NHS Sexual Health Services in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

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NHS Sexual Health Services in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

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STI Prevention, PrEP and PEPSE

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STI Prevention

The following measures can help prevent STI transmission during vaginal and/or anal sex.

  • Testing regularly for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
  • Wearing condoms when having sex, as they are one of the best ways to prevent most STIs
  • Using PrEP, a medicine to prevent HIV
  • Taking PEPSE for HIV after sexual exposure to HIV
  • Becoming undetectable through treatment, if you have HIV
  • Taking DoxyPEP after sex to prevent syphilis and chlamydia (if eligible)
  • Having vaccinations against some infections (if eligible)

Condoms

Condoms help to protect against many STIs, by forming a barrier between partners.

Things you can do to make condoms as effective as possible include:

  • Using them correctly (see demonstration videos on our C-Card page)
  • Using water-based or silicone-based lube with condoms
  • Using a new condom on each body opening
  • If having group sex, putting a new condom on between each partner

Free external condoms (for penises) and internal condoms (for vaginas) are both available from our services. You can also get free condoms with a C-Card.

PrEP

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a tablet taken by HIV-negative people before and after sex that reduces the risk of getting HIV. PrEP is free on the NHS in England from sexual health services.

You may benefit from taking PrEP if you think you’re sexually active and feel you may be at risk of HIV.

For an appointment to discuss accessing PrEP, please call us on 0808 178 0955 (or 0300 404 2996 in Shropshire).

More information on PrEP: Websites such as Prepster and I Want PrEP Now offer more information, advice and resources on PrEP.

PEP/PEPSE for HIV

What is PEP/PEPSE?

PEP stands for post-exposure prophylaxis, and is a combination of HIV drugs that can stop the HIV virus taking hold. It can be used after the event if you’ve been at risk of HIV transmission. As a sexual health service, we only provide post-exposure prophylaxis following sexual exposure, also known as PEPSE.

To work, PEPSE must be taken within 72 hours (three days) of the possible HIV exposure, and ideally should be taken within 24 hours.

PEPSE is an emergency measure to be used as a last resort. It is not guaranteed to work and taking PEPSE for HIV will not protect you from other sexually transmitted infections.

 

Where can I get PEPSE?

PEPSE is free from sexual health clinics, as well as at the Emergency Department in hospitals.

The clinician you see may ask you questions about the type of sex you had, sexual partners and, if your partner is HIV positive, their viral load, to determine the need for PEP.

(If you are looking for PEP following a needlestick injury, or because of an incident not involving sex, go to your local hospital Emergency Department).

HIV Treatment and Becoming Undetectable (U=U)

HIV is a manageable condition and someone with HIV on active treatment can live a long and healthy life. In fact, treatment is so good now, that someone who is taking HIV treatment reliably can have such low levels of the virus in their body that they can’t pass it on. This is known as being “undetectable”. A term you may have heard is U=U, which stands for “Undetectable = Untransmittable,” meaning that people living with HIV who have an undetectable viral load through consistent treatment cannot sexually transmit the virus to others. If you are HIV positive, your treatment and care team can advise on your viral load and provide more information. All HIV treatment is free in the UK.

DoxyPEP

DoxyPEP is an antibiotic pill taken up to 72 hours after sex that can help prevent STIs like syphilis and chlamydia. Read more about doxyPEP on Terrence Higgins Trust’s website.

We can offer doxyPEP in our services for those at increased risk of syphilis; this includes cisgender gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men or transgender women who have multiple sexual partners, attend sex on premises venues, or engage in group sex.

Patient Information Leaflet about DoxyPEP from BASHH (British Association for Sexual Health and HIV).

Vaccinations

We offer vaccinations to protect against some infections, to people who are eligible. These include:

  • Hepatitis A (for gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, trans women and anyone living with HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis)
  • Hepatitis B (for gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, trans women, anyone living with HIV or Hepatitis C, people whose partner has Hepatitis B and sex workers/those who have sex with sex workers)
  • HPV (for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) who are up to and including 45 years of age, anyone up to the age of 25 who has not received the vaccine, and anyone at higher risk of acquiring HPV through sexual contact)
  • MenB and Mpox (for gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men who have multiple sexual partners, attend sex on premises venues, or engage in group sex)

To talk about being booked in for one of the above vaccines, please call us on 0808 178 0955 (or 0300 404 2996 in Shropshire).