Sweden makes sexual health easy to reach and hard to misunderstand, until you ask who pays. Here is where to go for each need, which rules come from law, and what changes if you are a tourist, an EU visitor or a resident.
When you need this
A condom broke and you need an emergency pill tonight. You are an exchange student looking for contraception or an STI test, and someone mentioned the ungdomsmottagning. You think you may be pregnant while in Sweden. A clinic called about contact tracing after a positive chlamydia test. Or your pill is running out and the prescription from home is electronic.
How the system is built
Sexual health care is run by Sweden’s 21 regions, not by the national government, so details differ from county to county. There are four doors:
| Need | Where to go | Appointment? |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency pill | Any pharmacy (apotek), or a youth clinic | No prescription needed at a pharmacy |
| Contraception, STI test, someone to talk to (young people) | Ungdomsmottagning (youth clinic) | Usually book or drop in |
| Contraception, STI test (adults) | Barnmorskemottagning (midwife clinic), mottagning för sexuell hälsa (sexual-health clinic) or vårdcentral (health center) | Book |
| Pregnancy you may not continue | Abortmottagning (abortion clinic) or a gynecology clinic | Contact directly |
Midwives as well as doctors prescribe contraception in Sweden. If you don’t know which door is yours, phone 1177, or +46 771 11 77 00 from a foreign phone, and a nurse will route you (see 1177, Sweden’s medical advice line).
Three laws sit behind those doors. The Abortion Act gives abortion on request until the end of week 18. The Communicable Diseases Act makes care for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV free and makes contact tracing compulsory. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Act makes subsidized contraception free under 21. The last two only apply to some people, which is where visitors get caught out.
The morning-after pill
Emergency contraception, akut-p-piller, is sold without a prescription at Swedish pharmacies. Two types exist:
- The 120-hour type works up to five days after unprotected sex and is slightly more effective.
- The 72-hour type works up to three days after.
- A copper IUD inserted within five days is the most effective emergency method of all, and is free in most regions, though not all.
Both pills work best the sooner you take them, so go to a pharmacy rather than waiting for a clinic appointment. Young people can usually get the pill free at a youth clinic instead. Price varies by product and pharmacy, so ask at the counter.
Two cautions from 1177. ellaOne, the 120-hour pill, can weaken hormonal contraception, so if you already take the pill and missed one, ask for the other type. And take a pregnancy test three to four weeks later, even if your period comes as expected. For how Swedish pharmacies work in general, see pharmacies in Sweden.
Youth clinics: free, confidential and not only to 25
The ungdomsmottagning (youth clinic, often shortened UM) is one of the most useful things Sweden offers young people. Region and municipality run it together, visits cost nothing and staff have a duty of confidentiality (tystnadsplikt). Clinics help with contraception, emergency pills, STI and pregnancy tests and someone to talk to, and some hand out condoms.
The common claim that youth clinics serve everyone up to 25 is not quite right. There is no national age rule, and each region sets its own:
| Region or clinic | Age range |
|---|---|
| Stockholm County | 12 to 22 |
| Gotland | No lower limit, until your 23rd birthday |
| Piteå (Norrbotten) | 12 to 25 |
Check the clinic’s page on 1177 before you go. Above the limit, adults use a midwife clinic, a sexual-health clinic or a health center. The national youth-clinic website, umo.se, funded by all regions, is written for ages 13 to 25.
Contraception: free under 21, if you are entitled
Contraceptives in the national subsidy scheme, prescribed by a doctor or midwife for birth control, are free for an entitled person under 21 at the time of purchase. That covers methods such as the pill, the implant and the hormonal coil. Some regions go further and subsidize contraception up to age 26.
1177 phrases the rule as “through the year you turn 21”, while the statute says “has not turned 21 at purchase”. If your birthday falls this year, ask the pharmacy before you rely on the later date.
“Entitled” is the key word. The subsidy covers people living in Sweden and people entitled to care under EU social-security rules. A tourist from outside that system pays the full price, and needs a prescription Sweden accepts: one from a Swedish doctor or midwife, or a paper cross-border prescription from another EU country. A foreign e-prescription cannot be dispensed here. Exchange students staying a year or more should read exchange students’ first weeks on registration.
STI testing and contact tracing
Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV are on the Communicable Diseases Act’s list of diseases dangerous to the public (allmänfarliga sjukdomar). That listing brings rights and duties:
- Free care: examination, treatment and prescribed medicines that reduce the spread are free for the patient, if you are covered (see below).
- Duty to get examined: if you know or suspect you carry one of these infections, you must see a doctor without delay.
- Duty to help trace: you must tell the clinic who may have infected you and who you may have infected.
- Duty to inform: you must tell people you are in contact with in a way that carries a real risk of transmission.
Refusing has consequences: a doctor must report a patient who refuses examination to the regional infection-control doctor, and a court can order examination.
Test at a clinic, not with a pharmacy kit. 1177 warns that pharmacy chlamydia tests cost money and are less reliable. Some regions offer free online home tests, but only to people registered in that region, so visitors book a clinic. A positive home test still means a clinic visit for treatment and tracing. For HIV, 1177 says testing costs nothing and you have the right to be anonymous; PrEP and PEP are covered in LGBTQ+ travel in Sweden.
