Sex health clinics help vulnerable

Friday 30th March 2012

Vulnerable young people at risk from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases will benefit from a new network of clinics.

Terrence Higgins Trust is starting a sexual health service in Buckinghamshire to help those most at risk from STIs, HIV and pregnancy.

The county-wide service starting on April 1 will offer vulnerable young people, deprived communities, and gay men, free and confidential testing as well as contraception advice.

Nurses working at the network of sexual health clinics, funded by NHS Buckinghamshire, will offer women long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), such as injections and implants, as well as condoms and the contraceptive pill.

The service will work with existing specialist contraceptive and GUM (Genito-Urinary Medicine) services already available in the county.

Sue Peters, regional manager for the trust, said: "This new programme of work will make it easier for those most at risk of unplanned pregnancy and sexual ill health in Buckinghamshire to access the support they need to stay healthy.

"We know many people may feel unsure about attending sexual health clinics. By setting up our clinics in the community, we want to encourage more local people to take that first step to make their sexual health a priority."

Angie Blackmore, public health principal at NHS Buckinghamshire, said: "We have been working hard with all our partners to reduce teenage conceptions and the number of sexually transmitted infections and we are confident that all the appropriate services are now in place to provide high-quality sexual health services to people in Buckinghamshire."

For more information call Terrence Higgins Trust on 07717 540966, email info.sexualhealthbucks@tht.org.uk or visit http://www.sexualhealthbucks.nhs.uk.

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