'Generation Rent' afraid parents will find their free STI testing kit in the post, says HSE

Since the launch of the HSE’s home testing kit, 363,752 kits have been ordered, with 25,380 of them yielding positive or reactive results. File picture: Eddie O'Hare

The so-called 'Generation Rent' fears parents finding their sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing kit in the post if they order a free one online, the HSE has said.

Marking over three years since launching the free home STI testing service, the HSE published the results of a new survey which found that over half of 18- to 30-year-olds (55%) in Ireland have never tested for a STI.

A similar proportion (56%) agreed that if they ordered a home test that their parent, housemate, or someone they lived with would find it in the post, while over one in four (28%) said if neither partner raised the issue, it was fine to assume both are clear of STIs.

Professor Fiona Lyons, National Clinical Lead, HSE Sexual Health Programme, said there could be a sense of fear and stigma around STIs and testing for them, which is important to overcome.

“When you order a kit online, it goes to the Eircode address that you put in the order,” she said. “That may be very difficult if you live in a big Georgian house that has 10 flats and you can’t get to your postbox, or you’re living with your parents.” 

She also said that work is underway on “user-activated kits” being piloted around the country so people “don’t have to get something to their home, which is something we hope will overcome some of the barriers around fear of it coming to your door”. 

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Since the launch of the HSE’s home testing kit, 363,752 kits have been ordered, with 25,380 of them yielding positive or reactive results.

Ms Lyons added that people testing positive for gonorrhoea or chlamydia trended downwards in 2024, with further results in this area for 2025 expected soon.

She also singled out TikTok influencers who advocate “hormone-free contraception”, and said methods such as cycle tracking or withdrawal are “not the best methods” for preventing unwanted pregnancy.