Cheshire West and Chester sexual health

If you want to pick up the morning-after pill locally you can:

• call 0300 247 0020 to get it from your nearest Sexual Health Hub, or attend one of our sit and wait services

• visit a local accredited pharmacy that offers free NHS emergency contraception free of charge to all women in Chester and Cheshire West. Make sure you phone ahead to make sure your local pharmacy can provide this service before you go in

• get it from your GP surgery

• buy it from a local chemist or high street pharmacy (prices start at £10)

Under 19s can attend any of our sit and wait (walk-in) services, or book an appointment with us for free and confidential contraception and sexual health advice, treatment and testing.

There are also under 19 only dedicated walk-in sessions available:

Fountains Clinic: Tuesday 4pm to 7pm

Delamere Street
Chester
CH1 4DS

Stanney Lane Clinic: Monday 3.30pm to 7pm

Stanney Lane
Ellesmere Port
CH65 9AE

Chat Health online

We know that it can be easier to say or ask something difficult in a discrete message. On our website young people can access Chat Health. Chat Health is a messaging service where you only have to share what you feel comfortable with.

Our team will reply during normal office hours.  If you message out-of-hours we’ll reply when our clinic is next open and you will always hear back from someone within 24 working hours.

Our online services are not available for people under 16.

If you have been sexually assaulted, we are here to listen, support and signpost if required to additional services free and confidentially. Please contact us on 0300 247 0020 to speak to a member of the Cheshire West and Chester Sexual Health team, attend one of our sit and wait services if able, or contact St Marys, Sexual Assault Referral Centre by calling 0161 276 6515 or visit their website.

If you need immediate support after a sexual assault or rape, there are specialist centres all over the UK that can help you. These sexual assault referral centres are open 24 hours a day. They offer medical, practical and emotional support.

Contact a sexual assault service near you in:

• England

• Northern Ireland

• Scotland

• Wales.

National helplines:

• Rape Crisis have a national 24/7 freephone support line on 0808 500 2222. They also offer support online

• National Domestic Abuse Helpline, call 0808 2000 247 for free and confidential support, 24 hours a day.

You do not need to report anything to the police to use these services. But they can help you if you do want to do this.

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a drug taken by HIV-negative people before and after sex that reduces the risk of getting HIV.

PrEP is available free of charge on the NHS in England. You can get it from your local sexual health clinic.

PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is a medicine that can stop HIV. You need to start taking it within 3 days (72 hours) of being in contact with the virus for it to work properly.

If you're eligible, you can get PEP free on the NHS from your local sexual health clinic or HIV service.

PrEP and PEP are available within Cheshire West and Chester at all clinics. Please contact us on 0300 247 0020 to book an appointment or alternatively attend one of our sit and wait services.

We have dedicated clinic appointments available for confirmed HIV positive patients at our Fountains Clinic in Chester. The service is able to accept both transfers in and out of area.

For more information, please contact us on 0300 247 0020 to speak to a member of our team or book an appointment.

HIV treatment means that most people with HIV will live a healthy life with a normal life expectancy, especially if they’re diagnosed early. After 6 months of successful treatment, a person with HIV cannot pass it on to sexual partners. This is known as ‘undetectable equals untransmittable’ or ‘U=U’.

Terrence Higgins Trust can offer advice and support for people living with HIV.

If you discover that you have a pregnancy that you feel you are unable to continue with we are able to provide free and confidential support and signposting.
Call 0300 247 0020 to speak to a member of the Cheshire West and Chester Sexual Health team or alternatively attend one of our sit and wait services.

More support and information

BPAS (British Pregnancy Advisory Service) is an independent charity offering abortion, contraception and reproductive health advice and services across the UK

MSI Reproductive Choices and Brook offer free pro-choice counselling – that is, no one will try to influence your decision. They'll listen to you and help you decide what to do, but the choice will be yours.

Find out which GPs in Cheshire West and Chester are able to offer you an appointment.

Our Sexual Health Service has participated in the Pride in Practice Accreditation Programme. This initiative aims to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community has equal access to healthcare. Currently, individuals within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community face numerous barriers in accessing appropriate healthcare and often experience poorer health outcomes compared to the general population.

Pride in Practice is a quality assurance programme that addresses these inequalities, and our service has been awarded the Gold standard.

We are dedicated to providing a friendly and professional service to everyone, regardless of gender or sexuality. When you visit our clinic, you are not required to disclose any personal information about your sexuality to the receptionist. To book an appointment or to seek advice, contact us on 0300 247 0020.
We are a proud supporter and sponsor of Chester Pride and the Box Project, visit their website for more information.

We are an accredited GOLD Pride in Practice – LGBT Foundation healthcare setting, supporting to improve the experiences of LGBTQI+ people accessing services.

If you need condoms, call 0300 247 0020 to arrange pick up from a clinic.