Sexual Health Advice.

Find advice and guidance on your sexual health, what SWOP can provide and details for other services.

How do I look after my sexual health?

  • Use condoms to protect yourself against Sexually Transmitted Infection and pregnancy
  • Back up contraception will mean less worry if a condom splits
  • Other forms of contraception are available from the sexual health clinics in Brighton and East Sussex. They include:
    • The pill
    • Contraceptive implant
    • Contraceptive injection
    • The Coil
    • Contraceptive patch
    • As well as other hormonal and non-hormonal methods
  • Use lubricant to prevent condoms splitting and reduce the risk of damage to the vaginal or anal areas
  • Emergency contraception is available to purchase from chemists. If you are under 25, emergency contraception is free from these places
  • PEP is a treatment you can take within 72 hours of a condom breaking or having unprotected sex if you believe you may have come in contact with the HIV virus. PEP is available from sexual health clinics or from A&E
  • Using condoms for oral sex protects you against chlamydia and gonorrhea
  • You can protect yourself against Hepatitis B with a course of vaccinations. You can get these free from any sexual health clinic – regardless of your immigration status

Screening.

  • It is important to have regular sexual health checks as many STIs have no symptom
  • It is recommended that you have a full sexual health screening every three months, or sooner if you have any symptoms or concern
  • If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should get checked out straight away
    • Pain when you urinate
    • Itching, burning, or tingling around the genitals
    • Blisters, sores, spots or lumps around the genitals, anus or mouth
    • Black powder or tiny white dots in your underwear
    • Yellow or green vaginal discharge
    • Discharge that smells
    • Bleeding between periods or after sex
    • Pain during sex
    • Lower abdominal pain
    • Persistent sore throat

What can SWOP provide?

  • Free supplies – condoms (a range of colours, flavours and sizes), lubricant, dental dams and gloves
  • Free testing for chlamydia and gonorrhoea- self taken swabs. Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can be present in the urethra, vagina, rectum and throat and we can test from all these sites
  • Free at-home HIV testing with immediate results. Find out more
  • Pregnancy Testing- we will check the results with you
  • We can book and accompany you to sexual health clinic appointments
  • Fast tracking into sexual health services s available to sex workers
  • We can arrange for a sexual health and contraception outreach nurse to visit you at home or at your place of work
  • Other sexual health safety advice for sex workers- a range of leaflets in different languages

Sexual Health and Contraception Services in Sussex.

http://brightonsexualhealth.com/

http://www.eastsussexsexualhealth.co.uk/

https://www.sexualhealthwestsussex.nhs.uk/

If you would like help with booking or attending appointments or need an interpreter please contact us.