The Sexual Health Centre

What The Sexual Health Centre does

The Sexual Health Centre is an Irish not-for-profit NGO headquartered at 18 South Mall, Cork, established in July 1987 as Cork AIDS Alliance and rebranded to its current name. It delivers a comprehensive portfolio of free sexual health services: rapid HIV testing (results in 60 seconds), STI screening via the SH:24 postal partnership, pregnancy testing, crisis-pregnancy counselling, LGBTI+ counselling, HIV counselling, and compulsive sexual behaviour counselling, plus trans peer support and sex-worker support. Service delivery occurs through walk-in access at the Cork centre and via the DASH mobile unit — Ireland's first combined sexual-health and substance-use van — which extends reach across Cork and Kerry at nightlife venues, festivals, and community events. A free condom-by-post programme and STI home-testing kits further extend channel reach.

The organisation runs an active training and education arm. Sexual Health Workshops and Ambassador Training programmes equip teachers, youth workers, community organisations, and migrant networks to deliver peer-led sexual health promotion. Pride in Practice delivers certified inclusivity training in Youth, Workplace, and Corporate editions, representing the Centre's main monetised arm. Digital education products include the WISE eLearning platform (co-developed with the HSE for teachers and youth workers), the SHIFT guide for young people, The Pride Guide (LGBTI+ terminology), and the Youth Hub blog. The 2025 CROSSROADS national survey — a research initiative on LGBTQ+ experiences in Ireland, conducted with NB Social Justice Studio and funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission — positions the Centre as a data-holder on marginalized community health.

The business model is a hybrid not-for-profit structure: free services to end users are funded through a mix of HSE / government grants (HSE SHCPP, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission), charitable foundation grants, corporate and individual donations (including Kindred Clinic earmarked giving), and modest revenue from paid Pride in Practice corporate training. Customer segments span the general public, youth (including YMCA and Youthreach), LGBTI+ individuals, migrants and new communities (including Direct Provision and Ukrainian arrivals), people living with HIV, sex workers, and people in crisis pregnancy — operating with a hybrid persona + horizontal segmentation approach.

Name

The Sexual Health Centre

Legal name

Sexual Health Centre

Website

https://sexualhealthcentre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sexual Health Centre is an Irish not-for-profit NGO, founded 1987 in Cork, delivering free HIV/STI testing, counselling, education, and outreach to the general public and marginalised groups including LGBTI+ people, migrants, and sex workers across Cork and Kerry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sexual Health Services

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (62141), Social Assistance (624), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Sexual & Reproductive Health (STI Care, Vulvovaginal Disorders) (HLAKAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sexual Health & STI/HIV Prevention Health Departments (HLAJAAAL), Sexual Health & Relationship Wellness Education (EDAAAHAM), Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) (HLAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Sexual health services
• HIV testing
• STI screening
• Sexual health counselling
• LGBTI+ support

Headquarters

HQ city

Cork

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. NGO/Charitable Funding: The organization operates as a not-for-profit NGO funded through government grants, charitable foundations, and public donations. Services are provided free of charge to clients.
2. Donations: Accepts voluntary donations from the public to support operations. Options include General Fund and Kindred Clinic donations with various preset amounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Sexual Health Centre provides free, confidential sexual health services to individuals in Cork and Kerry, including rapid HIV testing, STI screening, pregnancy testing, and a range of counselling services (HIV, crisis pregnancy, LGBTI+, and compulsive sexual behaviour). It complements these services with community education, outreach via the DASH mobile unit, an online eLearning platform, postal condom distribution, and tailored support for marginalized communities.

Product overview

The Sexual Health Centre is a not-for-profit NGO based in Cork, Ireland, established in 1987 as Cork AIDS Alliance. The organisation offers a comprehensive portfolio of sexual health services including testing (HIV, STI, pregnancy), counselling (crisis pregnancy, LGBTI+, HIV, compulsive sexual behaviour), and specialised support (trans peer support, sex workers support, HIV support). Its training arm delivers sexual health workshops, Pride in Practice inclusivity training, and ambassador programmes for migrant communities. The Centre also provides digital resources including the WISE Online eLearning platform, SHIFT teen guide, The Pride Guide, and the Youth Hub blog. Services are delivered through its main centre, the DASH mobile unit, and collaborations such as the Fast Track Cities project and Kindred Clinic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rapid HIV Testing

