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 it on through sexual contact without realising that you have this infection. We are encouraging all patients who access testing to have a blood test for Syphilis. You can also order a postal kit online and 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.

Where to find us

Urgent help

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.

Please click here for more information on rape and abuse.

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 9:00am-5:00pm.

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 this service.

If you are aged 13 and over, you can also pick free emergency hormonal contraception from one of our local pharmacies. please click here for more information.

You can also access emergency contraception at your local hub. Please contact us on  0300 3301122  Our phone line is available Monday – Friday  9:00am-5:00pm.

Order a free STI test

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 four hubs.

Click here for more information on our STI testing kits

Get tested at your local clinic

If you are under 16 or you have any symptoms or concerns, you can book an appointment online You can also contact us on 0300 330 1122  where we have staff happy to help.

Click here for more information on how to prepare for an STI appointment.

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 sexual health clinic:

Lawson Street Health Centre, Stockton

Redcar and Cleveland Community Heart

The Fens, Hartlepool

Live Well Centre, Dundas, Middlesbrough

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.

Please click here for more information on our website regarding sexually transmitted infections and treatment.

Partner notification

If you are diagnosed with a STI it is important that your partners are informed, this will prevent re-infection and also break the chain of transmission.

We have partnered with SXT and we are now offering online partner notification. This service is confidential and allows you or your local sexual health service to notify your partners.

Please click here for more information on partner notification.

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 sexual health 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, contact your local clinic 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. We are no longer offering the online booking facility for repeat contraception. If you are 18 and over, and require a repeat method of the contraceptive pill, the patch or the depo-provera (injection), please contact your GP practice. If you are experiencing barriers in accessing repeat contraception at your GP, please contact us on 0300 330 1122.

If you are under 18, please contact the service on 0300 330 1122 to arrange an appointment for repeat contraception. You can also contact your GP practice, if you would prefer this.

Contraception

The way you can access contraception in Teesside has changed. We are no longer offering the online booking facility for repeat contraception. If you are 18 and over, and require a repeat method of the contraceptive pill, the patch or the depo-provera (injection), please contact your GP practice. If you are experiencing barriers in accessing repeat contraception at your GP, please contact us on 0300 330 1122.

If you are under 18, please contact the service on 0300 330 1122 to arrange an appointment for repeat contraception. You can also contact your GP practice, if you would prefer this.

We do still offer appointments for:

• New methods of 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.

Please click here for more information on the different methods of contraception we offer.

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

Virgin care Sexual Health is now commissioned to provide PrEP, free of charge to all users who meet the eligibility criteria. Please click here for more information.

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV) is a medication that can be used by people who have not tested positive for HIV – HIV negative, but are at high risk of HIV. Taking PrEP will dramatically reduce the chance of catching HIV.  PrEP has been shown to be highly effective in clinical trials.

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 cytology (smear test)

Cervical screening (a smear test) is a test to check the health of your cervix. The cervix is the opening of your womb to the vagina. A cervical screening test is offered to all women aged 25-64. Please click here for more information re cervical screening 

You can now visit your local hub 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.

Vasectomy services

A vasectomy is a popular method of family planning chosen by millions of men worldwide . Its safe, effective and offers a permanent solution to your contraception needs. The procedure takes about 15 minutes, and is one of the most effective methods that exits.

We work in partnership with MSIUK  to provide this service. To access our vasectomy services, please contact MSIUK on 0345 300 8090 . We no longer require a referral from your GP, although we will accept this if this is your preferred method to access the service.

MSIUK offer a full vasectomy service including:

• Consultation (pre-operative assessment) either by phone or face to face including advise on possible complications, aftercare and post vasectomy semen analysis (PVSA).
• Counselling  either by phone or face to face
• Vasectomy procedure
• Postal PVSA testing
• Test Results team for contact regarding the PVSA results.
• 24 hour post op help line.

Please click here to download a booklet which provides more information re the procedure and aftercare

Support with making a referral for an abortion

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

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

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