Young people advice and guidance

Contraception and sexual health services

Contraception methods protect against pregnancy. If you use contraception correctly you can have sex without worrying about getting pregnant or getting someone pregnant.

Contraception services are free and confidential, including for those who are under 16 years old.

What is the best contraception for me?

There are many different forms of contraception to choose from. You can read about each of the following methods by visiting NHS Choices or Talk Choice.

With many different forms of contraception to choose from you will find one that best suits you. If the first one you chose is not right for you there are always others to try.

Always remember that most contraceptive methods do not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). Only condoms will protect against STI’s and pregnancy, so if you use another method of contraception you should also use a condom as well to protect you and your partner from STI’s.

Where can I get contraception from?

You can get contraception and/or advice on contraception from our sexual health clinics.

More information on contraception and sexual health

FPA (formerly Family Planning Association)
Brook Advisory Centres

Frequently asked questions

Attending clinics and my privacy

Will my parent, teacher, GP, boyfriend, girlfriend be told about my visit to the clinic?

Your visit to the clinic will be kept confidential (no one will be informed), unless we are concerned someone is trying to harm you

Can I bring my friend, boyfriend/girlfriend, parent, into the clinic room when I am being seen?

We always need to see you on your own for a little while in case there is sensitive information you may not wish to share in front of your friends. Once we have had a chat for a minute or two if you really need the support of a friend that is normally ok.

Will you need to write to my home?

No, we only contact you by text or mobile phone. We will always encourage you to speak to a parent or a responsible adult in your life, as having a sexual relationship can sometime be very worrying and we would like to make sure you have all the support you need.

Preventing unwanted pregnancy and STIs

If I am under 16 years old, can I come and talk about having sex and how to avoid a pregnancy and STI?

Yes, you can walk into a clinic in Enfield every day of the week to get help and advice or you can call/text one of the SHOUT 4YP nurses

I don’t think I can get pregnant if my partner doesn’t come inside me

When the penis first becomes hard some sperm comes out with the pre-come. If there is any opportunity for a sperm to enter the vagina there is a risk of pregnancy, whether the male ejaculates (comes) or not. Vaginal secretions (love juice) have a welcoming effect on sperm and encourage those Olympic swimmers to swim inside the female reproductive system and wait for 7 days looking for an egg. Why give yourself all that worry when it would be so much easier to pop into clinic and sort out some sensible contraception to avoid an unplanned pregnancy of course the only way to avoid an STI is to use a condom.

Can I catch an STI if I don’t have penetrative sex (penis inside vagina)?

Some STIs are passed through skin touching skin. Viruses like warts and herpes (cold sore virus) can be shared by skin to skin contact. Other infections like scabies, (a tiny skin mite) can be passed through skin to skin contact.

Are there other infections apart from an STI that can cause a vaginal discharge and soreness?

Some people like to wash themselves too much. Using perfumed soaps with lots of chemicals in them and sitting in the bath as opposed to showering can wash the vaginal natural protection away. This can give a smelly (fishy) grey coloured watery discharge commonly bacterial vaginosis (BV). Shaving and waxing of the vulvae (down below) area also can make this worse. Using a simple soap and showering instead of bathing should avoid this problem.

Sexual health testing and treatment

Sexually transmitted infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are bacteria, parasites and viruses which can be passed from person to person during sexual contact. Bacteria and parasites can usually be cleared with a course of antibiotics. Viruses tend to remain in our system once we have caught them and their symptoms can be managed with medication known as antivirals. Sometimes our immune system clears viruses once we have caught them. Treatment and management of different STIs will be discussed below.

How are sexually transmitted infections passed on?

Whilst using condoms during sex and dental dams (a dental dam is a flavoured plastic film that can be placed over a vagina to act as a barrier) for oral sex can limit the spread of most STIs.

View YouTube - How do dental dams work?

STIs like genital herpes (HSV) and genital warts (HPV) can still be transmitted whilst using a condom as these are transmitted by skin to skin contact and condoms do not eliminate all skin to skin contact during sexual intercourse. That is why it is a good idea to spend time getting to know people before beginning a sexual relationship with them and understanding their sexual history.

For more information, visit NHS - Sexual health.

How to use a condom correctly

It is important when using condoms to use them correctly.

You can view how to use condoms correctly on YouTube.

