(Under 16's) will be prioritised, please telephone 01744 646473.
We want to make sure you are being safe and looking after yourself, so even if you are under 16, you can still attend any of our services. The law says that you should be 16 or over to have sex, but that doesn't mean you can't come to our clinics confidentially. We won't tell anyone what you have told us, unless we are worried that you or someone else is at risk of being harmed. We have a dedicated service for young people. Please visit the
TAZ section of this website for more information.
Some emergency contraception can be obtained up to five days after unprotected sex, however the sooner you access it the better. Ideally you should be accessing EHC within 72 hours of unprotected sex
You can access EHC (emergency contraception) from some pharmacies. In order to keep you and the pharmacy team safe you should call in advance to ensure they provide FREE emergency contraception. You may be asked to attend a telephone or video consultation from a member of the pharmacy team to ensure that this is the most suitable method for you. If you are self-isolating, a representative can collect any medication being supplied or if available a delivery service can be used."
Alternatively you can contact our service and book in for a telephone triage 01744 646473. Your call will be prioritised.
You can also contact St Helens Walk-In centre
Please telephone 01744 646473 to make an appointment for a telephone triage within 72 hours of having unprotected sex.
If you have received a cervical cytology reminder, please contact your registered GP. Due to the current Covid-19 outbreak in the UK we are not currently providing routine smear tests.
If you have symptoms of an STI please contact 01744 646473, you will be booked in for a telephone triage and a nurse will call you back within 48 hours.
If you have been told you are a contact of someone who has been diagnosed with an STI, you should contact the clinic on 01744 646473. Please do not order a home testing kit as you may need treatment from the clinic.
If you
do not have any symptoms of an STI, you are not a contact of someone within an STI, you are aged 16 or over and live in St Helens, you can order a home testing kit from
STI Home Testing section. Please note this service is only for people with
NO symptoms of an STI and do not need any other service we provide.
Symptoms include anything that you feel is unusual for you. This could be penile discharge, unusual vaginal discharge, abnormal pain or bleeding, any lumps, bumps, blisters or rashes. Anything that you would like examining or looking at counts as a symptom. If you have any symptoms it is important to contact the clinic. You should
not order a postal kit if you have symptoms.
After unprotected sexual contact you can have a test to check for any sexually transmitted infections or STIs. In order to make sure the test is accurate, you may be asked to repeat the test after a certain amount of time after the sexual contact. This time is also known as a "window period". The window periods are different for different infections:
- Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea – two weeks after sexual contact.
- HIV – one month after sexual contact.
- Syphilis and Hepatitis – three months after sexual contact.
If you develop symptoms within window period please contact clinic.
Most of the time you will only be required to provide urine sample or take your own swab. You may be offered a blood test, which takes a small amount of blood from a vein in the arm or a finger prick.
Sometimes other tests may be required which may cause mild discomfort, but shouldn't be painful. Some people may need a genital examination, which is performed by professional clinicians who will make the procedure as comfortable as possible.
If you attended St Helens sexual Health clinic, then you will receive a text or phone call within two weeks of attendance. Please do not call the service before this time. (Due to the current pandemic, waiting times may be slightly longer.)
If you have completed a
home testing kit, you will receive your results online, and will be notified via the method you chose when registering.
If you think you may be pregnant you can contact your GP to arrange a pregnancy test or alternatively you can contact 01744 646473 to arrange a telephone triage to discuss it with a staff member, who may suggest you take a pregnancy test. These can be posted out to you. If the test is negative, we will talk to you about contraception to make sure you're covered in the future. If it is positive, we will discuss your options to find out what's best for you.
If you have an unplanned pregnancy and are worried and wish to speak with someone we can book a telephone consultation with a nurse 01744 646473 who will speak with you confidentially and discuss your options.
For a termination to be carried out on the NHS, you would need to either:
There is evidence that some coils and implants last longer than we used to think. National guidelines support the use of coils and the implant for longer. Please visit our
Contraception page to find out more.
If you experience changes that concern you, for example changes in your bleeding pattern or new pain, you can phone us for a telephone consultation on 01744 646473.
The service is currently not providing depo injections. We have however introduced the new Sayana Press. This works the same as the Depo Provera injection, with the exception that you do it yourself. A nurse will show you how to use it correctly and then you will be given a 12 month supply to take home. To find out more information please visit our contraception page or telephone 01744 646473.
For oral contraception supply, please telephone 01744 646473 for a telephone consultation.
If you are part of the PrEP IMPACT trial, you will continue to attend your booked appointments; these will mainly be over the phone, unless previously agreed by your nurse. (Please contact the service to re-arrange if you have had contact with a person who is self-isolating or you have been told to self-isolate.)
Public Health England has now agreed to fund PrEP on the NHS. Once this is available in our clinic, we will update the service information. Please follow our social media for updates on the service.
We offer a psychosexual therapy service for patients presenting with sexual difficulties, please contact your GP for a referral.
Some people feel embarrassed talking about sex, that's normal. But you don't need to be embarrassed talking with us. All of our staff deal with sexual health issues every day and specialise in this area. Our staff will always be non-judgemental and respect your privacy and dignity.
No matter how far you've gone, you always have the right to say no. Even if you were the one who asked or initiated sex. You always have a choice. There are lots of ways to get out of having sex but it's normally best to just be honest and say you're not ready or you don't feel like it tonight. Your partner should respect your decision. If you're under 19, our TAZ outreach workers can help. Visit the
TAZ section on this website to find out how.
All information is completely confidential. Your information is stored under a randomised clinic number and tests are performed using this number rather than your name. We would not routinely share information with other clinics/hospitals unless you specifically request it.
