Latvijas Infektoloģijas centrs (LIC) is the national centre for infectious diseases in Latvia and the primary hub for HIV testing, treatment, PrEP, and PEP in Riga. It's a public hospital — the full clinical infrastructure is here. For community-friendly, rapid testing, start with Testpunkts. For full panels and clinical care, LIC is where you go.
LIC — Latvijas Infektoloģijas centrs
Address: Linezera iela 3, Riga Web: lic.gov.lv Emergency: 112
LIC operates both an outpatient clinic for scheduled visits and an emergency admission unit (Uzņemšanas nodaļa) for urgent situations like PEP. For routine STI testing, an outpatient appointment is the route; for PEP, go directly to Uzņemšana.
What LIC provides:
- HIV testing (with referral/nosūtījums or via anonymous cabinet)
- Full STI diagnostics: blood, urine, and swabs
- Anonymous testing cabinet — no name or insurance card required
- PrEP prescriptions and monitoring (via infektologs)
- PEP (emergency — 24/7 at Uzņemšanas nodaļa)
- HIV treatment for residents
Three-Site Testing: The Non-Negotiable Standard
A complete STI screen for gay and bisexual men requires three separate swabs in addition to blood tests:
- Rīkles uztriepe — throat swab (chlamydia, gonorrhoea)
- Taisnās zarnas uztriepe — rectal swab (chlamydia, gonorrhoea)
- Urētra uztriepe — urethral swab (chlamydia, gonorrhoea)
Most infections at throat and rectum cause no symptoms. Without all three swabs, you're missing the majority of STI burden in gay and bisexual men. Ask explicitly for all three.
Say: "Lūdzu, rīkles, taisnās zarnas un urētra uztriepes, papildus asins analīzēm." (Please, throat, rectal, and urethral swabs, in addition to blood tests.)
Anonymous Cabinet
LIC has an anonymous testing cabinet (anonimsā kabinete) where you can get HIV and syphilis testing without providing your name or veselības apdrošināšana (health insurance). This is specifically useful for people who want testing without a record being created.
Access and Cost
With a nosūtījums (referral) from your ģimenes ārsts (GP): covered by the state health system (NVD). Via the anonymous cabinet: free or nominal fee. Private (without referral): you pay.
For Testpunkts (the community option run by Mozaika): see Testing at Testpunkts.
Gulbja Laboratorija (Private)
Latvia's main private lab network operates across Riga and other cities. For routine monitoring panels (HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, kidney function for PrEP), Gulbja Laboratorija provides fast, discreet results without referrals. More expensive but no waiting time. gulbi.lv for locations and test menus.
After a Positive Result
HIV positive: LIC is the treatment centre. The infectious disease team manages HIV treatment free of charge for Latvian residents. Latvia has one of the highest HIV incidence rates in the EU, and LIC's team is experienced. Mozaika (mozaika.lv) provides peer support.
Other STIs: Treatment via LIC or a private clinic. Most bacterial STIs resolve with appropriate antibiotics.