Welcome to Teesside Sexual Health Service

Syphilis outbreak in Teesside

Teesside has been identified as having an outbreak of Syphilis. Cases are particularly high in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees. Syphilis is a bacterial infection which can lead to serious health complications if left untreated. Symptoms are similar in both men and women and can often be difficult to recognise, this means that you may pass on the infection without realising. We are encouraging all patients who access testing at our service to have a blood test for Syphilis. You can also order a postal kit online. If you order a test online, we would advise that you accept the blood test for HIV and Syphilis when you are offered this with your online postal test.

Click on the image below for more information about Syphilis.

Clinic walkthrough videos

Urgent symptoms

Our services are open Monday – Friday 9am-5pm. For an emergency or urgent help outside these hours, visit your nearest A&E which is likely to be James Cook University Hospital or North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. Find your nearest urgent care service and find your nearest A&E.

Rape and abuse

If you’ve been sexually assaulted, please don’t suffer alone. It’s important that you’re seen as soon as possible for physical and emotional support. You can call us straight away but we recommend you first contact your nearest Sexual Assault & Referral Centre (SARC) which is Helen Brittan House. Their helpline is run by crisis workers and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0333 344 8283.

Emergency contraception - IUD

Emergency IUD’s are the most effective form of emergency contraception. These can be fitted at our sexual health clinics. Please call us on 0300 3301122 Monday – Friday 9am-5pm.

Emergency contraception - contraceptive pills

If you are 16 and over living within Teesside, you can order FREE emergency hormonal contraception to be delivered to your home.  We have partnered with SH:24 to provide EHC online.

If you are aged 13 and over, you can also pick free emergency hormonal contraception from local pharmacies.

You can also access emergency contraception at your local hub. Please contact us on  0300 3301122  Our phone line is available Monday – Friday  9am-5pm.

Emergency contraceptive pills are available from your GP, most NHS walk-in centres, minor injury units, and some hospital A&E departments. It is also available (at a cost) from most pharmacies.

Postal testing

If you live in Teesside and are aged 16 and over, without any symptoms or concerns, then you can access our postal testing service online. Our online postal testing service is free and we offer Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, HIV and Syphilis testing.

Your postal test can be delivered to your home address or one of our sexual health clinics (hubs)

Get tested at your local clinic

If you are under 16 or  you have any symptoms or concerns, you can book an appointment online or contact us on 0300 330 1122.

Express testing

If you are aged 16 and over and you have no symptoms or concerns you can also pick up an express test from your local hub.

Lawson Street Health Centre 

Redcar & Cleveland Leisure & Community Heart

The Fens Medical Centre 

The Livewell Centre 

Getting your results

Once you have taken your test, either in the service or by using our postal/express testing service, your sample must be tested at the laboratory.

• If your result is negative, this means you did not have an infection at the time you took your test,  you will receive a text message to advise you of this.
• If your result is positive, or we need to discuss your result/test with you, you will receive a text to advise you to contact your local service.

We aim to provide all test results within 7-10 days. If you do not receive your results within 10 days, please contact your local clinic on 0300 330 1122.

Treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

If  you find out that you have an infection following testing, then you may need to attend the service for treatment. All treatment is free of charge.

Click here for more information on our website re STIs and treatment.

Get free condoms

If you are aged 16-24 living in the Teesside area, you can now order condoms free online. If you are under 16 or over 25 you can also pick up condoms from your local hub clinic.

Pregnancy testing

If you think that you may be pregnant it is important to take a pregnancy test. You can can purchase a test from your local pharmacy or supermarket or contact your local clinics to arrange an appointment.

If you are aged between 16-24 you can also order a pregnancy test online.

Book an appointment online

You can book an appointment online for the following:

• Symptomatic testing
• To get a new method of contraception
• To change your method of contraception
• To discuss a coil or implant
• To remove a coil or implant
• For testing and contraception

We currently do not offer online appointments for the services below. Please contact your local clinic on 0300 3301122 to arrange an appointment.

• Treatment
• Pregnancy testing
• PrEP
• PEPSE
• HIV appointments
• Cervical screening
• Diaphragm, the cap and the vaginal ring

The way you can access contraception in Teesside has changed. If you require a repeat method of the pill, the patch or depo-provera (injections), please contact your GP practice. If you are experiencing difficulties accessing your GP, please contact 0300 330 1122

Contraception

The way you can access contraception in Teesside has changed. If you require a repeat method of the pill, the patch or depo-provera (injections), please contact your GP practice. If you are experiencing difficulties accessing your GP, please contact 0300 330 1122.

We do still offer appointments for:

• New methods of all contraception
• To change your method of contraception.
• To have a implant/coil fitted or removed
• To discuss your contraception options

To make an appointment you can book an appointment online or contact us on 0300 330 1122.

