If your routine screening returns a positive result for a bacterial STI (such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, or syphilis), the process in Malta is straightforward, entirely free, and managed with strict confidentiality.
🛣️ The Treatment Pathway
Because sexual healthcare in Malta is centralised, your treatment will be managed by the same clinic that tested you—the GU Clinic at Mater Dei Hospital (or the respective clinic in Gozo).
- Notification: The clinic staff will contact you directly, usually by phone, to inform you of the result. They will invite you back to the clinic.
- Treatment: You will receive your treatment directly at the GU Clinic.
- For chlamydia, this is typically a course of antibiotic pills.
- For gonorrhoea and syphilis, this usually involves an antibiotic injection administered on-site by a nurse or doctor.
- Cost: All STI treatments administered or prescribed by the GU Clinic are completely free of charge.
📢 Partner Notification
If you test positive, you must inform your recent sexual partners so they can also get tested and treated. This prevents reinfection and stops the spread within the community.
Malta does not currently have a centralized, public anonymous notification portal. The most effective route is to ask the clinic or doctor who diagnosed you to assist; many local sexual health units or NGOs can facilitate confidential partner notification on your behalf without revealing your identity. It's always better than silence.
🧪 Follow-up Testing
Depending on the infection, the clinic may schedule a "test of cure" a few weeks after you complete your treatment to ensure the infection has cleared completely. Do not have unprotected sex until a doctor has confirmed you and your partners are cleared.
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