MORE THAN 126,000 free Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) home testing kits were dispatched via the HSE last year, as well as over 1.2 million condoms.

The HSE launched its free home testing service for STIs towards the end of 2022.

The test kits are available to people aged 17 or over and are delivered by post.

Users complete the tests at home and post the samples to the laboratory in the pre-paid envelope provided.

Individuals receive their results by text or phone, and those who require further testing and treatment are referred to participating public STI clinics, ensuring a seamless individual experience.

The service is most suitable to people who do not have symptoms of an STI, and people who have symptoms are advised to attend an STI clinic or their GP for assessment.

Demand for the service has risen steadily since it was launched, with 91,000 kits ordered in 2022, and 108,000 kits ordered in 2023.

Last year, 126,090 kits were ordered and dispatched.

The rate of returned kits has also risen, from 62% in 2022 to 69% in 2023 and 72.5% in 2024.

An additional €600,000 has been allocated for the service in 2025, bringing the overall funding for home STI testing to €4.82 million. 

The increase in the demand for free STI kits has coincided with a reduction in notified STI cases.

Figures released by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show that the number of notified STI cases in 2024 was around 10% lower last year than in 2023, driven mainly by a reduction in the number of cases of chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

Last year, the percentage of people who received reactive results was 9.7%, marginally lower than the rate recorded in 2023.

A reactive test result indicates that signs of the condition being tested for are present.

The majority of results, just over 5,500, related to chlamydia, with many of these cases being managed via online prescriptions.

Just under 1,800 people experienced a reactive result for gonorrhoea and were referred to a public STI clinic for follow-up in person.

Around 1,550 patients were referred for follow-up blood tests for other STIs or HIV.

Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Colm Burke, said there is a “growing demand for discreet and confidential access to testing”.

He said the service enables quick diagnosis, referral and intervention for those who receive positive test results.

“Most STIs, including HIV and syphilis, are often asymptomatic and can lead to significant harm if undiagnosed, but they are treatable,” said Burke.

“Those who test positive for chlamydia now have the option of an online prescription, reducing the number of referrals to clinics for treatment,” he added.

Clinical Lead for the HSE’s Sexual Health Programme Professor, Fiona Lyons noted that there were “two important new service developments in 2024”.

“Firstly, the option for people to have low complexity chlamydia managed within the service.

“We are now offering people who have a positive chlamydia result the option to have their assessment done online and where suitable have a prescription sent to a community pharmacy of their choice,” said Lyons.

Around 80% of people chose this option in the last six months of 2024.

Lyons said this helps to reduce pressure on public STI services while providing appropriate, timely and convenient healthcare.

“Secondly, we introduced the option for gay, bisexual and other men (gbMSM) who have sex with men to order condoms at the time of placing a test kit order,” added Lyons.

She remarked that condoms “remain an important part of protecting sexual health and this development makes them easily available to service users”.

Meanwhile, figures for the National Condom Distribution Service show that just over 1.2 million condoms and just under 800,000 lubricant sachets were ordered last year.