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.

UNLP (Univerzitná nemocnica L. Pasteura) Rastislavova 43, 041 90 Košice Phone: 055 / 615 2202

UNLP has an infectious disease clinic (Klinika infektológie a cestovnej medicíny) that handles:

• PEP (Pohotovosť / emergency, 24 hours via 055 / 615 2206 outside office 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 (Stará nemocnica) Cesta k nemocnici 1, 974 01 Banská Bystrica Phone: 048 433 53 25 (Infektológia)

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 s poliklinikou Žilina V. Spanyola 43, 010 01 Žilina Phone: +421 41 5110 111

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; PrEP is available and accessible
• 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)

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."

See also: Dom Svetla testing (Bratislava) | PEP emergency