Your GP or pharmacy can help with some sexual health services. GP practices can prescribe ongoing and long-acting contraception. Pharmacies can provide free emergency contraception and chlamydia test kits

Emergency contraception services

If you are aged 16 and over, you can order free emergency contraception pills online and have them delivered to your home.

If you want to pick up the morning-after pill locally you can:

• Call 0300 247 0069 to get it from your nearest Sexual Health Hub
• Visit a local pharmacy that offers NHS emergency contraception services
• Get it from your GP surgery
• Buy it from a local chemist or high street pharmacy (prices start at £10)

Services for young people (under 16)

For confidential sexual health support in Coventry and Warwickshire, book an appointment on 0300 247 0069.

Our sexual health teams understand the needs of young people and we can help and support you with all your sexual health needs.

This includes:

• STI testing
• contraception
• pregnancy testing
• emergency contraception
• condoms and lube

Our online services are not available for people under 16

Support after rape or assault

If you’ve been sexually assaulted, we have free and confidential services to support you

• Blue Sky Centre is a specialist service in Nuneaton, open 24 hours a day. They offer medical, practical and emotional support after assault. Call them on 0800 970 0370
• Rape Crisis have a national freephone support line on 0808 500 2222. They also offer support online
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline call 0808 2000 247 for free and confidential support, 24 hours a day
• Call 0300 247 0069 to make an emergency appointment at your local sexual health clinic
  Important: Sexual Assault Advice

  There are various services that can offer you help, and you may already have been seen by another organisation such as: Blue Sky Centre (Sexual Assault Referral Centre), Coventry Rape and Sexual Assault Centre (CRASAC) or the Police.

  You may be at risk of a sexually transmitted infection or pregnancy following a sexual assault and it is recommended that you seek medical advice as soon as possible, irrespective of whether you want to report the sexual assault to the Police or not.

  Our Sexual Health service is a free, confidential and friendly service based in various locations across Coventry and Warwickshire. You can see us directly, without being referred from another organisation.

  We can offer you medical care (testing and treatment) for sexually transmitted infections; emergency contraception; post-exposure prevention for HIV; Hepatitis B vaccination; and also help you get the support through local counselling services, or referral to other organisations like CRASAC and Blue Sky Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

  What will happen when you come and see us

  When you call, or drop in to see us we will:

  • Offer you a confidential and friendly service;
  • Treat you with respect;
  • Not judge you;
  • Support you in making choices about your sexual health;
  • Offer a suitable appointment as soon as possible;
  • Offer you an experienced health professional with a choice of gender, where possible (please let us know when you contact us if you have any gender preference).

  On arrival

  Please report to Reception, where we will register you. The doctor or nurse will then call you and take you into a consultation room.

  Please allow two hours for your visit to our clinic. You may wish to bring your friend, family member or representative from other services you may have attended.

  Any decisions surrounding your care will be made with you.

  Your consultation

  Your consultation may involve asking sensitive and personal questions, including details of the assault, in order to provide appropriate care. We understand that it can be emotional and distressing to answer some of the questions so please let the clinician know if you do not want to answer them.

  Examination

  The clinician will explain the nature of an examination (an examination may not always be needed) and tests. Tests and examinations will always be done with your consent.

  For women: this may consist of examination of your genital area (it may include speculum examination, like when you have a smear), back passage, throat and other parts of the body as appropriate. Tests are done using swabs to look for any infections.

  For men: this may consist of examination of the penis, scrotum, rectum (back passage), throat and other parts of the body as appropriate. The examination and tests are not painful but you may experience some discomfort.

  Tests

  The tests carried out are no different to a routine sexual health screen, except we may need to take an additional Chlamydia swab in line with national guidelines.

  Test that may be carried out are:

  • Blood tests for HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C
  • Swab tests for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Trichomonas Vaginalis, Candida and Bacterial Vaginosis.
  • Other tests may be required, and the clinician will explain them to you.

  The clinician will discuss with you any treatment needed. for example, post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV; a Hepatitis B vaccination; emergency contraception follow-up; and whether you need any help or referral to other organisations.

  If we have requested any preliminary test results you will be asked to go back to the waiting area or room for a short while and will be called back into the consultation room to discuss the results.

