While doctors in major hospitals often speak English, receptionists, nurses, and the booking systems generally do not. Knowing the exact Spanish terminology is the difference between getting tested and being sent to the wrong building.
The Health System
| Purpose | Spanish Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Health Center / GP Clinic | Centro de Salud | Your primary care center. Bad for complex sexual health. |
| Emergency Room | Urgencias | Where you go for PEP. |
| Hospital Pharmacy | Farmacia Hospitalaria | Where you must go to pick up PrEP or HIV meds. |
| Prior Appointment | Cita Previa | Mandatory for almost everything in the public system. |
| Health Card | Tarjeta Sanitaria | Your regional public health card (e.g., SIP, CatSalut). |
| Infectious Diseases | Enfermedades Infecciosas | The hospital department that manages PrEP and HIV. |
Sexual Health and Testing
Do not use English slang when asking for a test. Use the clinical Spanish term so the nurse knows exactly which swab to order.
| Purpose | Spanish Term |
|---|---|
| Chlamydia | Clamidia |
| Gonorrhea | Gonorrea / Gonococo |
| Syphilis | Sífilis / Lues |
| HIV test | Prueba de VIH |
| Throat swab (essential to ask for explicitly) | Frotis faríngeo |
| Rectal swab (essential to ask for explicitly) | Frotis rectal |
| Blood test | Análisis de sangre |
| Urine test | Análisis de orina |
| Undetectable (U=U) | Indetectable |
HIV, PrEP, and PEP
| Purpose | Spanish Term |
|---|---|
| Emergency HIV prevention (within 72 hours). | PEP (Profilaxis Post-Exposición) |
| Daily/On-demand HIV prevention. | PrEP (Profilaxis Pre-Exposición) |
| Prescription. | Receta |
Key Phrases
| Purpose | Spanish Term |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | ¿Habla inglés? |
| Full STI screen — throat, rectal, and urethral swabs | Quiero hacerme una analítica completa de ITS — frotis faríngeo, rectal y uretral, y análisis de sangre. |
| Anonymous HIV test | Quiero hacerme una prueba anónima del VIH. |
| I'm on PrEP — need my three-month monitoring | Estoy tomando PrEP y necesito mi revisión trimestral. |
| I want to start PrEP | Quiero empezar a tomar PrEP. |
| HIV exposure — I need PEP — within 72 hours | He tenido una exposición de riesgo al VIH y necesito PEP (profilaxis postexposición). Fue hace menos de 72 horas. |
| I have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC/TSE) | Tengo la tarjeta sanitaria europea (TSE). |
| I need help | ¡Necesito ayuda! |
| Call an ambulance | ¡Llamen una ambulancia! |
Emergency Numbers
| Number | Service |
|---|---|
| 112 | Pan-European emergency (ambulance, fire, police) |
| 061 | Medical emergency direct line (Sistema de Emergencias Médicas) |
| 062 | Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) |
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