The Doctors and nurses who work in our Sexual Health clinics are used to helping people with all kinds of sexual health concerns and symptoms.
this is a confidential service, if you want a chaperone or translator please ask.
What to expect
you will be asked to provide details that will help us give you the correct treatment and advice. we will need contact details so that if we need to follow up your teatment we can do so. we will not contact your GP if yu don't want us to.
we need your consent to perform treatments and examinations, this can be verbal or may need to be written. please ask as many questions as needed if you don't understand or if you want more details.
Discussions around swabs (if necessary), treatment plans, medication (if necessary) and follow up (if necessary) will happen with you. When you leave the room you should know what you need to do, for how long for and when. Check you know this:
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You will be advised if it is OK to have any or protected sex during any treatment or not.
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You will be advised how to access any test results.
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You will be advised how to take any medication
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You will be advised if or when to return
Procedures
As a man attending for a STI screening please do not pass urine for 1.5 hours before coming to the clinic, it may affect your results. If a penis swab is required, this is a tiny cotton bud. This may be uncomfortable but it will be over in seconds.
As a woman most STI screening or contraceptive procedures such as coil insertion, will involve a speculum (smooth, rounded plastic device) being inserted into the vagina first, this holds the walls of the vagina out the way so that the professional can view the area for swabs or procedures. This may be uncomfortable but it will be of the shortest duration.
Swabs can also be taken from the rectum, and throat if required.
As a gay or bisexual man a full STI screen includes a Proctoscopy ( a plastic tube that is inserted into the anal canal to look for abnormalities such as internal genital warts, tears, sores, bleeding, discharge, polyps, and changes in the anal lining).
at the clinic the following may recorded, bllod pressure, height and weight or a blood sample be taken for investigation
