Sexual Health

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust Sexual Health Service is based at the Downe Hospital, Downpatrick, with additional clinics in Bangor and Lisburn. You do not have to be referred by a doctor. We provide free sexual health care and advice for all age groups, including testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and genital conditions. Urgent and non urgent appointments are available, and the service is strictly confidential.

There are many types of contraception available and none are perfect. The Contraception Choices website provides honest information to help weigh up the pros and cons.

The Northern Trust’s Contraceptive and Sexual Health Service is free and open to everyone. We offer a confidential service which includes access to information and advice, testing, treatment and contraception to people of all ages.

PrEP stands for pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis. It’s a way of preventing HIV infection by taking a pill on an ongoing basis before sex and continued after sex. It’s taken by someone who doesn’t have HIV, to prevent them from getting HIV. The PrEP pill is an antiretroviral drug – the same type of pill taken by someone who already has HIV to treat HIV.

Cara-Friend has been serving the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Ireland for over 40 years. We provide regional LGBTQ+ youth groups across Northern Ireland, one-to-one support for individuals, LGBTQ+ awareness training for professionals and volunteers working in a variety of different areas, community development, the LGBT Switchboard, and the LGBTQ+ Inclusive Schools Programme. We also have a range of resources on this website to help young people, and those supporting young people who are LGBTQ+.

We are able to offer a safe, knowledgeable and accepting environment for young people to talk and to access sexual health services. All our clinics are for 19 and under, however, our STI clinics are open to everyone up to 24 years old.

This website, aimed at young people and adults, offers information and advice on how to look after your sexual health. It also highlights the services available where you can get more help and advice.

Looking after your sexual health Sexual health is an important part of physical and mental health as well as your emotional and social wellbeing. It's important to take care of your sexual health and to talk about sex and relationships with your loved ones.

Advisers can provide emotional support if you are worried about your sexual health or have concerns about living with HIV. Help to access services local to you across the UK, whether provided by THT or by someone else.