Before a shoot, everyone taking part gets recent STI tests. It's standard practice in the industry, and on my shoots it's part of the preparation, like the contract or the conversation about limits. This article explains which tests they are, when to take them, and where they're free and anonymous in Valencia, Madrid and Barcelona.
Why, even with a condom
A condom protects penetration. It doesn't cover oral sex, and it doesn't cover what's transmitted by skin contact — herpes, HPV, syphilis when there's a lesion. That's why tests and condoms don't replace each other: each covers one part.
In my case there's one more reason. I'm the constant: each person shoots with me once, and I shoot with each of them. Getting tested regularly is what allows whoever comes to do so with peace of mind. And asking the same of the person taking part isn't distrust — it's the same peace of mind, the other way round.
Which tests to ask for
A full panel, which is this:
- HIV
- Syphilis
- Hepatitis B and C
- Chlamydia and gonorrhoea by PCR — urine and throat
The throat deserves an explanation, because it's usually not in the standard protocol. Gonorrhoea and chlamydia can settle in the throat through oral sex, and there they usually cause no symptoms: no pain, no discomfort, nothing visible. A urine test only looks at the genital area, so a negative urine result says nothing about the throat — they're two different sites, and each needs its own sample.
That's why, when a shoot involves oral sex without a condom, the throat sample is part of the full panel. You ask for it explicitly when getting tested; it's one more swab, a minute, and most centres do it without any fuss.
When to take them
About ten days before the shoot. Long enough to have the result, close enough for it to count.
But it's worth understanding what a test sees and what it doesn't. No test detects an infection caught the week before: chlamydia and gonorrhoea take one to two weeks to show up, syphilis three to six, HIV two to four with current tests. A test taken ten days before the shoot says something reliable about what happened up to a month before the test.
The practical consequence: if there has been a new partner in the last four weeks, the test doesn't show it yet. That's something the two people tell each other before starting, and it's worth more than the date on the paper.
Where, free and no questions asked
The three places below are public, free, and don't ask for a health card. Nobody asks why you're there.
Valencia — CIPS
Centro de Información y Prevención del SIDA, inside Hospital Dr. Peset. Calle San Lázaro s/n, 46017. Metro lines 1 and 5, Hospital or Patraix stop.
Free and anonymous, no card or documents. Appointment by phone required: 900 702 020, Monday to Friday 9 am to 2 pm. No online booking. They test for HIV, hepatitis, syphilis and the other STIs.
Madrid — Centro Sandoval
Calle Sandoval 7, in Chamberí. It's Spain's reference centre for this.
Free and confidential, and no appointment: go first thing, take a number and you're seen that same morning. Rapid HIV and syphilis tests give a result in half an hour. Open Monday to Friday 8 am to 10 pm. Phone: 91 445 23 28.
It has two annexes: Sandoval II at Andrés Mellado 65 (8 am to 3 pm) and Sandoval Sur in Alcorcón, calle Budapest 1 (3 pm to 9 pm).
Barcelona — Drassanes Exprés
Vall d'Hebron programme at CAP Drassanes, in the Raval. Carrer de Sant Oleguer 17, 08001.
Confidential, no health card or referral needed. Online appointment required at vhc.cat/pacientsdrassanes. Results in under three hours, and if anything comes back positive, treatment within 72. Monday to Friday 8 am to 7:30 pm. Phone: 934 894 408. The panel covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and hepatitis C depending on practices.
Private labs
If you can't get an appointment in time, or if you'd prefer a lab closer to home, any private lab can perform an “STI panel” without a prescription: Eurofins, Synlab, Echevarne, and the labs listed on tuMédico.es. Basic serology costs between €40 and €50; the complete panel with PCR costs between €100 and €150. Blood test results are available in 24–48 hours; PCR testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea takes 3 to 7 business days, since the samples are sent to a central lab. So you can’t get it done the day before either. And it’s a good idea to request a throat swab: many “comprehensive” tests only include a urine sample.
What happens with the result
Nothing. I look at it, the other person looks at mine, and that's it. I don't write down dates or keep copies; the contract only states that prevention measures have been agreed. Health data is among the most protected there is, and there's no reason for it to be on a piece of paper.
If you come to ride with me, I'll ask you for a recent test result beforehand. And now you know where to get it done.
This article describes how I work and is not medical advice. Addresses, phone numbers and opening hours were verified in September 2026; it's worth confirming them before going, because they change.
Sources: CIPS València — Ajuntament de València · Centros Sandoval — Comunidad de Madrid · Drassanes Exprés — Vall d'Hebron
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