  We will inform you how we will communicate with you regarding the results of the tests you have undergone, this is usually by a text message.

  Your follow-up plan

  We may need to see you again, and the clinician will discuss with you the follow up arrangements.

  Blood tests may need repeating one to three months after your assault.

  If you have any queries please do not hesitate to ask the clinician who saw you, they will be happy to help.

  Useful contacts:

  Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (CRASAC). www.crasac.org.uk Tel: 024 7627 7777

  Blue Sky Centre:  Sexual Assault and Referral Centre for adults Blue Sky Centre – Supporting the victims of Rape or Sexual Assault Tel: 0800 970 0370

  Safe lives: Support for people who have experienced domestic violence. www.safelives.org.uk

  Rape Crisis: Support for women and girls who have been abused: Rape Crisis England & Wales

  Rape Crisis: support men and boys: Support for men and boys | Rape Crisis England & Wales

  Respond: Support for children and adults with learning disabilities who have experienced abuse or trauma. www.respond.org.uk Tel: 0808 080700

  West Midlands Child and Young Person Sexual Assault Service: West Midlands Regional CYPSAS (westmidsregionalcypsas.co.uk)

  See also Gateway Page Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) & West Midlands Paediatric Sexual Assault Service

  Police tel 999 (emergency) or 101 (non-emergency).

  Sex Workers

  As well as its work on HIV/AIDS, the Terence Higgins Trust runs a support service in Coventry for male and female sex workers. Main office in Birmingham 0121 694 6440. HIV/AIDS information and help-line Terence Higgins Trust (Midlands) 10 Manor Road, Coventry CV1 2LH. Tel 024 7622 9292.

  Kairos is a support service for female sex workers: KairosWWT | Women Working Together – Women Working Together

  Kairos Women Working Together (Kairos WWT) was established in 1999 and is a specialist organisation in Coventry run by women, for women. We provide holistic, trauma informed, long term support and advocacy for women who are subject to or at risk of sexual exploitation; including women who face multiple disadvantage and have ‘complex’ unmet needs. We empower women to increase their safety, stability, self-belief, and self-reliance; improve their life chances, and build fulfilled lives, free from violence, abuse, and exploitation.

  Turnaround is the other service we work with for support for sex workers in Coventry and Birmingham: providing free, non-judgemental and confidential support

  Turnaround West Midlands Community Interest Company

  PrEP and PEP

PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a drug taken by HIV-negative people before and after sex that reduces the risk of getting HIV

PrEP is available free of charge on the NHS in England. You can get it from your local sexual health service.

Patient friendly resources:

Home page – I Want PrEP Now

Prepster

UK guide to PrEP | Guides | HIV i-Base

UK national PrEP guidelines for HCPs: BHIVA/BASHH guidelines on the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) 2018

• PEP (Post-exposure prophylaxis) is a medicine that can stop HIV. You need to start taking it within 3 days (72 hours) of being in contact with the virus for it to work properly

If you’re eligible, you can get PEP free on the NHS from your local sexual health clinic or HIV service

PEPSE is available from ED ( or A&E), Sexual Assault Referral Centres and Sexual Health clinics

HIV Services

We have specialist HIV clinics at each of our 4 Sexual Health Hub locations to support people living with HIV

If you have been recently diagnosed with HIV or you would like to transfer your care to one of our services, contact us on 0300 247 0069

HIV treatment means that most people with HIV will live a healthy life with a normal life expectancy, especially if they’re diagnosed early. After 6 months of successful treatment, a person with HIV cannot pass it on to sexual partners. This is known as ‘undetectable equals untransmittable’ or ‘U=U’.

For more information about this – click here:

Link for Health Care Professionals: BHIVA endorses ‘Undetectable equals Untransmittable’ (U=U) consensus statement

Link for patient friendly information: Can’t Pass It On | Terrence Higgins Trust (tht.org.uk)

For further support with HIV:

• TB-HIV Support – Coventry Citizens Advice offers practical advice and support on financial matters
• Terrence Higgins Trust in Coventry and Warwickshire can offer advice and support for people living with HIV

New diagnosis of HIV – referral pathway from Primary Care to HIV services