Sexual Health

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

If you are sexually active, you may be at risk of catching an STI (also known as a STD – sexually transmitted diseases). Practising safer sex and always using a condom reduces the risk of infection and pregnancy.

If you think you may have an STI we would advise you to get tested.

Where to get a test

The sexual health clinics in the area are:

• Falcon Road clinic (Wandsworth)
• Off the Record (Twickenham)
• Patrick Doody clinic (Merton)

All clinics in the area offer:

• Free and confidential contraception
• STI testing
• Treatment
• Advice

Walk-in sessions

Falcon Road clinic has a walk in and wait service. We strongly advise to arrive at the clinic before 11am.

• Opening days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
• Opening times: Doors open at 8am

Be aware that clinic may close early depending on daily demand and capacity.

Young persons (18 years or under) walk-in clinic:

• Falcon Road, Wednesday from 3 to 6pm
• Off the Record at Twickenham, Monday from 3 to 6pm

You must arrive before 5.30pm to allow time for an assessment by a clinician.

General appointments

General appointments are available to book at:

• Falcon Road on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 2pm to 6pm, and on Wednesday from 8am to 6pm.
• Patrick Doody on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
• Off the Record between Tuesday and Saturday

Check which clinic you should use

To check which clinic you should use, call the booking and advice line on 0333 300 2100. 

Lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. A recorded message gives information outside of these hours.

Same-day appointments are sometimes available.

You can book an appointment yourself or attend in an emergency. You do not need your GP to refer you for care, nor do you need to live locally.

Find other clinics and services near you

You can also find other clinics and services near you on the NHS Choices website.

Sexual Health Clinic for d/Deaf people*

Falcon Road has a sexual health clinic specifically for the d/Deaf community.

The clinic is run one Friday each month (subject to change) by Dr Rose Balázs, a GP registrar in Southwest London who uses British Sign Language (BSL).

There will be BSL interpreters present throughout the day to make the clinic fully accessible.

Book a sexual health appointment as a d/Deaf patient.

*You do not have to be a BSL user to use this service.

STI Testing at Home

Sexual Health London (SHL) online testing programme offers free and easy access to STI testing kits (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis, Hepatitis B and C) for Londoners aged 16 and over who have mild or no STI symptoms. Kits can be sent directly to the individual’s home address or alternatively can be picked up from a local sexual health clinic.

Freetesting (SH:24)  is the national HIV testing service providing free online HIV tests for sexually active individuals aged 16 and over. You can choose for the kit to be delivered in discreet packaging to any address, and there is an option to also test for syphilis.

Young People

Getting it On offers information for young people aged 13 to 19 about mental health, sexual health, drugs and alcohol, and healthy relationships in South West London. 

Young people under the age of 25 can get free condoms from the Come Correct scheme available across several boroughs in London.

Get It is a free and confidential online service for young people aged 25 and under living in Richmond and Wandsworth, to order free condoms, lube and chlamydia tests.

GPs in Richmond and Wandsworth may also offer you a chlamydia and gonorrhoea screen if you are sexually active and under the age of 25. Please ask your GP for more information.

List of pharmacies and Clinics in Wandsworth that offer services for young people:

• FREE Condoms
• FREE Chlamydia Screening Services
• FREE Chlamydia Treatment
• FREE HIV Service for Young People
• FREE Contraception

For young people with SEND

Practitioners who have experience of teaching Relationships and sex education to young people with learning disabilities realise that on-going support over time and life stages is needed.  What is most important is that information on topics is given in honest and clear ways from everyone involved with the young person. 

Relationships and sex education support covers a wide area - emotions, puberty, identity, gender, trust, and respect for example.  As parents/carers you are probably already modelling behaviours and talking about most of the issues with your child/young person but good quality information in a way they can understand, is vital.

Young people with learning disabilities have the same influences around them as any other; what they see on TV, internet, social media, and their peers. We need to be aware of how a young person with a learning disability might absorb poor information and ensure that this is balanced by clear information and support from school and parents.

Parents and carers of any teenager can find it embarrassing to talk about relationships and sex (and so can young people!) However, good clear information and support from those they can trust, can help them develop and understand safe healthy adult relationships.  It promotes young people’s social skills, leading to greater independence and it can increase young people’s self-confidence as they move into adulthood.

Top tips

Parents also have many practical concerns for their children about appropriate sexual behaviour in public.

Never say ’no’ or ‘don’t do that’ instead say ‘not here’ give the message that there is an appropriate place which is the young person’s bedroom

Organisations and resources that might be helpful are attached to this section. Please let us know if you come across any good information or links that we could share here.

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Resources

MENCAP - Relationships and Sexuality

Sex Education - a guide for parents (National Autistic Society)

Our Bodies, Public and Private - Illustrated Resources

Contraception

Your GP surgery can provide you with free contraceptives (as a free prescription), and some surgeries offer long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) such as coil (IUD/IUS), injection and implant. They can also remove and/or replace these if you wish to change your type of contraception. 

If you are registered with a Richmond or Wandsworth GP and aged between 15 to 54, you can access all these types of contraception, including coils, through your local community care practitioners.

The Sexual Health South West London website has a full list of clinics across Wandsworth and the South-West of London that can provide a full range of contraception, including LARC, routine, and emergency contraception.

The FPA website can help you decide which method of contraception is best for you. It provides information on the different types and methods of contraception.

Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception can be used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or if the contraception you have used has failed (e.g., a missed pill or a split condom).

There are two types of emergency contraception:

• The emergency contraceptive pill – (the 'morning after' pill)
• The intrauterine device (IUD or coil)

You need to take the emergency contraceptive pill within either three, or five days, after unprotected sex for it to be effective – the sooner you take it, the more effective it will be.

The coil can be fitted up to five days after unprotected sex, or up to five days after the earliest time you could have ovulated, for it to be effective.

Free emergency contraception is available at your local ISH service, pharmacies & GP surgeries across the borough for females ages 13 – 54 years old.

Your Local Pharmacy

Pharmacies in the borough provide Free Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC or the morning after pill) which prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex to females aged 13 - 54 years old. These pills are effective for up to 72 & 120 hours after unprotected sex.

There is no requirement for Wandsworth residents to be registered with a Wandsworth General Practitioner (GP). Anyone who falls outside the eligibility criteria should be referred for further assessment and treatment to either:

• The nearest ISH service
• The Single Point of Access Number: 0333 300 2100

Pharmacies that provide Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC / morning after pill)

You can also use the NHS search to find your nearest pharmacy.

If you are under the age of 25, you can also access free condoms and chlamydia tests at your local pharmacy.

Sexual Health Service Directory

Sexual Health Service Directory available here. This directory has a list of all sexual health services provided by the council in the borough, with a description of the services and who they are tailored for.