Everything you need to know about sexual health clinics

They may offer to test you for the full works - chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV and trichomoniasis. They can also test for thrush and bacterial vaginosis (BV). Chlamydia and gonorrhea can be tested for via a urine sample or quick internal swab test, while HIV and syphilis require a small blood sample. You can also test for these STIs at home using a self-swab and finger-prick kit. You can order an at-home STI kit online to be posted discreetly through your letterbox.

Clinics will not usually test for genital herpes (HSV), as you have to have visible sores for a swab sample to be taken, which can be briefly uncomfortable. You can also be tested for UTIs and cystitis at sexual health clinics if you can’t get an appointment with your GP. For the lowdown on STIs including symptoms and treatment, take a look at our complete STI explainer guide.

Depending on what you are being tested for, you may need to wait to receive your results via text, phone or post. Usually, STI test results take up to a week to come back if you are having a routine STI test.

If you have tested positive for an STI you will be invited back to the clinic, or asked to call them back, to discuss your treatment options. Some STIs just require a round of antibiotics and will clear up in a week or two. If you have been tested for herpes because you have visible sores, you will usually be prescribed some topical treatment or pain relief to soothe the physical symptoms, such as lidocaine gel, whilst you wait for your results.

Some STIs, like HIV, aren’t able to be ‘cured’. However, the treatment options we have now for HIV can be incredibly effective. With the right HIV treatment, many people with the virus are able to lower their viral load so that it is undetectable. Undetectable = untransmittable to others.

It’s important to tell any recent sexual partners about your positive result so that they can get tested. The clinic will be able to help you identify who these people are and work out a timeline. If you don’t want to be the one to notify them, some clinics are able to do this for you whilst keeping you anonymous. The clinic will offer you further guidance if you do receive a positive STI result, and advise on the best resources for info, support and advice.

Contraception and sexual health clinics are able to prescribe you the contraceptive pill, and it’s a great place to get it from if you don’t want to go to your usual GP to ask for the pill. You will be given the pill free of charge, just like you would at the GP, after being asked a series of questions about your medical history.

Sexual health clinics do not do routine cervical screenings (smear tests) for HPV. If you are of screening age, you will be sent a letter in the post and invited for an appointment at your GP practice as part of the UK’s cervical screening programme. For more information on HPV screening, check out our handy HPV FAQ guide.

STI and GUM clinics can also prescribe antibiotics as a course of treatment for STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. These will also be free of charge, even if you usually pay for your prescriptions.

Contraception and sexual health clinics love to send you home with a little bag of condoms after an appointment. You will always be offered (male) condoms as they are one of the only forms of contraception that can help to protect you from contracting an STI - the other being the female condom. You should be able to access any method of contraception at a sexual health clinic, but this may be dependent your suitability and on the services and appointments available at your local clinic.

Yes, you can have a coil fitted at a sexual health clinic, as well as having your coil removed. Whether you want a copper coil or a hormonal coil like the Mirena, you will be able to have this inserted at a clinic, but you will usually have to make an appointment to have your coil fitted or removed. Wait times will vary between clinics, so make sure you are using alternative contraception in the meantime if you aren’t able to get a coil fitted straight away.

When making your coil fitting appointment, you can also ask about pain relief options, request to have a male or female nurse, and generally let them know if you are anxious about the appointment, as they may be able to accommodate with extra support.

The copper coil (IUD) can also be fitted at most clinics as a form of emergency contraception. The copper coil is the most effective form of emergency contraception and can be fitted up to five days after you have unprotected sex or five days after you ovulate.

You can also arrange to have the contraceptive implant fitted or removed at sexual health clinics. Again, this is likely to be by appointment only for the actual fitting.

Generally, STI clinics are not open on bank holidays. It is worth looking up your local clinic to confirm this, as their website may be able to direct you to an out-of-hours support and advice service.