Sexual Health Services
Free, confidential services providing testing, treatment, contraception and advice.
Last revised
Key takeaways
- Cost: free to everyone, including people not registered with a GP
- Referral: not needed; you can self-refer
- Most useful single change: Self-refer directly; no GP appointment is needed.
- Commonest mistake: Assuming you need to be registered with a GP.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
Why it matters
They are open to everyone, do not require a GP referral, and do not inform your GP without your consent.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Cost | free to everyone, including people not registered with a GP |
| Referral | not needed; you can self-refer |
| Confidentiality | your GP is not informed without your consent |
| Under-16s | services are confidential where the young person is competent to consent |
| Postal testing | available free in many areas |
What helps
- Self-refer directly; no GP appointment is needed
- Use postal testing kits if attending is difficult
- Ask about PrEP, vaccination and contraception at the same visit
- Ask for help notifying partners; it can be done anonymously
What to avoid
- Assuming you need to be registered with a GP
- Delaying testing because of embarrassment
- Buying treatments online rather than being assessed
Where to go next
- Making Sense of Sexual Health Services
- Sexual Health Services: What to Do, in Order
- Menstrual Cycle Tracking: What Published Guidance Supports
- The Evidence on Fertility Awareness, Without the Hype
When to get help
Seek emergency care within 72 hours of a possible HIV exposure for PEP. Seek urgent assessment for lower abdominal pain with fever, testicular pain and swelling, or unusual discharge with pain. Anyone who has experienced sexual assault can access specialist support through a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, with or without involving the police.
Where this comes from
- NHS — Sexual health services
- British Association for Sexual Health and HIV — guidance
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.