Sexual health clinics
Introduction
Sexual health clinics are sometimes known as genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics. They are usually located at a hospital, or as part of another health centre, and provide a range of sexual health services including:
- contraception and contraception advice,
- emergency contraception and emergency contraception advice,
- testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea, and genital warts, and
- testing and counselling for HIV and AIDs.
What is genito-urinary medicine?
Genito-urinary medicine (GUM) deals with the male and female sexual organs, and the urinary system (which produces, stores, and removes urine from your body).
As well as testing for and treating STIs, genito-urinary medicine also investigates and treats urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as cystitis (bladder infection) and urethritis (infection of the urethra - the tube that is used to urinate), plus other infections of the genitals, such as thrush (candida).
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How does it work?
If you need advice and support with a sexual health matter, or you have a problem with your urinary system, you can either see your GP, or make an appointment to visit your local sexual health clinic.
Referral from your GP
If your GP thinks that you have a genito-urinary infection, they may refer you to a genito-urinary specialist, for testing, at a sexual health clinic.
It is important to remember that many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) do not have any noticeable symptoms. Therefore, before starting a new sexual relationship, it is a good idea for you and your partner to be tested for STIs.
Most GUM clinics carry out general health check-ups, which include tests for a range of STIs. You may also want to have a check-up before trying for a baby.
Non-referrals
As well as being referred by your GP, you can also make an appointment to visit a sexual health clinic without a referral. At certain times, some GUM clinics also operate as ‘drop in’ centres, where you can turn up without needing to make a prior appointment.
All information regarding your visit to the sexual health clinic will be treated confidentially, and your GP will not be contacted without your permission.
Sexual health services
Sexual health services are free and can be used by anyone regardless of sex, age, ethnic origin, and sexual orientation.
If you have a disability and you have special requirements, or if English is not your first language, you should contact the sexual health clinic to discuss your requirements and make appropriate arrangements. If you are unable to get to the clinic, it may be possible for someone to visit you at home.
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What happens?
When you visit a sexual health clinic for the first time, you will usually be asked to fill in a form with your name and some contact details. You do not have to give your real name, or tell staff who your GP is if you do not want to.
The type of health professional that you will see will depend on the reason you are visiting the clinic. If you need to be tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), you may need to provide a urine, or blood, sample.
Contraception
If you are seeking advice about contraception, you will be asked about your medical and sexual history.
There are several different types of contraception, and each type works in a different way. Barrier methods of contraception, such as condoms, create a physical barrier against sperm.
Women can also use hormonal methods of contraception, such as the contraceptive pill, or mechanical contraceptive devices, such as an intra-uterine device (IUD) that is placed in the womb (uterus) (see below).
If you decide to use a mechanical method of contraception, such as an IUD, you may need to have an internal examination and be tested for any untreated STIs.
Emergency contraception
Most sexual health clinics will be able to provide you with advice about emergency contraception. If you have had unprotected sex (sex without using contraception), or if the contraception that you were using failed, emergency contraception can be used in order to prevent pregnancy.
There are two types of emergency contraception - the emergency contraceptive pill, and the intra-uterine device (IUD). These are explained below:
- Emergency contraceptive pill - can be taken up to three days (72 hours) after sex; if it is taken within 24 hours, it is 95% effective.
- Intra-uterine device (IUD) - is a small, rigid T-shaped contraceptive device that is fitted inside the womb (uterus) by a nurse, or doctor, within five days of having unprotected sex. It works by stopping sperm reaching an egg and is almost 100% effective.
STIs
If you are visiting a sexual health clinic to be tested for STIs, you will be asked a number of questions about your sex life. This might be embarrassing for you at first, but you need to answer honestly in order to ensure that you receive the most appropriate advice and treatment.
If you are diagnosed with a STI, it is very important that your current sexual partner, and some, or all, of your previous sexual partners, are informed as soon as possible. The number of sexual partners that will need to be contacted will depend on the type of STI that you have.
If you have a STI, your partner (and previous partners) will need to be tested and, if necessary, treated in order to prevent the infection being passed on to anyone else.
Staff at the sexual health clinic will be able to advise you about the sexual partners who will need to be contacted, and they may be able to contact them on your behalf. If you wish, your anonymity will be protected when contacting your previous sexual partners.
HIV and AIDs
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a sexually transmitted virus that attacks the body’s immune system. A healthy immune system provides the body with a natural defence against disease and infection.
Over a period of time, the HIV infection destroys the cells that are responsible for fighting infection, leaving you with a high risk of developing other diseases, or infections, such as cancer.
If you are visiting a sexual health clinic to be tested for HIV, you will be asked a series of questions about your symptoms and medical history. The HIV test looks for antibodies to HIV.
Before having the HIV test, it is usually recommended that you should wait 12 weeks after having unprotected sex. This is because the body can take a while to develop antibodies to HIV, and therefore waiting will ensure that the test results are reliable
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Results
If you have had a test for a sexually transmitted infection (STI), you may be informed of the result straight away. However, you may have to wait several weeks for the results of some tests.
Getting your test results
Staff at the sexual health clinic will ask for your permission before phoning you with your results, or they may send them to you in an unmarked envelope. Alternatively, you may be asked to come into the clinic to get your test results, and to talk to an advisor. This will be the case if you are diagnosed with HIV.
Treatment and advice
If your tests results show that you have a STI, a healthcare professional at the clinic will be able to discuss your test results with you, and advise you about possible treatment options.
Many STIs can be treated using antibiotics. However, others, such as HIV, are not curable. If you have HIV, staff at the clinic will be able to arrange an appointment for you with a counsellor, as well as advising you about treatments to control the condition and slow its progression.
Preventing STIs
The best way to prevent getting a STI, including HIV, is to practice safe sex. When having sex, including oral and anal sex, you should always use a condom.
If you are diagnosed with a STI, make sure that you follow the advice of the healthcare professional at the clinic with regards to having sex while you are being treated.
It is a criminal offence to knowingly infect someone with HIV.
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