If you test positive for an STI (like gonorrhea, chlamydia, or syphilis) in Spain, the treatment pathway is entirely free through the public health system, provided you are registered.

However, because the system relies heavily on NGO gateways for testing, where you receive your diagnosis determines where you get treated.

🏥 Where You Get Treated

If You Tested at a Public Clinic (CESS)

If you received your positive result at a specialized public clinic (like Sandoval in Madrid or Drassanes in Barcelona), the process is straightforward. They will schedule you to come in, administer the necessary antibiotics (often an injection for gonorrhea or syphilis, or pills for chlamydia), and record it in your regional medical file.

If You Tested at an NGO

If you tested positive via a rapid test at an NGO (like BCN Checkpoint or Apoyo Positivo), the NGO cannot legally dispense antibiotics.

  • The NGO will act as a fast-track referral service. They will send you directly to their partner hospital or specialized public clinic.
  • You will bypass the standard waitlist because you have a confirmed positive diagnosis requiring immediate intervention.
  • The hospital or clinic will administer the treatment for free.

If You Used a Private Service

If you tested positive using a private lab or home test kit, you have two options:

  1. Private Doctor: Pay for a private consultation to receive a prescription, which you then fulfill at a normal farmacia at full cost.
  2. Public System: Take your positive result to a public STI clinic or your médico de cabecera (GP) to request free treatment. A confirmed positive result from a private lab is generally accepted as grounds for immediate treatment without making you re-test first.

🤝 Partner Notification

Spain 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.

It is your responsibility to contact your recent sexual partners so they can get tested and treated. When you inform a partner, they should tell their clinic they are a "contact of a confirmed case," which usually grants them expedited testing and, in some cases, presumptive treatment (treatment given immediately before test results return).

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