Implant/IUS/IUD fitting and removal

We offer long acting reversible contraception removals and fittings at our services. To make an appointment you can book an appointment online or contact us on 0300 330 1122.

For further information regarding these methods, click here.

Psycho-sexual counselling and support, including support with erectile dysfunction

Psychosexual therapy uses an integrated approach to working with sexual problems.

What problems can be referred?

Non gender specific:

• Loss of desire
• Pain during sex or inability to have penetrative sex.

Males

• Difficulty in achieving or maintaining an erection.
• Ejaculation problems

In Women

• Difficulties with orgasm
• Vulval pain
• Vaginismus
• Loss of desire 

We are now offering video consultations for psychosexual counselling. The video consultation will be conducted with the use of AccuRx. This a secure platform approved by NHS Digital.

AccuRX is supported on all mobile devices with, Android version 7 or later and for iPhones and/or iPad iOS13 or later

You can access your consultation using:

• Iphone/Ipad  using the safari web browser
• Android or desk top using the Google Chrome browser
• Please make sure that you have a good connection to the internet
• You are in a private space where you will not be disturbed during the video consultation

Please ask a member of the team for more information about this service.

PrEP

We are now commissioned to provide PrEP, free of charge to all users who meet the eligibility criteria.

PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis involves HIV negative people taking HIV medication as a method of helping to prevent HIV infection. Recent research has shown that if taken correctly,  this medication is highly effective at preventing HIV infection.

PrEP does not protect against any other STI’s, only HIV. You will need to take other precautions in addition to PrEP to protect yourself from all other STI’s. We recommend regular STI testing if you are on PrEP. You should have a HIV test every 3 months.

PEPSE

PEPSE can stop HIV infection taking hold after the virus has entered the body. However, it is an emergency measure to be used as a last resort, for example if a condom breaks. Please call us if you think you need PEPSE on 0300 3301122. You can get this from sexual health and HIV clinics and Accident & Emergency. Your GP does not provide PEPSE.

Cervical screening (smear test)

Cervical screening (also known as a smear test) is a test to check the health of your cervix. The cervix is the opening to your womb from the vagina. A cervical screening test is offered to all women aged 25-64. You can now visit your local sexual health service to have a cervical screen. Please contact us on 0300 330 1122 to make an appointment. Please remember to bring your cervical screen invitation letter with you to your appointment. You can also visit your local GP to access this service.

Did you know that NHS England have recently updated the opt-in guidance. Now anyone with a cervix who are aged 25-64 can opt-in to the national screening programme. If your gender is different to the gender you were assigned to at birth and you have a cervix, please contact us so we can support you through the opt-in process so that you are included in the automatic reminders.

Please visit the NHS website for more helpful information about cervical screening.

Vasectomy services

What is a vasectomy?

Vasectomy is a quick, safe, and effective method of contraception. It is a minor procedure which takes about 15 minutes and seals the tube (vas deferens) which carries sperm. This will prevent sperm entering your semen, which is the fluid ejaculated during sex.

Considering a vasectomy?

Vasectomy is a quick, safe, and effective method of contraception. As vasectomy is a permanent contraceptive method and cannot easily be reversed, you should take some time to think about your decision and make sure it is the right one for you.

You should only proceed if you are certain you don’t want to have any, or anymore, children. We are here to support your choice.

We do not refuse anyone an appointment because of their age, marital status, or because they have no children. We also understand that not all of our clients will identify as a man. We welcome and support people of all gender identities to access vasectomy services when they choose.

What to expect

• A telephone consultation with one of our health care professionals to discuss what will happen on the day of your vasectomy procedure and talk through your medical history
• The vasectomy procedure with one of our expert surgeons
• Vasectomy aftercare
• A semen testing service 16 weeks after your procedure

Vasectomy counselling appointments are also available should you wish to talk to someone at any point before, during or after your treatment. If you have decided that having a vasectomy is the right decision for you, and would like to access care with Sexual Health Teesside, here is what to do next.

How to book an appointment

Did you know you can refer yourself without having to see your GP? Alternatively, you can attend your GP Practice and they can refer you to our service.

Simply call 03003301122 and a member of our friendly administration team will arrange a telephone consultation with one of our experienced clinicians. The current waiting time for a vasectomy is approximately 10 months from your initial referral.

Support with making a referral for an abortion

• University Hospital of North Tees: Please contact 01642 624233, Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm.
• University Hospital of Hartlepool: Please contact 01429 522751. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm.
• BPAS (British Pregnancy Advisory Service): Please contact 03457 30 40 30, Phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our nurses can also provide counselling and advice. Please contact 0300 330 1122

Pride in practice

Pride in Practice works to improve the experiences of LGBTQ+ people accessing care services. We are proud to announce that our sexual health services in Teesside have been awarded the Gold Award for Pride in Practice.

Our performance

Social media

Please see the links to our social media below, where you can find information about local and national campaigns.

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