Sexual Health

If you are sexually active there is a risk of picking up a sexually transmitted infection (STI), regardless of your age or sexuality. Sexually transmitted infections are passed from one person to another through unprotected sex or genital contact. It is recommended that you regularly get tested, as part of practicing good sexual health.

Many people with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) do not get symptoms, so it's worth getting tested even if you feel fine. If you think you have an STI, the earlier you're tested, the sooner treatment can be given if it's needed.

You cannot tell by looking at someone (including yourself) whether they have an infection, so it's important to get a check-up if you have had unprotected sex or think you might be at risk.

Some infections have no symptoms but can cause serious health problems if left untreated, which makes it even more important that you regularly have a sexual health check up to test for STIs.

A check-up will involve a discussion about your sexual history and any risks that you may have had. Depending on your individual circumstances you may need:

• to provide a urine sample

• to take a swab yourself

• a blood test

If you have been experiencing symptoms, you will usually need to be examined and further tests may be required.

We have weekly clinics at City campus delivered by Embrace on Mondays 10.30-4pm in MD071 and Terrence Higgins Trust run drop in’s on the 2^nd Wednesday of every month, 10.30-2pm in City SU. At Walsall campus WiSH provide bi-weekly clinics.

If you can’t attend these clinics click here to find your local sexual health service.

Embrace provide chlamydia home testing kits for people living in Wolverhampton and aged between 15-24. Click here to order yours.

WiSH provide STI and HIV postal testing kits which are available to you if you are aged over 16, you have a UK mobile phone number and postcode and you don’t have symptoms of a STI. Click here for more information.

Click here for HIV postal kit.

Always use condoms to help protect yourself from catching or passing on an STI. The NHS recommends you buy condoms that have the CE mark or BSI kite mark on the packet. This means they have been tested to high safety standards. Condoms that do not have the CE mark or BSI kite mark will not meet these standards, so do not use them. Terrence Higgins Trust are at City campus each month and you can pick up FREE condoms from them!

For more information on sexual health click here for the NHS website.