Outside Bratislava: Sexual Health in Slovakia

The Reality

Slovakia is a small country of 5.5 million people. Bratislava is the clear centre for LGBTQ+ life and specialist healthcare — Dom Svetla operates there, and Kramáre Hospital is the main infectious disease centre. Outside Bratislava, the picture is limited: Košice has VÚSCH for infectious disease care, and regional hospitals have Pohotovosť (emergency) departments. For most services, people outside Bratislava will need to travel there.

Košice

Slovakia's second city, capital of eastern Slovakia.

VÚSCH — Oddelenie infektológie Rastislavova 43, 040 01 Košice Phone: 055 789 2111

VÚSCH (Východoslovenský ústav srdcových a cievnych chorôb) has an infectious disease department that handles:

PEP (Pohotovosť / emergency, 24 hours)
HIV care
Some PrEP management — contact in advance to discuss current availability

Private labs: Medirex and Alpha Medical have branches in Košice for STI panel testing without referral.

Dom Svetla in Bratislava remains the main support resource for gay and bisexual men in Košice — they operate nationally via phone and online, and can advise on local doctors.

Banská Bystrica

FNsP F.D. Roosevelta Banská Bystrica Námestie L. Svobodu 1, 975 17 Banská Bystrica Phone: 048 441 1111

Regional hospital covering central Slovakia; Pohotovosť available 24 hours for PEP emergencies. For PrEP, patients are typically referred to Bratislava or Košice.

Žilina

Fakultná nemocnica Žilina V. Spanyola 43, 012 07 Žilina Phone: 041 511 1111

Regional hospital for northern Slovakia; Pohotovosť for PEP. Specialist infectious disease management typically via Bratislava.

Cross-Border Options

Slovakia's proximity to neighbouring countries opens practical options for those near the borders:

Brno / Prague (Czech Republic) — accessible from western Slovakia; Czech healthcare is well-equipped and attitudes are generally more accepting; PrEP is available and less administratively complicated in some settings
Budapest (Hungary) — accessible from eastern Slovakia; László Kórház has infectious disease and HIV care
Vienna (Austria) — accessible from western Slovakia; excellent healthcare; some gay and bisexual men in Bratislava already use Vienna for privacy or quality reasons

Home Testing

HIV self-test kits are available at Slovak lekárne (pharmacies) — no prescription, approximately €15–25. Tests for HIV only.

Dom Svetla's mobile testing visits events across Slovakia — check domsvetlaslovensko.sk for current schedule outside Bratislava.

Emergency Numbers (All Slovakia)

Service	Number	Hours
Emergency services	112	24h
Kramáre Hospital Bratislava	02 5954 1111	24h
VÚSCH Košice	055 789 2111	24h
Dom Svetla (navigation)	+421 2 2102 8048	Office hours

For PEP anywhere in Slovakia: go to the Pohotovosť of the nearest hospital and say: "Potrebujem PEP pre HIV. Bolo to pred menej ako 72 hodinami."