Swedish Vocabulary: Healthcare and Sexual Health

The Healthcare System

Personnummer — Swedish personal identity number (format: YYYYMMDD-XXXX). The key to full access to Swedish healthcare. Required for booking via 1177.se and for the medicine benefit scheme (Läkemedelsförmånen). Without it, phone booking and walk-in are alternatives.

Region — Sweden's healthcare is organised by 21 regions. Each region manages its own healthcare system, so services vary by location.

Vårdcentral — primary care centre / GP surgery. Your local first point of call for non-urgent healthcare.

Husläkare / Fastläkare — GP (general practitioner). Your assigned primary care doctor.

Remiss — referral. Required for some specialist appointments, but Venhälsan accepts direct self-referrals (egenremiss) — you do not need a GP to refer you there.

1177 — the national healthcare website (1177.se) and telephone advice line. Booking, advice, and health information. Requires BankID for full online functionality; phone line is open 24 hours.

BankID — Sweden's electronic identity system, used for 1177.se bookings and many other services. Linked to Personnummer; visitors without one must use phone booking.

Smittskyddslagen — the Communicable Diseases Act. The law that makes testing and treatment for HIV, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis, and other listed diseases completely free — no patient fee (patientavgift). This is arguably the most important piece of healthcare law for gay and bisexual men in Sweden.

Allmänfarlig sjukdom — "general hazardous disease" — the classification under Smittskyddslagen that triggers free care. HIV, syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, hepatitis, and others are classified this way.

Patientavgift — patient fee (the standard co-pay for Swedish healthcare visits). Does not apply to care classified under Smittskyddslagen.

Läkemedelsförmånen — medicine benefit scheme. Caps your annual prescription medication costs at approximately 2,900 SEK. PrEP counts toward this cap.

Apotek — pharmacy / chemist. Where you collect prescriptions.

Akuten / Akutmottagning — emergency department / A&E.

Infektionsakuten — infectious disease emergency department. Where to go for PEP.

Infektionsmottagning — infectious disease outpatient clinic. Where PrEP is managed outside Stockholm.

Sesam mottagning / STI-mottagning — sexual health clinic.

Key Medical Terms

HIV — HIV (Humant Immunbristvirus). Same abbreviation as English.

STI / STD — in Swedish: STI or könssjukdom (literally "genital disease") or sexuellt överförbar infektion.

PEP — Post-Expositionsprofylax (post-exposure prophylaxis). Free under Smittskyddslagen.

PrEP — Profylax mot HIV-smitta. Covered by Läkemedelsförmånen.

Gonorré — gonorrhoea

Klamydia — chlamydia

Syfilis — syphilis

Hepatit — hepatitis

Provtagning — testing / sampling

Svar — result

Recept — prescription

Swab Terms — Three-Site Testing

Odling / Prov — culture / sample (swab test)

Svalgutstrykning / Svalgprov / Svalgsekret — throat swab. For gonorrhoea and chlamydia in the throat.

Rektalodling / Rektal provtagning — rectal swab. For gonorrhoea and chlamydia in the rectum. You may also hear analprov.

Uretraprov / Uretralodling — urethral swab. For gonorrhoea and chlamydia in the urethra.

Urinprov — urine sample. Not sufficient on its own — will miss throat and rectal infections.

At Venhälsan, three-site testing is routine. At other clinics, ask specifically: "Kan jag få prov från svalg, ändtarm och urinrör?" ("Can I have samples from throat, rectum, and urethra?")

Key Phrases

At testing: "Jag vill testa mig för STI, inklusive prov från svalg, ändtarm och urinrör." "I want to test for STIs, including samples from throat, rectum, and urethra."

"Jag har oskyddat analsex och oralsex regelbundet." "I regularly have unprotected anal sex and oral sex." (Establishes clinical context)

At Akuten for PEP: "Jag behöver PEP efter en HIV-riskexponering." "I need PEP after an HIV risk exposure."

"Det var för mindre än 72 timmar sedan." "It was less than 72 hours ago."

For PrEP: "Jag vill börja med PrEP. Jag har förhöjd risk." "I want to start PrEP. I have elevated risk."

General: "Jag talar inte svenska bra — finns det någon som talar engelska?" "I don't speak Swedish well — is there someone who speaks English?" (Most Swedish healthcare staff speak excellent English.)

Emergency Numbers

Number	Service
112	Emergency services (ambulance, police, fire)
1177	Healthcare advice line (24h)
08-616 37 20	Venhälsan (Stockholm)
08-585 800 00	Karolinska Huddinge Infektionsakuten (PEP)