Sexual health services
When you visit a sexual health clinic for the first time, you will usually be asked to fill in a form with your name and contact details. You do not have to give your real name or tell staff who your GP is if you do not want to.
The type of healthcare professional that you see will depend on your reason for visiting the clinic. If you need to be tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), you may need to provide a blood or urine sample.
Contraception
If you are seeking advice about contraception, you will be asked about your medical and sexual history.
There are several different types of contraception and each type works in a different way. Barrier methods of contraception, such as condoms, create a physical barrier against sperm.
Women can use hormonal methods of contraception, such as the contraceptive pill. They can also use mechanical contraceptive devices, such as an intrauterine device (IUD), which used to be called a coil or loop. The IUD is placed in the womb (uterus). See below for more information about IUDs.
If you decide to use a mechanical method of contraception, such as an IUD, you may need to have an internal examination and be tested for STIs.
See the Health A-Z topic about Contraception for more information.
Emergency contraception
Most sexual health clinics provide help and advice about emergency contraception. Emergency contraception can be used to prevent pregnancy if:
- you have had unprotected sex (sex without using contraception)
- the contraception you were using failed
There are two types of emergency contraception: the emergency contraceptive pill and the intrauterine device (IUD).
- emergency contraceptive pill - which can be taken up to three days (72 hours) after having sex; it is 95% effective if it is taken within 24 hours
- intrauterine device (IUD) - a small, rigid, T-shaped contraceptive device that is fitted inside the womb within five days of having unprotected sex; it is almost 100% effective and works by stopping sperm from reaching an egg
See the Health A-Z topic about Emergency contraception for more information.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
If you are visiting a sexual health clinic to be tested for STIs, you will be asked a number of questions about your sex life and sexual history. This might be a bit embarrassing for you at first, but you need to answer honestly to ensure that you receive the most appropriate treatment and advice.
If you need to have an examination, you should be offered a chaperone. A chaperone is a member of clinic staff who can give you support during the examination. Alternatively, if you prefer, you can bring a close friend or relative with you.
Routine screening
Depending on why you are visiting the sexual health clinic and your symptoms, you may be offered a number of different tests. If you are having a routine screening before starting a new sexual relationship, you will be offered the following tests:
- chlamydia - by taking either a urine sample or a swab (a sample of cells) from the cervix (neck of the womb) in females, a urine sample is usually taken for testing in men
- gonorrhoea - by taking a swab from the cervix in females, or by taking a urine sample in men
- blood test - which will be screened for hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV
If you are diagnosed with a STI, it is very important that your current sexual partner and some, or all, of your previous sexual partners are informed as soon as possible so that they can be tested. The number of sexual partners that need to be contacted will depend on which STI you have.
Your partner (and previous partners) will need to be tested and, if necessary, treated to prevent the infection being passed on to anyone else or to prevent you from being re-infected after you have been treated.
Staff at the sexual health clinic will be able to advise you about the sexual partners who will need to be contacted and they may be able to contact them on your behalf. This is known as contact tracing. If you wish, your anonymity will be protected when contacting your previous sexual partners.
See the Health A-Z topic about Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for more information.
HIV and AIDS
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a sexually transmitted virus that attacks the immune system (the body s natural defence against infection and illness). Over time, HIV destroys the cells that are responsible for fighting infection, leaving you with a high risk of developing other serious conditions or infections, such as cancer.
If you are visiting a sexual health clinic to be tested for HIV, you will be asked a series of questions about your symptoms and your medical and sexual history. The HIV test searches for antibodies to HIV in a blood sample that is taken at the sexual health clinic. Antibodies are specialist cells that attack infections and foreign substances that enter the body.
Before you have the HIV test, it is usually recommended that you wait for 12 weeks after having unprotected sex. This is because it can take a while for the body to develop antibodies to HIV (known as the window period). Waiting will ensure that the test results are reliable.
See the Health A-Z topic about HIV and AIDS for more information.
