The short answer
Having sex with multiple partners, or expecting condomless sex? Ask a PrEP clinic whether free PrEP is right for you.
PrEP is prescription medicine you take to reduce your risk of HIV infection. The HSE funds it free for people who meet its criteria. You get it through an approved service — a public clinic or an approved GP or private provider — after a clinical assessment.
STI.ie is an independent guide. It does not prescribe, assess eligibility, or supply medicine, and it holds no information about you.
Who the HSE says PrEP may benefit
The HSE describes PrEP as medicine to reduce the risk of HIV infection, and identifies circumstances where it may benefit someone. Among these, it specifically includes men who have sex with men, including trans people, who meet criteria such as anal sex without condoms with more than one partner in the last 6 months. It also describes sexual partners of people with HIV who are untreated or not virally suppressed, and people at risk through sexual contact or through sharing drug-injecting equipment.
You can talk about what you expect, not only what has already happened. If you anticipate condomless sex, or sex with new or multiple partners, that is a reason to ask for an assessment rather than to wait.
The HSE also sets clinical conditions for getting PrEP: that you are likely to benefit from it, that it is safe for you to take, and that you will attend follow-up appointments, usually every 3 to 6 months. The HSE states PrEP is not suitable for people who have HIV, whose HIV status is unknown, or who are allergic to the available medicines. The assessment is the clinician's to make — read the official criteria rather than relying on a summary.
How to access it
Read the official criteria
The HSE's own page sets out who may benefit and the conditions attached.
Choose an approved service
Public clinics, or approved GP and private providers, listed by the HSE.
Contact it for an assessment
Ask what documents and tests they need you to bring or complete.
Follow the plan
Take it as prescribed and attend the follow-up appointments the clinician sets.
Wording you can use when you ring or write, if it describes your actual circumstances: “I expect to have sex with new or multiple partners and may not always use condoms. I would like an assessment for free PrEP.” Say it plainly — this is a routine request, and services expect it.
What it costs
- Public clinics. The HSE states you can get free PrEP in public clinics and that there is no consultation fee. Appointment availability still applies.
- Approved GP and private providers. The HSE states these can prescribe free PrEP medicine, but that you will need to pay for the consultation, tests, any treatment of STIs, and vaccines.
- Cards. To get PrEP without charge, the HSE states you need a Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) card, a medical card, or a Long-term Illness card. If you are not eligible for free medicine through a provider, the HSE says you can buy it from a pharmacy with a prescription.
PrEP is not the same as a test kit, and not the same as PEP
PrEP is taken before possible exposure and is prescribed after assessment. It is prescription medicine, rather than a home STI test kit. PEP is different again — it is emergency medicine started urgently after a possible exposure to HIV. If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, do not wait: contact a sexual health clinic or emergency department straight away and ask about PEP.
PrEP reduces the risk of HIV. It does not protect against other STIs — regular testing still matters. Free STI testing →
Also free in Ireland
The free test is ordered from SH:24, who run it with the HSE. Free if you're 17 or over and live in the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland?
See also: PEP, if it has already happened.
Sources
- HSE — About PrEP (who may benefit, clinical conditions, follow-up, card requirement, unsuitability)
- HSE — Where to get PrEP (approved public clinics and approved GP/private providers; consultation costs)
Checked 10 September 2026. Opening hours and contact details change — ring ahead before you travel.
This is an access guide, not medical advice, an eligibility decision or a prescription. It has not been reviewed by a named clinician and makes no claim of medical review. Whether PrEP is right for you is decided by a clinician, not by this page.