By Megan O'Brien
A national outbreak of syphilis has been declared.
There's a call on sexually active people who haven't been tested for syphilis lately to book an appointment.
HIV Ireland has teamed up with Public Health to offer free testing for men on Thursdays, in Dublin.
It says there's a range of symptoms associated with the disease, but different signs develop for different people.
A national outbreak was declared at the weekend, and the health service is worried there's a large amount of undiagnosed cases.
Order your free #STI home #test kit today at https://t.co/YrJ3TLVrh1.
This service is available to anyone aged 17+ with an address in #Dublin, #Kildare, #Wicklow, #Cork or #Kerry.#GetTested #NowMoreThanEver #SexualWellbeing pic.twitter.com/KMwppgQXhE— HIV Ireland (@HIVIreland) July 14, 2021
Adam Shanley from HIV Ireland says people who can't attend an in-person clinic can ask the HSE to send them out a kit:
"They'll send it to you in discreet packaging so nobody knows what you're receiving. You take the samples yourself at a time and in space that's comfortable to you, you send them back to the lab and the results come back really quickly.
By text if everything is alright and they'll give you a call to arrange a treatment if not. So it is a really simple way of getting tested at a time and place that suits you."