Abortion
Under the Abortion Act, a woman who asks for an abortion may have one until the end of the 18th week of pregnancy. After that, only Socialstyrelsen (the National Board of Health and Welfare) can give permission, for exceptional reasons, and never if the fetus is presumed viable. Only a licensed doctor may perform an abortion, in a public hospital or an approved clinic, and support counseling must be offered before and after.
| Point | What applies |
|---|---|
| Who decides | The pregnant woman, including if she is under 18 |
| Referral | Usually not needed; contact an abortion or gynecology clinic directly |
| Method | Medical abortion is the most common; after week 12–13 it is always medical |
| Foreigners | Allowed since 1 January 2008; no citizenship or residence requirement |
| Confidentiality | Staff may not tell anyone about your visit |
A non-resident’s costs are paid by her home health insurance or by herself, depending on the rules that apply, so ask the clinic for the price. Buying abortion pills from unregulated sellers is not a safe shortcut, and anyone other than a licensed doctor who performs an abortion commits a crime.
Good to know: older guides may not mention this yet. On 20 May 2026 the Riksdag adopted, as pending, an amendment adding a right to abortion to the Instrument of Government. Constitutional changes need a second vote after an election, so the Riksdag elected in September 2026 must confirm it; it is planned to apply from 1 January 2027. The week-18 rule does not change.
Who pays: tourist, EU visitor, resident
| You are | STI care | Contraception | Youth clinic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident (folkbokförd) | Free | Free under 21 in the subsidy scheme | Free |
| EU/EEA visitor with an EHIC | Free | Subsidy rules apply as for residents | Free |
| Other visitor | May be charged the full cost; ask first | Full price | Visits free; no residence condition on the clinic pages checked |
The EU rule rests on the European Health Insurance Card, which you show at every visit (see EHIC and GHIC in Sweden). Visitors outside that system should read healthcare as a tourist for how billing works.
Warning: After a sexual assault, call 112 if you are in danger. In Stockholm, Södersjukhuset runs a 24-hour emergency clinic for rape victims that is free and does not require a police report; elsewhere, go to a hospital emergency department. Kvinnofridslinjen answers on 116 016, free and anonymous.
Practical information
| Item | What to know | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Youth-clinic visit | Free | 2026-10-14 |
| Emergency pill at a youth clinic | Usually free for young people | 2026-10-14 |
| Emergency pill at a pharmacy | You pay; price varies by product and pharmacy | 2026-10-14 |
| Subsidised contraception, entitled person under 21 | Free | 2026-10-14 |
| STI testing and treatment, resident or EU-entitled | Free | 2026-10-14 |
| STI care, visitor outside the EU system | May be charged at full cost | 2026-10-14 |
| HIV test | 1177: costs nothing | 2026-10-14 |
| Abortion, non-resident | Home insurance or the woman pays; ask the clinic | 2026-10-14 |
| Abortion counseling | Free | 2026-10-14 |
FAQ
Can I buy the morning-after pill without a prescription in Sweden?
Yes. Both emergency pills are sold without a prescription at Swedish pharmacies. One works up to 120 hours (five days) after unprotected sex and the other up to 72 hours, and both work best the sooner you take them. Young people can usually get them free at a youth clinic. Take a pregnancy test three to four weeks later.
What is an ungdomsmottagning and can I go there?
An ungdomsmottagning is a youth clinic run by the region and municipality for contraception, STI tests, pregnancy tests and someone to talk to. Visits are free and staff are bound by confidentiality. The upper age limit is set locally: 22 in Stockholm County, the 23rd birthday on Gotland and 25 in Piteå. Check the clinic’s page on 1177.
Are STI tests free in Sweden for visitors?
Not automatically. The Communicable Diseases Act makes testing and treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV free for residents and for people entitled to care under EU rules, in practice EHIC holders. Other visitors may be charged the full cost, so ask before the visit. 1177 states that HIV tests cost nothing and can be anonymous.
Is contraception free in Sweden?
For entitled people under 21, yes: contraceptives in the national subsidy scheme are free, and some regions subsidize them up to age 26. Entitled means living in Sweden or covered under EU social-security rules. A tourist pays the full price and needs a prescription Sweden accepts, from a Swedish doctor or midwife or a paper EU prescription.
Can a foreigner have an abortion in Sweden?
Yes. Since 1 January 2008 the Abortion Act has had no citizenship or residence requirement. Abortion is on request until the end of week 18; after that Socialstyrelsen must give permission. A non-resident pays through her home health insurance or herself, depending on the rules that apply. Contact an abortion or gynecology clinic directly; staff have a duty of confidentiality.
What happens if I test positive for chlamydia in Sweden?
You get antibiotics and contact tracing. Chlamydia is listed as dangerous to the public under the Communicable Diseases Act, so you must help the clinic identify partners who may be infected, and you must tell people you could infect. Treatment is free for residents and EU-entitled patients. A home test result needs a clinic visit for treatment and tracing.
Is abortion becoming part of Sweden’s constitution?
Probably, from 1 January 2027. On 20 May 2026 the Riksdag adopted, as pending, an amendment adding a right to abortion to the Instrument of Government. Constitutional changes need a second identical vote after an election, so the Riksdag elected in September 2026 must confirm it. The week-18 rule in the Abortion Act stays the same either way.
Related guides
- Pharmacies in Sweden — buying the pill, and why a foreign e-prescription fails
- EHIC and GHIC in Sweden — the card that decides whether STI care is free for you
- Healthcare as a tourist — what you pay outside the EU system
- LGBTQ+ travel in Sweden — HIV testing, PrEP and PEP
- Exchange students: the first two weeks — registration and student health on arrival
Facts verified 2026-10-14. Sources: Sveriges riksdag (Abortlag 1974:595, Smittskyddslag 2004:168, Lag 2002:160, Prop. 2006/07:124, Bet. 2025/26:KU34), 1177 and the regions of Stockholm, Gotland, Norrbotten and Halland, Socialstyrelsen, UMO and Kvinnofridslinjen — full register in this topic’s source file. This is general information, not medical or legal advice. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.