If you are reading this within hours of a positive result, the most important sentence is this: almost everything on the panel is now treatable, and the clinic has done this thousands of times. The next 24 hours have a small number of useful steps and a slightly longer list of things not to do. This page is the first list, plain and short.
Do these five things
- Phone the clinic that ran the test (or sh24 on 01-485 4750 if the result was from the home kit) and book in for treatment. Same day or next, in most cases.
- Pause sex until you have been treated AND have completed the 7-day post-treatment wait (for bacterial STIs).
- Drink water, eat a meal, sleep. No, seriously. Your body is fine. The diagnosis is not an emergency. Stable basics make the next steps easier.
- Tell one person. Naming it out loud to a single trusted human halves the weight of it. See overcoming STI stigma.
- Decide who to ask the clinic to notify. Past partners in the last 3-6 months. The clinic does this anonymously if you ask.
What the specific result means
The first 24 hours are easier with the facts. Here is what each typical positive result actually means in 2026 Ireland.
Chlamydia
The most common bacterial STI in Ireland and one of the easiest to treat. A single course of antibiotics (usually doxycycline for a week). Once treated, gone. Re-test in 3 months to confirm clearance. No long-term consequences if treated. Full detail: chlamydia.
Gonorrhoea
Also bacterial, also treatable. Usually one injection of ceftriaxone plus a tablet. Some strains are antibiotic-resistant — the clinic will check. Re-test 1-2 weeks later (test-of-cure). Full detail: gonorrhoea.
Syphilis
Sounds Victorian, very treatable. Penicillin injection (one to three doses depending on stage). Catching it early means no complications, ever. Full detail: syphilis.
Trichomoniasis
Bacterial-style infection treated with a single course of metronidazole. Done in a week. Full detail: trichomoniasis.
Mycoplasma genitalium
Less famous, treated with antibiotics. The clinic will choose the regimen. Full detail: mycoplasma.
HIV
This is the diagnosis that has changed the most in the last 20 years. HIV in 2026 is a daily tablet. Treatment starts as soon as possible — often the same week. Within months the viral load becomes undetectable, and at undetectable levels HIV cannot be passed on to a sexual partner (this is "U=U" — undetectable equals untransmittable, and it is established medicine, not aspiration). People on treatment have normal lifespans, have HIV-negative children, and live entirely ordinary lives. Full detail: HIV.
Herpes (HSV-1 or HSV-2)
Two-thirds of adults globally have HSV-1. Most have no idea. Herpes is managed, not cured — but management is straightforward: occasional antivirals during outbreaks, or daily suppressive therapy if outbreaks are frequent. Most people who have herpes go years between symptoms. Full detail: herpes.
HPV / genital warts
HPV is so common that most sexually active adults have had a strain of it. The strains that cause cancer are screened for separately (cervical screening) and are vaccine-preventable. Warts are removed with topical treatment or in-clinic. Full detail: HPV and genital warts.
Hepatitis B
Vaccine-preventable, treatable. Many cases clear on their own. The clinic will refer to a specialist liver service if onward care is needed. Full detail at hse.ie.
What to do — practically — today and tomorrow
- Phone the clinic. If they sent you a result by text saying "call us", call them. If you got the result yourself (e.g. a home test), phone the clinic or sh24 to start the treatment route. The HSE Sexual Health Line on 1800 700 700 can also walk you through your next step.
- Pause sex. Until treatment is complete and the post-treatment wait is over (typically 7 days after a single dose of antibiotics; longer for some). The clinic will give you the exact timeframe.
- Cancel any pre-booked sexual encounters — politely and without explanation if you do not want to give one. "Something came up, can we reschedule" is enough.
- Take the treatment exactly as prescribed. Finish the full course of antibiotics even if you feel fine after day 2.
- Note the re-test date. Most STIs need a test-of-cure or a re-test in 3 months. Put it in your calendar now.
What deliberately not to do in the first 24 hours
- Do not Google for hours. Most of what you find is American, outdated, or marketing. The HSE clinic and the condition pages on this site are the accurate sources.
- Do not draft a long emotional message to your partner before you have had treatment and information. A short, calm message after the treatment appointment is much better than a midnight novel before it.
- Do not text your entire history of previous partners about it. Pick the relevant window (last 3-6 months for most things, longer for HIV/syphilis) and let the clinic handle anonymous notification of any you do not want to contact directly.
- Do not start your own treatment with antibiotics from a friend, online, or a previous prescription. The clinic will prescribe the correct medication for the correct condition. STI bacterial resistance is real and self-prescribing breeds it.
- Do not drink heavily. Some STI antibiotics interact with alcohol; all of them work less well when sleep and hydration are bad. Get through the first 48 hours sober if you can.
- Do not assume your relationship is over. It almost never is. People absorb this kind of news better than the worry predicts.
Telling partners — short version
Full guide: how to tell a partner. Short version:
- Current partner: in person, calmly, with the simple script. Do not over-apologise.
- Past partners: by text or by asking the clinic to do anonymous notification. Both are fine.
- Future partners (for things you keep, like herpes or HPV): before the first sex, in plain language, with the facts.
Looking after yourself emotionally
The first 24 hours of a positive result are mostly about logistics — phone the clinic, get the treatment, pause sex, decide on partners. The emotional bit comes later, often a few days in once the practical bit is done. That is normal. Give it air. Talk to one person. Re-read overcoming STI stigma if shame is the dominant feeling.
If at any point in the next few weeks the weight is heavier than it should be — sleep is wrecked, mood is sliding, work is suffering — that is the bit to take seriously. Aware on 1800 80 48 48 and the Samaritans on 116 123 are free, anonymous, and good. Your GP can refer to talking therapy.
If you take one thing from this page
Almost every positive result on a HSE STI panel in 2026 is either curable with antibiotics, manageable with a tablet, or — in the case of HIV — treatable to the point that transmission to a sexual partner is zero. The hard parts of testing positive are mostly social, and even those have well-trodden paths through them. You are not the first person to get this news, and the system is genuinely set up to help.
Where to go from here
- How to tell a partner — the full guide
- Overcoming STI stigma
- Coping with anxiety in the days after
- Who knows what about this
- Find your nearest free HSE clinic for follow-up
Important: Nothing on STI.ie is medical advice. Always speak to a clinician for diagnosis or treatment. HSE Sexual Health Line: 1800 700 700 (free, anonymous, Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-5pm).