Around 10,000 home test kits for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are ordered in Ireland every month, new figures have revealed.
This free kit is being provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to people aged 17 and over across the country, giving them a discreet way to check for infection in the privacy of their own home.
New figures show the HSE has received orders for more than 100,000 kits by the end of November 2023, with more than 91,000 kits ordered in 2022.
Revealing the data, Hildegard Norton, Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and National Pharmaceutical Strategy, said: “We are pleased that home STD testing provides additional access, provides users with a discreet and confidential service, and leads to rapid diagnosis and intervention.” For those with a reactive test result .
“This will increase opportunities for diagnosis and treatment, which is especially important in a context where the incidence of sexually transmitted infections is rising nationally and internationally.”
The HSE service will refer anyone who uses a home kit and receives a result indicating the need for further investigation or treatment to a participating public STI clinic.
From November 2023, people who test positive for chlamydia will have access to online prescriptions, reducing the number of referrals to clinics for treatment.
“This service shows the Government is prioritizing sexual health and wellbeing and we are committed to delivering additional services to support everyone’s sexual health, including the free contraception scheme and the National Condom Distribution Service. We are making significant progress in delivery and implementation of the expansion,” Ms Norton explained. before announcing that further funding would be allocated to the scheme this year.
“We are pleased that funding for STI’s home testing services totaled €3.55 million in 2023 and will increase to €4.27 million in 2024 to meet demand,” she acknowledged.
