s.a.m health Social fund
STI tests for everyone who wants!
For broader access to regular testing for HIV and STIs
Our service was developed together with users and people we have not yet reached (more about the development of s.a.m health).
Since then, the opinion of our users has been very important to us. We are committed to supporting all communities in the self-determined management of their sexual health. However, financial hurdles also prevent some people from getting tested at s.a.m health.
The idea of making our range of tests accessible to everyone has been close to our hearts for a long time. We are therefore delighted to soon be one step closer to achieving this goal. Since July 2022, we have been able to offer users who meet certain criteria for a discount our trial offer from a newly established social fund for just €10. The s.a.m health social fund gives us the opportunity to provide people with limited financial resources with the necessary tests for HIV and STIs at a discount of more than 80%. We would like to thank ViiV Healthcare for their financial support in implementing our project and for providing the fund for the first six months.
We are committed to continuing to fill the social fund with third-party funds in order to continue to reach people in financial need in the future.
We would like to thank the German AIDS Foundation for supporting the Social Fund in 2023. This enables us to make the s.a.m health test kit available to people in financial need again this year.
We would like to thank GILEAD Sciences for supporting the Social Fund in 2024. This donation will enable us to continue offering discounted test kits to people on low incomes.
Consideration of the individual financial and sexual-health situation
As part of the social fund, people who had an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections but cannot afford the cost of the s.a.m health test kit can take advantage of our service for just €10.
There is an increased risk of contracting HIV or other STIs for, among others:
- Sex workers or persons who engage in prostitution
- People with unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse
- PrEP users
- Chemsex practitioners or people who take drugs such as chrystal meth, amphetamines, GHB or cocaine for sex
To assess the need based on the financial situation, we take into account:
- An insecure or precarious residence status (e.g. refugees, asylum seekers)
- Receipt of social benefits (citizen’s allowance, housing benefit, BAföG or similar)
- Low income
Discreet online registration, telephone advice and dispatch by post.
First you have to register with s.a.m health. In a personal consultation – on site or by telephone – you inform your advisor that you are interested in a reduced test.
Your counselor will discuss your needs and questions about sexual health with you. This will clarify whether you can receive a test kit from the fund. Ideally, a discount is possible for you and a payment link will be sent to you as an SMS. You only pay €10 for your test kit via this link.
If you are already registered with s.a.m health, you can contact your local s.a.m health partner before ordering your new test kit. Your advisor will then clarify whether you can receive a discount via the social fund.
As with all funds, the resources of the s.a.m health social fund are limited. A certain number of subsidized test kits are available each month. Please understand if the funds from the fund are exhausted at the time of your order.
You can find answers to your questions about access to discounted tests for HIV and STI from the Social Fund in our FAQ. You can find contact details for your test counseling center in your text messages or here with our local partners.
