Outside Lisbon: Sexual Health in Portugal

The Reality

Lisbon has CheckpointLX, a robust GAT network, multiple hospital PrEP centres, and a well-established gay community with visible health infrastructure. Outside Lisbon, things become patchier — but they are not impossible. Porto is well-served. Coimbra has a functioning university hospital. Other cities have hospital Urgência departments that can provide PEP. The main challenge outside major cities is PrEP access, which requires a Doenças Infecciosas specialist appointment.

Porto

Porto is the second city and has its own strong infrastructure.

GAT Porto Website: gat.pt Location: Rua de Camões 90, Porto Rapid HIV/syphilis/HCV testing, free and anonymous. PrEP navigation and referrals. Chemsex support. The Porto equivalent of CheckpointLX.

Hospital São João Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, Porto Phone: 225 512 100 The main university hospital. Has a Doenças Infecciosas department with an active PrEP programme. PEP available at Urgência 24 hours. This is the primary hospital for infectious disease care in northern Portugal.

Hospital Santo António (CHUP) Largo Professor Abel Salazar, Porto Phone: 222 077 500 Alternative hospital with Doenças Infecciosas outpatient and CAD (HIV counselling and detection centre). Also has Urgência for PEP.

Coimbra

CHUC — Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra Praceta Professor Mota Pinto, Coimbra Phone: 239 400 400 The university hospital serves central Portugal. Has a Doenças Infecciosas department and an active PrEP programme. PEP available at Urgência. For those living between Lisbon and Porto, CHUC is the main referral centre.

Braga

Hospital de Braga Sete Fontes, São Victor, Braga Phone: 253 027 000 Has a Doenças Infecciosas department. PEP available at Urgência. For PrEP, enquire with the ID department — waiting times may be longer than in Lisbon or Porto.

Setúbal / Almada (Greater Lisbon South Bank)

If you live south of the Tagus on the Setúbal Peninsula, Hospital de Setúbal (Rua Camilo Castelo Branco, Setúbal; 265 549 000) and Hospital Garcia de Orta in Almada (Avenida Torrado da Silva, Almada; 212 947 000) both have Doenças Infecciosas departments and can handle PEP and PrEP referrals. The ferry or bridge from Lisbon makes CheckpointLX easily accessible for testing.

Algarve

The Algarve has a significant seasonal population including many international gay and bisexual visitors.

Hospital Universitário do Algarve — Faro (HUAlg Faro) Rua Leão Penedo, Faro Phone: 289 891 100 Has Doenças Infecciosas. PEP at Urgência. For Algarve residents wanting PrEP, a referral here is the most practical option, though waiting times can be long.

Hospital de Portimão (HUAlg Portimão) Sitio do Poço Seco, Portimão Phone: 282 450 300 Urgência for PEP in the western Algarve.

Tourists in the Algarve without EHIC who need PEP can go to Urgência in Faro or Portimão — staff at major tourist-facing hospitals often speak English and handle international patients regularly.

Home Testing

For people in rural areas, small towns, or anywhere testing requires significant travel, home testing is a practical option.

AUTS / Self-test kits: HIV self-tests (autoteste de VIH) are available in pharmacies across Portugal — no prescription needed, costs roughly €12–20. These test for HIV only and are not a substitute for a full panel.

Online private lab testing: Some Portuguese private labs offer postal test kits for home collection with results online. Check Synevo (synevo.pt) and Germano de Sousa (germanodesousa.com) for current offerings.

For a full three-swab bacterial panel, you will still need to attend a clinic or lab in person — postal swab kits for throat and rectal gonorrhoea/chlamydia are not widely available in Portugal yet.

PrEP Outside Major Cities

PrEP is free under the SNS but requires ongoing management by a Doenças Infecciosas specialist. Outside Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra, there are fewer centres and waiting times can be longer.

Options if you live outside a major city:

Travel to the nearest hospital with an active PrEP programme (Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, or Braga for initial setup); once stable on PrEP, follow-up appointments may be available more locally or via telemedicine in some cases
Ask your Médico de Família whether they can prescribe and manage PrEP after you have been initiated at a hospital centre — this is possible in principle under the SNS, though not all GPs are willing
Contact GAT (gat.pt) — they have the most current information about regional PrEP availability and can sometimes facilitate access

Emergency Numbers (All Portugal)

Number	Service
112	Emergency services
808 24 24 24	SNS 24 health advice line

For PEP anywhere in Portugal: go to the Urgência of the nearest major hospital and say "Preciso de PEP para o VIH."