Spain to Offer Free Condoms to 16–22-Year-Olds from 2027 to Curb Surging STIs

Spain's Ministry of Health has approved the free distribution of condoms in pharmacies to young people aged 16 to 22. The measure will come into force in 2027 and will cost the budget more than €9 million. Its aim is to reduce the rapid rise in sexually transmitted infections.

Each month, a young person will be able to collect a certain number of condoms at any pharmacy. This will require proof of identity, not necessarily a medical card. The exact monthly limit is still being finalised.

The decision was taken against the backdrop of alarming statistics. In 2024, Spain recorded more than 93,000 cases of the four main STIs: chlamydia (41,918 cases), gonorrhoea (37,257), syphilis (11,930), and lymphogranuloma venereum (1,996).

STIs are also being closely monitored in Europe. In 2024, the number of cases of gonorrhoea and syphilis, as well as congenital syphilis, reached its highest level in the past 10 years. The latest data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) confirms a dangerous trend — in 2024, 368,841 cases were recorded, 25% of which were in Spain.

Most diagnoses are made in young people. Among all STIs except chlamydia, men are affected more often than women. Chlamydia predominantly affects women under 25.

Particular concern is caused by the decline in condom use among teenagers. According to the Spanish Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, condom use has fallen by 18 percentage points since 2002. The lack of protection is most noticeable among girls aged 15 and 16. At the same time, 34.8% of teenagers have had sexual contact, and 13.2% began having sex at the age of 13 or younger.

The promise of free condoms was first made in 2024 but was repeatedly postponed, partly because of funding problems amid a budget freeze. The measure has now been included in the "2026–2030 Roadmap" for combating STIs.

At the same time, the Ministry of Health plans to legalise Spain's first self-testing kit for STIs, as well as to expand diagnostic capabilities in primary healthcare facilities. The overall goal is to eliminate HIV and STIs as a public health problem by 2030.