Your sexual health appointment

If you have been given a referral letter or slip, please hand this to reception when you arrive.

You'll be asked to complete an appointment registration form and will be asked to answer a few written questions about why you are here so we can arrange for you to be seen by the person most suited to your needs.

Please complete this form carefully to avoid delaying your time in the clinic, and give us as much information as possible.

If you would prefer to see a male or female practitioner please let the receptionist know so we can try and arrange this for you.

Your consultation

A doctor or nurse will talk to you in private about the reasons for attending the clinic and any symptoms or concerns you may have. You will be asked specific questions about your sexual health and some about your general health as well.

All the information you give us will stay confidential unless you give us your permission to let someone else know, or we believe you may be at risk of serious harm. We would always discuss our concerns with you first.

You will be offered a genital examination and tests depending on your symptoms or concerns. The practitioner will discuss with you whether you would like to have a chaperone present during this examination.

A chaperone is usually present during female examinations and can be present during male examinations, for support, if you would like one.

What happens in your examination?

If you have male genitals, the practitioner will examine your genitals, ask you for a sample of urine and offer you a blood test.

You may have a swab taken from the urethra (just inside the penis) if you have any symptoms of discharge or pain when you pass urine. It is very important you do not pass urine for at least one hour before giving a sample.

If you have female genitals, the practitioner will examine your genital area and take swabs from inside the vagina and cervix (like a smear test) and offer you a blood test.

Further tests from your urine, water passage, throat and rectum may be taken if needed. This will be discussed with you first. Please do not pass urine until you have been seen by a doctor/nurse.

Everyone is offered a blood test for syphilis and HIV as part of a sexual health check. Please read the sheet on having an HIV test and discuss with the doctor/nurse if you still have any concerns about having this test.

Testing

Any tests for sexual infection will be discussed with you first, and only taken with your consent. All patients will be offered the following tests:

  • gonorrhoea
  • chlamydia
  • HIV
  • syphilis

If you have any symptoms of discharge from the vagina or penis you may also be offered the following tests:

  • male genitals: urethral swab (sample from just inside the penis) to look for signs of infection
  • female genitals: vaginal samples to look under the microscope for trichomonas vaginalis (TV)

You might also be offered additional testing if necessary, and the doctor/nurse will explain what these are and why you might need them including:

  • urine testing for a urine infection or possible pregnancy
  • a herpes test (a swab if you have an ulcer, cut or blister on your skin)
  • a blood test for hepatitis B or C infection.

Results

If you came to your appointment with symptoms you may be given some preliminary results while in the clinic. Your tests will be sent to the main hospital laboratory and further results will be ready within two weeks. 

If you came to an appointment just for a check up, your tests will be sent to the main hospital laboratory immediately and the final results will be ready within two weeks.

If your results are all clear you will receive a text from NHS-NoReply within two weeks of your appointment saying ‘This is The Clinic to inform you that all your results were reported NEGATIVE’.

If your tests show that you have an infection (a positive result) we will contact you on your preferred telephone number within two weeks and ask you to come in for treatment.

Treatment and further information

If you have an infection this will be explained to you and you will be given some treatment. All treatments will be given to you in the clinic and are free.

You will be given written information on any infection you may have to take away with you.

Free leaflets on all sexual infections are available in the waiting area, consultation and examination rooms. Please help yourself to them as you may find them useful. 

If you cannot see the one you want please ask a member of our team.