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Sexual health and safety where you live, region by region

Where to get tested, where to get help and where to report a scam, wherever in the UK you're meeting people.

By the Local Slags editorial teamUpdated · 4 min read

In short

The Local Slags regional guides list the free sexual health services, home testing kits, sexual assault referral centres and scam reporting routes for each part of the UK: nine English regions, plus Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland does some things differently, including fraud reporting, so pick the guide for where you live or where you're meeting.

Key facts
Emergency999 (press 55 if you can't speak)
Report fraud (England, Wales, NI)Report Fraud, 0300 123 2040
Report fraud (Scotland)Police Scotland, 101
STI testingFree across the UK; no GP referral needed

Pick the guide for where you live, or where you're meeting someone: each one tells you where to get tested for free, where to go if something goes wrong and how to report a scam locally. Each of England's nine regions has its own guide, with London on its own. Scotland also explains where its law and fraud reporting differ, and Wales covers its free Test and Post home kits.

What every region guide covers

Every guide answers the same four questions for its own area, using the local services' own websites as sources:

  1. Where can I get tested for free? The main clinics, how to book, and whether walk-ins are possible.
  2. Can I get a kit by post? Who runs home testing locally and who qualifies.
  3. Where do I go after a sexual assault? The local sexual assault referral centre (SARC), its phone line and whether you can self-refer.
  4. Who do I report a scam or threat to? The local police force, Report Fraud or Police Scotland, and the members help centre.

A SARC is a specialist centre offering medical care, emergency contraception and forensic examinations after rape or sexual assault, free and confidentially, whether or not you report to the police.

How the four nations differ

The basics are the same everywhere: testing is free, confidential and doesn't need a GP referral. The routes differ.

Item England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland
Home STI kits Run by your local council's service; rules vary National Test and Post service Rolling out through NHS inform, not yet everywhere SH:24, for people without symptoms
24-hour help after assault Local SARC; Rape Crisis line 0808 500 2222 Live Fear Free 0808 80 10 800; Rape Crisis line Self-referral line 0800 148 88 88 The Rowan, 0800 389 4424
Report fraud Report Fraud, 0300 123 2040 Report Fraud Police Scotland, 101 Report Fraud

Home kits are for people without symptoms; if something hurts, itches or looks different, go to a clinic. The sexual health hub explains PEP, PrEP and emergency contraception, and the free STI testing guide walks through a first test.

England

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland

Before you meet anyone, anywhere

Wherever you are, the same few habits do most of the work: meet somewhere public first, tell a friend, sort your own way home, and never send money to someone you haven't met. The meeting safely checklist and the safety and consent page cover the rest.

Questions people ask

Do I have to use the clinic in my own area?

Not usually for a clinic visit: NHS sexual health clinics generally see people regardless of where they live, and some say so outright. Free home testing kits are different, because they're paid for by your local council or health board, so they normally go only to residents. Each region guide says who qualifies.

Which guide should I use if I live in one region and date in another?

Use your home region for routine testing and home kits, since eligibility depends on where you live. Read the guide for where you're meeting for the local sexual assault referral centre, police force and any night-time safety schemes, so you know who to call if something goes wrong there.

Why does Scotland have a separate fraud reporting route?

Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025, covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, fraud is reported to Police Scotland on 101. The Scotland guide explains this and the other places Scottish law and services differ.

How up to date are these pages?

Each region page says when its clinics, phone numbers and opening times were last checked, and links to the official source for each one. Services and hours change, so check the clinic's own page before you travel.

Sources

Checked 18 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.