Sexual Well-Being

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CLINIC)
(Questions and Answers)

What is a sexual and reproductive health clinic?

Our service is as much about sexual health as treating infections. Anyone can come along. You don’t have to go to your family doctor first. Everything is absolutely free.

Who goes to the clinics?

People of all backgrounds and ages come to the clinics.

How do I know my visit to the clinic will stay confidential?

We promise to keep our notes separate from all your other medical records and they never leave the department. We will not even write to your family doctor unless you ask us to or he or she wrote to us to refer you in the first place.

How do I make an appointment?

Although you usually need an appointment, we will always do our best to help you if you need to see us urgently. Please phone the clinic you want to go to. You can find details of these clinics in the sexual health services section of this website. We will try our best to give you an appointment at a time that suits you.

What happens when I go to the clinic?

After booking in at reception, you will usually talk to a doctor or nurse. They may examine you and suggest that you have some tests. For women, these are similar to having a cervical smear. For men the test involves putting a small cotton wool swab or loop into the opening of the penis. Many people also decide to have a blood test as part of their check-up. You should not pass urine for at least two hours before you go to the clinic. This is because when you pass urine you wash away some of the germs and make it harder for us to find the cause of the problem. At the end of your visit, your health adviser will talk to you.

He or she will give you information about your tests, any treatment you need and answer any questions you may have. You will usually be able to get the full results of your tests within a week. You may need to have a follow-up visit, but remember that most STI’s can be treated easily and successfully.

What services do the clinics offer?

There are a wide range of services available at the clinics. You can use as many or as few of these services as you want.

Full sexual-health and reproductive screening

The service has its own laboratory, so we can often tell you immediately and precisely if there is anything wrong. In most cases you can begin treatment straight away. Many people we see have no problems, but come for advice and information or a routine check-up.

Sexual health information

The health adviser is here to give you support and information on a wide range of sexual health questions. We want to help people to talk openly and confidently about sexual relationships and safer sex. We give free condoms and information on how to choose and use them.

Sexual abuse or assault

If you are worried about sexual abuse or assault, then do come and talk to us. We can help you come to terms with this and offer a check-up.

How to stay healthy

If you are having sex, condoms and water based lubricant can help make it safer. Try different kinds of condoms and see which ones suit you and your partner. More and more people are now finding that condoms are easy to use. You can also get female condoms. They are called Femidoms and are a tube-shape made of very thin material which lines the vagina.

Using a water-based lubricant is especially recommended for vaginal and anal sex. You can get free condoms and safer sex advice from any clinic.