurku, pärasoolde ja kusitisse." (In Russian: "Пожалуйста, тестирование из трёх точек — из горла, прямой кишки и уретры.")
Tartu University Hospital
If you're in Tartu (southern Estonia), sexual health services are provided through:
Tartu University Hospital — Infectious Disease Department Kliinikumi tee 6, 50406 Tartu kliinikum.ee | Phone: +372 731 8211
This is the major hospital for HIV and infectious disease in southern Estonia. PEP is also available from the emergency department here.
The Regional Context
Ida-Virumaa's HIV epidemic is primarily among people who inject drugs and their sexual partners — but gay and bisexual men in the region are also at elevated risk given higher background HIV prevalence in the community. This makes testing and PrEP particularly important for gay and bisexual men living or spending time in Narva, Kohtla-Järve, or Jõhvi.
If you're HIV-negative and sexually active in eastern Estonia, speak to the Linda Kliinik team about PrEP — they are familiar with the programme and can initiate or refer you.
Getting to Tallinn for Care
Some services are only available in Tallinn (particularly the full PrEP programme and certain specialist consultations). Tallinn is approximately 2 hours from Narva by bus — Lux Express and FlixBus operate regular services.
If you need care in Tallinn, see the Tallinn testing guide.