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 35 years of service delivery since 1987
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trans Healthcare ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop Kindred Clinic Cork, a pilot service providing free, safe, local, and gender-affirming care to trans adults. The clinic provides access to care centered on self-determination, created by and for trans people.
• Nina Orteu PonscoreOthersOutreach Worker specializing in migrant support, peace building, and sexual health with experience in high conflict areas. Delivers Sexual Health Ambassador training and outreach services.
• Phil (HIV Support Specialist)coreOthersHIV support specialist providing professional, compassionate guidance for anyone living with HIV including decision-making support, coping strategies, and resource access.
• LINC IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop the LBQ resource for lesbian, bisexual and queer women. LINC advocates for LBQ women while the Sexual Health Centre contributed sexual health expertise.
• HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme (SHCPP)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment health programme co-developing sexual health resources including the LBQ resource for lesbian, bisexual and queer women.
• Cork Local Drug & Alcohol Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering the DASH (Drugs, Alcohol, Sexual Health) project - Ireland's first mobile unit combining sexual health and substance use services.
• Fast Track Cities InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal initiative hosted by Cork's Sexual Health Centre to end HIV stigma, prevent new infections, and support people living with HIV. Linked with Limerick, Galway, and Dublin projects.
• Positive CorkminorOthersPeer-run group for people living with HIV providing emotional support and peer meet-ups. Referenced as a support resource for clients.
• Positive Now (HIV Ireland)minorOthersNetwork providing one-on-one peer support for people living with HIV. Clients may be matched for online or in-person support.
• NB Social Justice StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership conducting the CROSSROADS survey on LGBTQ+ experiences in Ireland, examining hate, discrimination, and needed changes for community support.
• Chrysalis Sex Work ProjectminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for sex worker support services. Sexual Health Centre refers clients for additional safety resources.
• Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlliance working for sex worker rights, health and justice in Ireland. Mutual referral relationship for support services.
• South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (GUM Clinic)minorOthersReferral partner for STI testing services. Sexual Health Centre directs clients to GUM clinic for full STI screening.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• SH:24: Online STI testing service in Ireland and the UK providing free home test kits — directly comparable as the Sexual Health Centre distributes SH:24 home STI testing kits through its partnership model, addressing the same testing market with a digital-first approach.

Direct peers

• BeLonG To Youth Services: Irish LGBTQ+ youth organization providing support services and sexual health education to young people aged 14-23 — directly comparable to the Sexual Health Centre's LGBTI+ youth support, Pride in Practice training, and sexual health workshop offerings.
• Chrysalis Sex Work Project: Irish sex worker support project providing outreach and safety resources — directly comparable to the Sexual Health Centre's sex worker support services, with the organization acting as a referral partner.
• Positive Cork: Peer-run support group for people living with HIV in Cork — directly comparable to the Sexual Health Centre's HIV support services, providing peer meet-ups and emotional support to the same client base.
• Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI): National transgender advocacy organization in Ireland — directly comparable to the Sexual Health Centre's Kindred Clinic gender-affirming care and Trans Peer Support services, serving the same target population.
• Gay Men's Health Service (GMHS): HSE-run clinic in Dublin providing sexual health services for gay and bisexual men — directly comparable to the Sexual Health Centre's targeted gay/bi men's services and explicitly partnered with the Centre for outreach delivery.
• HIV Ireland: National HIV charity in Ireland providing support, advocacy, and rapid testing — a direct peer to the Sexual Health Centre's HIV testing, counselling, and community support services, with overlapping peer support programs (Positive Now).
• LINC Ireland: Advocacy organization for lesbian and bisexual women in Ireland that co-developed the LBQ resource with the Sexual Health Centre — directly comparable in serving LBQ populations and a formal partner.

Broad incumbents

• South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (GUM Clinic): Hospital-based genitourinary medicine clinic in Cork providing STI screening — comparable as the formal referral partner for full STI screening that the Sexual Health Centre uses for diagnostic services beyond its own rapid testing.
• HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme (SHCPP): Government programme funding and coordinating sexual health services across Ireland — comparable as a funder and service coordinator on sexual health, with the Sexual Health Centre as a contracted delivery partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sexualhealthcentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sexual-health-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Sexual Health Centre