Wellsafe Clinic - for your sexual health

Are you worried about your sexual health? You should be.

Recent Health Protection Agency statistics show that HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates among under 24-year-olds have been increasing for the past 10 years and now represent 5% of all new cases.

STIs can be very dangerous. Some show no symptoms. Some can make you infertile. Some are incurable, though all can be improved with treatment, especially if they are identified and treated quickly.

You get STIs through having "unprotected sex" (sex without a condom) with someone who already has an STI. Because many STIs have no obvious symptoms, you can't tell if someone is infected.

What can I do?

Fortunately, protecting yourself from sexually transmitted diseases is easy. Here's how:

1. Get clued up.
   To protect yourself properly, you need to know what STIs are, how you catch them, and what the symptoms are. Check out the Sexual Health page in the Survival Guide, or use the links at the end of this article.
2. Have safe sex or no sex.
   Don't have sex with people you're not sure about. Don't have sex with people who refuse to use condoms. With every new partner, use condoms until you've both been checked out for STIs. More about condoms.
3. Get checked out.
   Worried you might have been exposed to an STI? Got a symptom that's causing you worry? It's time to get checked out. You can go to your own GP or to one of Oxfordshire's GUM clinics, like Wellsafe.

Wellsafe Clinic

Wellsafe is a walk-in (no appointment needed) clinic for people aged 18 and under. It runs at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford on Wednesday 3.30-6pm.

Services provided include:

• Information and advice on sexual health
• Testing for and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Advice and treatment / management of other genital problems
• Screening for infections, and support after sexual assault and rape
• HIV/AIDS advice and testing
• Emergency contraception, up to 72 hours after unprotected sex
• Free condoms

If the Wellsafe clinic isn't convenient for you, there are regular GUM clinics available in Oxford (Churchill Hospital) and Banbury (The Orchard Health centre). Phone to make an appointment, or visit the Wellsafe website to find out about drop-in times :

• Oxford GUM clinic: 01865 231231
• Banbury GUM clinic: 01295 819181

You can also get tested at THT via the fastest service.

Is it scary?

Going to a GUM clinic is like going to any other health centre or doctor's surgery. You go to reception to let them know you're there and give them any information they need. After a wait, you will be seen by a doctor or health adviser in a private room.

• You should allow roughly 90 minutes for your first visit to the clinic
• Men should not pass urine for 2 hours before attending

Find out more

There are so many sexual health websites on the internet, I can't name them all. But here are some of my favourites:

• www.gijonny.co.uk
• www.ruthinking.co.uk
• www.tht.org.uk/youknowyou

More to add to the list? Send suggestions to safersex@spired.com.