The Light-House Slovakia is a non-governmental and non-profit organization, whose primary goal is to destigmatize people living with HIV, including defence and enforcement of their human rights. The focus is also on prevention of spreading HIV/AIDS and other STDs.
The association claims to be apolitical, independent, transparent and non-discriminatory.
The first Slovak HIV CheckPoint - a place where you can get tested and get advice free of charge and completely anonymously for sexually and blood borne infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. All of that without the coverage of insurance companies.
In case you need to get tested, you can find us on the following address - Bebravská 34, Bratislava (Medical center Bebravská) - every Friday 4pm - 7pm . The separate entrance is from the back of the building. Look for the lighthouse sign on the door. If you arrive by car, parking is available right next to the clinic. If you use public transport, there are several options, e.g. buses number 65, 67, 75 and 78 or trolleybuses number 71 and 72. It is necessary to get off at Kazanská stop.
The whole procedure is really simple. First, you need to fill in the pre-test questionnaire (LINK HERE: PIST 2 (hiv-pomoc.cz)). You can do this in the comfort of your own home, at work or even in our waiting room. The location does not matter, what is important is the provided information. Answering the questions is essential in order to properly evaluate whether your HIV test will be done at the right time, and also to make sure that the result has the right predictive value. In addition, the system also evaluates referrals for tests for other STDs and further recommendations for prevention or the date of the next visit. Even if you are unsure about some of the answers to the questions, please, still complete the questionnaire. The meaning and purpose of the questionnaire will later be discussed via a personal interview with a counsellor. Last but not least, if you do not have access to a facility with internet connection, our counsellor will be happy to complete the questionnaire with you in person.
All data is recorded anonymously and is used solely for the purposes and statistics mentioned above. The IP addresses of your devices are not stored in any way. Therefore, please note (write down or take a picture of) the generated identifier carefully, as it is impossible to be tracked at a later date. The questionnaire identifier is needed when visiting the counselling centre.
After you have received the code and keep it securely (it is required for all potential testings in the future as well), just come to our CheckPoint and a pre-test advisor will call you to the sampling room to go over the necessary details in the questionnaire with you, or to resolve any confusion. Then our health worker will perform a quick capillary blood draw (from the tip of your finger) and you will receive the test results within 15 minutes by text message (supposing you have entered the correct format of your phone number in the questionnaire, a little advice, always enter the number in the format +421 XXX XXX XXX, e.g. +421 123 456 789).
And that's it! In case the result of your test is revaled as reactive (yes, reactive, not positive, as positivity may only be confirmed by a laboratory), we will always check in with you and go over treatment options with you. So stay calm, we are here for you.
Our work does not consist only of carrying out the tests and sending the text messages with the results, but we put emphasis on fighting stigma and discrimination and fighting for the rights of our clients and more broadly, for all patients who are affected by HIV or infectious hepatitis. The topics that are not talked about are most often those around which there are many myths and misinformation that raise fear or anger in people.
We are fully aware of the situation - waiting lists at infectiology clinics are long, doctors are busy and tired, and private medical facilities are expensive. What they all have in common, however, are the suspicious looks in the waiting room and the inappropriate remarks from the examining staff. Who would be motivated to go for blood tests if they have to face feelings of shame or inferiority every time? These are the reasons for which we provide an environment that is safe, professional and most importantly low-threshold which guarantees anonymity and chargelessness.
Contact us