Ways a sexually transmitted infection can be spread

Unprotected sex (vaginal and anal)
Sexual touching (touching someone’s genital region then touching your own)
Oral sex
Sharing sex toys
Skin to skin contact for genital herpes, genital warts, pubic lice and sometimes syphilis
Mum to baby during birth if mum has an infection during delivery
Sharing needles

Sexual health testing

A lot of STIs do not show symptoms so it is recommended people test even if they are showing no symptoms, if they are sexually active. Testing is recommended 2 times a year or 6 weeks after every new partner. It is good practice to begin a relationship by getting tested with new partners before sleeping with one another. Most STIs will not show up in a sexual health screen if there has not been at least 6 weeks since the sex you are testing for. For example, is someone has unprotected sex with someone at a house party on a Friday night, if they run to the clinic on a Monday to get a test it is unlikely that if anything was caught on that night it would show up in a sexual health screen.

A standard sexual health test screens for; chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis, this means not all STIs are tested for as a standard.

Where can I get treatment or advice?

You can get advice from one of our 4YP nurses by calling or texting 07773736500.

You can visit one of our sexual health clinics.

If you are over 16, you can order a testing kit online at Sexual Health London.

Useful links

Teenage pregnancy

Finding out you are pregnant as a teenager can be very overwhelming and scary especially if it was unplanned, but there are options and a lot of help and support available.

How will I know if I am pregnant?

If you have unprotected sex (without contraception) you can become pregnant - even if it is the first time. If you’ve had unprotected sex in the last 5 days and are worried you could be pregnant you may be able to take emergency contraception. The sooner you take it the more effective it will be.

Pregnancy symptoms vary from woman to woman and some may not notice them or feel any different. The most common early signs and symptoms of pregnancy include a missed period and morning sickness. Other early symptoms include:

tiredness
sore breasts
frequent need to wee
nausea
headaches
mood swings
food cravings or aversions
heightened sense of smell
cramps
strange taste in your mouth (many women describe it as metallic)
spotting or light bleeding

Although there are many signs and symptoms of pregnancy, to be sure you need to take a pregnancy test.

Pregnancy test showing result

When is the best time to take a pregnancy test?

The most accurate way to test for pregnancy is to wait until after your period is due (so if your period was due Friday 7th you could take the test from Saturday 8th). If you do not know when your next period is due, take the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.

For free pregnancy testing and advice, you can visit one of the 4YP clinics, or call or text one of the SHOUT 4YP nurses.

I’m pregnant - what next?

Now that you are sure you are pregnant it’s important to think about your options carefully before making any decisions. It’s understandable that you will have mixed emotions, but don’t ignore the situation, talk to someone you trust or get confidential advice from one of the SHOUT 4YP nurses.

If you decide to continue with the pregnancy, you will need to begin your antenatal care as soon as possible. You can do this by contacting one of the SHOUT 4YP nurses, your GP or making a self-referral. For advice and tips on how to have a healthy pregnancy visit Start4Life.

NUPAS and BPAS

National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service (NUPAS) and British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and free services available to provide advice and support.

For free pregnancy advice, counselling and abortion services including pregnancy testing, STI screening and contraception across London including those living in Enfield, please visit NUPAS

If you decide that you do not want to continue with the pregnancy, you may choose to terminate (have an abortion). For support and advice, you can speak to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS). If you live in Enfield, you can contact the 24-hour booking line on 03457 30 40 30 for a consultation. This is a free service available to all women living in Enfield.

Remember, you are not alone and you have choices. Speak to someone as soon as possible and get access to support available to you.

Common STIs

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a very common bacterial STI. Bacterial means that a course of antibiotics can clear it up. Often chlamydia is asymptomatic (this means you will feel no symptoms). For that reason, a lot of people do not know that they have it. This is why testing is so important. When people have symptoms, they may notice unusual discharge (discharge is fluid leaking from the vagina or penis). They may also feel pain when peeing and pain in their reproductive organs.

If chlamydia is left untreated people can develop bad pain in their reproductive organs, this is due to the swelling and inflammation. Chlamydia can lead to infertility (infertility is when people cannot have a baby naturally) in men and women.

For more information, visit NHS - chlamydia.

Genital warts and human papilloma viruses

Genital warts are caused by human papilloma viruses (HPV). HPV has over 100 different types (strains). Only 2 of those strains cause genital warts, these are known as low risk strains. Genital warts are harmless fleshy growths that grow on the genital and anal area. When they are not treated at a sexual health clinic they can grow and spread so it is advised to have them treated as soon as possible. Genital wart treatment can be a cream or cryotherapy (freezing the warts off).

