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Sexual health services for casual daters, region by region

Free clinics, free kits in the post in many areas, and the time-critical stuff you should know before you need it.

By the Local Slags editorial teamUpdated · 4 min read

In short

NHS sexual health clinics in England, Scotland and Wales, and HSC clinics in Northern Ireland, test and treat STIs free and in confidence, without a GP referral. Free home testing kits are available in many areas: in England through your council's service, in Wales nationally, in Scotland in some health boards, and in Northern Ireland through SH:24.

Key facts
CostFree
GP referralNot needed
National Sexual Health Helpline (England)0300 123 7123
HIV PEPAs soon as possible; within 72 hours
Last checked18 October 2026

If you're seeing new people, regular testing is just part of the routine, like checking your tyres. The good news: across the UK it's free, it's confidential and you don't need your GP's permission. This page covers what's on offer everywhere; the region pages below list the actual local services and booking numbers.

Where should I go?

Most routine checks can start online or with a home kit; anything with symptoms or a deadline needs a clinic or a pharmacy.

Your situation Where to start
No symptoms, just a routine check A free home kit where your area offers one, or a clinic appointment
Discharge, pain, sores, a rash or other symptoms A sexual health clinic, where you can usually be tested and treated at the same visit
A condom split or you had sex without contraception Emergency contraception from a pharmacy or clinic, as soon as you can
Possible HIV exposure in the last 72 hours A sexual health clinic straight away, or A&E if it's closed, to ask about PEP
You want to protect yourself against HIV long term Ask your clinic about PrEP
Sexual assault A sexual assault referral centre; see the safety and consent page

What a sexual health clinic offers

A sexual health clinic (sometimes called a GUM clinic, for genitourinary medicine) is a free NHS service for testing, treatment and contraception. The NHS lists these services at clinics in England:

  • STI tests and treatment, including HIV testing
  • Contraception, including emergency contraception
  • PrEP and PEP, medicines that help protect against HIV
  • Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV vaccinations
  • Pregnancy testing and advice on abortion
  • Help after rape or sexual assault

Clinics are confidential: staff won't share what you discuss with anyone, including your GP, without your permission. The only exception is if they think you or someone else is at risk of harm, and even then they'll talk to you first. Clinics in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland offer similar core services; check the region pages for local details.

Since August 2025, clinics in England have also offered a vaccine against gonorrhoea to people at highest risk, such as gay and bisexual men with multiple recent partners and a recent bacterial STI. Ask at your clinic if you think it might apply to you.

Testing at home: it depends where you live

Free postal kits exist in all four nations, but who runs them, and who can order, differs.

Nation Free home testing
England Run by your local council's sexual health service, so eligibility, ages and the tests included vary. Your region page names the service
Wales National "Test and Post" service from Public Health Wales: kits for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and a blood kit for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C
Scotland Being rolled out but not yet in every health board. Where available, ordered through NHS inform, one kit every three months, for people 16 and over without symptoms
Northern Ireland SH:24 sends free kits to people without symptoms, testing for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV

Home kits are for people without symptoms. If you have symptoms, go to a clinic.

How often to test

NHS inform, Scotland's national health information service, suggests a test at least once a year if you're sexually active, every six months if you change partners, and about every three months for some groups at higher risk. Test sooner if you notice symptoms or a partner tells you they've tested positive. The free STI testing guide explains how long to wait after sex for a reliable result.

The time-critical bits

PEP after a possible HIV exposure. Post-exposure prophylaxis can be taken up to 72 hours after sex, but is more likely to work within 24 hours. Contact a sexual health clinic straight away; if it's closed, go to A&E.

Emergency contraception. Sexual health and contraception clinics provide it free, and in England, Scotland and Wales pharmacies do too:

  • England: most community pharmacies, free since October 2025, after a confidential chat with the pharmacist.
  • Scotland: ask to speak to a pharmacist; NHS inform says it's free of charge.
  • Wales: free from community pharmacies for anyone aged 13 or over who has had unprotected sex in the past five days.

For Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland page lists local clinics. Whichever route you use, the sooner it's taken, the better.

After a sexual assault. Specialist centres can offer emergency contraception, protection against some infections and a forensic examination, whether or not you report to the police. The safety and consent page lists the 24-hour numbers in each nation.

Your region

Each page lists the main clinics, how to book, home testing routes, the local sexual assault referral centre and reporting numbers.

For bringing up testing with a new partner without it getting awkward, try saying what you want before you meet. The consent guide explains why agreeing to sex with a condom isn't agreeing to sex without one. And if you're about to meet someone, run through the meeting safely checklist first.

In England, the National Sexual Health Helpline on 0300 123 7123 can answer questions and point you to a local service.

Questions people ask

Do I need to tell my GP?

No. You can go straight to a sexual health clinic without a referral, and NHS clinics won't share what you discuss with your GP, or anyone else, without your permission. The only exception is if staff think you or someone else is at risk of serious harm, and even then they'll normally talk to you first.

Can I get a test kit posted to me?

In many areas, yes, if you have no symptoms. In England it depends on your council's sexual health service, Wales has the national Test and Post service, Scotland is rolling home testing out board by board through NHS inform, and Northern Ireland uses SH:24. Your region page names the service that covers your postcode.

Is the morning-after pill free?

Yes. Sexual health and contraception clinics provide it free. In England, most community pharmacies have also provided it free since October 2025 after a private consultation. In Scotland you can ask a pharmacist for it free of charge, and in Wales community pharmacies provide it free to anyone 13 or over who has had unprotected sex in the past five days.

How often should I get tested if I'm seeing new people?

NHS inform's guide is a test at least once a year if you're sexually active, every six months if you change partners, and about every three months for some groups at higher risk. Test sooner if you have symptoms, or if a partner tells you they have an infection, and ask about PEP straight away after a possible HIV exposure.

Is any of this linked to my Local Slags account?

No. You contact health services directly, and nothing you do there is connected to your dating profile. Clinics don't need to know how you met anyone, only what kind of sex you've had, so they can offer the right tests.

Sources

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