Four in five people (80%) who are sexually active will become infected with at least one strain of HPV in their lifetime. 90% of HPV infections will be cleared by the body’s immune system within two years.

In rare cases HPV infections will not clear and an oncogenic (cancer causing) strain can cause abnormal cell growth which can develop in to cancer, these are known as high risk strains. Cancers which can be caused by HPV are: cervical, head and neck, rectal, penile, vaginal and vulval.

To prevent the spread of HPV, vaccinations are now available to young people from the ages of 12 and are routinely offered in schools, women will be invited for a routine cervical smear from the age of 25 this is to check if there is any HPV related cell abnormalities in the cervix which could develop into cancer.

Read more about HPV vaccinations and genital warts.

Genital herpes

Genital herpes is a part of the herpes zoster family of viruses (this is a group of mostly harmless but painful viruses). This causes chickenpox, shingles, cold sores and genital herpes. There are two types of herpes strains which can be caught genitally (and sometimes orally). These are herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) the genital herpes strain and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) the oral herpes strain, sometimes but less frequently HSV-2 is caught orally.

Clinics will only test for genital herpes if open sores are present, most people with genital herpes show no symptoms.

Once herpes has been caught it will remain in your body for life. And may become active due to stress or having low immunity. Having low immunity is when someone is run down, this can cause herpes outbreaks. When a person has a herpes outbreaks which can be painful, this can be managed with anaesthetic creams and antiviral medication.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhoea is a bacterial STI which can show no symptoms, but when it does have symptoms people may notice unusual green/yellow discharge, pain when peeing. Women may have bleeding in between periods. Left untreated gonorrhoea can cause bad pain and infertility for men and women.

Syphilis

Syphilis is a bacterial infection that causes a painless but highly infectious sore on your genitals or sometimes around the mouth. The sore lasts two to six weeks before disappearing.

Secondary symptoms, such as a skin rash and sore throat, then develop. These may disappear within a few weeks, after which you have a symptom-free phase.

If diagnosed early, syphilis can be easily treated with antibiotics, usually penicillin injections. if it is left untreated, syphilis can go on to cause serious conditions such as stroke, brain damage, paralysis, blindness or death.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

HIV is a virus most commonly caught by having unprotected sex or by sharing needles to inject drugs.

HIV can develop into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated, this is the final stage of the HIV infection. This means your body can no longer fight infections.

There’s no cure for HIV. However, when caught early through regular testing and treated with antiviral medication, people can live healthy lives.

Taking medication correctly reduces the virus in the body so much, it is as if people do not have it anymore, this is known as becoming undetectable and this means you are no longer infectious.

With modern day advances in technology people with HIV marry and have children with people who do not have HIV and do not pass the virus on to their partner or children. HIV transmission can be prevented with regular testing, medication and correct usage of condoms.

If you think you may have been exposed to the HIV virus you can take PEP (post- exposure prophylaxis) within 72 hours of the suspected exposure, to prevent catching it. If this is the case, go to your local accident and emergency department or your local sexual health clinic as soon as possible to find out if you are eligible.

For people who frequently engage in risky sexual activity a medication known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is available. PrEP, if taken as directed, can prevent a person who has had unprotected sex with someone who has HIV and is infectious catching the virus. If you feel your lifestyle requires the use of PrEP get in touch with your local sexual health clinic to find out if you are eligible. PrEP is available in Enfield sexual health clinics.

Read more about HIV and AIDS and coping with a positive HIV test.

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is a condition caused by a parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis.

Women may have soreness and itching around the vagina and a change in vaginal discharge. Men may experience pain after urination and ejaculation.

Most men and women are treated with an antibiotic called metronidazole, which is very effective.

Pubic lice

Pubic lice (‘crabs’) are tiny insects that live in human body hair, most commonly pubic hair. They cause itching and red spots.

They can usually be successfully treated with cream, lotion or shampoo available over the counter in most pharmacies, or from a GP or sexual health clinic.

Scabies

Scabies is an infectious skin condition in which the main symptom is itching. It’s caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin.

Scabies isn’t only spread through sexual contact, but also through skin-to-skin contact for long periods of time with someone who is infected.

It’s treated with cream containing insecticides, which kills the scabies mite.

Things to remember

STIs are very common. It is possible for you and people around you who are sexually active to catch one. It is important to practice safe sex and test regularly, but it can happen to anyone and does not make you dirty. However, to prevent the spread of STIs people need to aware of the risks, practice safe sex and regular testing.

And in case anyone was wondering you cannot catch an STI from sitting on a toilet seat!