Sex and sexual health
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT SEX AND SEXUAL HEALTH
Visit the link for honest advice about contraception, pregnancy, STIs and pleasure.
Read this online leaflet to find out more about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), including symptoms, treatments, and preventative measures you can take to protect yourself.
VIRGINITY
If you need urgent help, call 999.
The animation raises awareness of virginity testing and hymenoplasty, highlighting new legislation making it illegal under the Health and Care Act 2022. Watch the video to learn more.
A virginity test is a method used to check if a girl or woman is a virgin. Two fingers are put inside her vagina to see if her hymen is intact. Virginity testing is now illegal in the UK. The presence of, or lack of, a hymen within the vagina does not indicate virginity. Find out more here. If you need help regarding virginity testing, you can call 07579 801 366.
If you are thinking about having sex for the first time, that's great. Just make sure that you are looking after yourself and the person that you want to have sex with, keep safe, and know that you are ready. Remember that you must both be at least 16 years old to legally consent to sex.
PROTECTION
Find out more about condoms and how they are used in preventing both pregnancy and the contraction of STIs.
Watch this video to learn how to correctly and safely put a condom on.
Watch this video to find out what size of male condom you should be choosing before having sex.
Check out some common mistakes when using condoms, and make sure you know how to use them correctly.
Female condoms are made from soft, thin synthetic latex or latex. They're worn inside the vagina to prevent semen getting to the womb. Find out more here.
Dental dams are small, thin, square pieces of latex that are used for during oral sex involving contact between the mouth and the vulva, or the mouth and the anus. Find out more here.
CONTRACEPTION
Read this online leaflet to find out more about contraception, including the effectiveness of different methods.
A patient information booklet about emergency contraception, which includes information on how it works, how to use it, how effective it is and the main advantages and disadvantages of this method of contraception.
The “morning after” pill is an emergency contraceptive and is available for free through the NHS. This video explains where you can get it.
Watch this video to find out about how an IUD/IUS is fitted.
Watch this video to find out about how a contraceptive implant is fitted.
SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES
Yorkshire MESMAC offers services to various communities across Yorkshire, including men who have sex with men, people of colour and other marginalised races, people misusing drugs, sex workers and LGBT+ young people and adults. They have bases in Leeds, Bradford, Rotherham and Hull. Visit their site to find the support you need.
Access to the sexual health services available in Leeds.
Access to the sexual health services available in Bradford and Kirklees.
Access to the sexual health services available in Wakefield.
Access to the sexual health services available in Harrogate.
Working in partnership with the NHS, SH:24 provides STI testing, diagnosis and treatment, oral contraception, the morning after pill and specialist remote clinical support.
As the UK's leading HIV and sexual health charity, they support people living with HIV and amplify their voices, as well as helping the people using their services to achieve good sexual health.
SUPPORT FOR SEX WORKERS
NUM is a UK-wide charity working with sex workers to do research, design and deliver safety tools and to provide support services to people in adult industries. If you need to speak to a caseworker, you can call 0161 629 9861 or 0800 464 7669 between 10am-4pm, Tuesday-Friday.
Basis offer safety, information and support surrounding sexual health, including STIs and contraception to women who are currently sex working. You can find advice surrounding sexual health and contraception on their site, or for more information please get in touch via calling/texting/WhatsApp messaging 07710 304 306 or calling the office on 0113 243 0036 between 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday.
SWARM is a collective founded and led by sex workers who believe in self-determination, solidarity and co-operation. They campaign for the rights and safety of everyone who sells sexual services, and organise skill-shares and support meet-ups just for sex workers, as well as public events.
Beyond the Streets has been working alongside and on behalf of women who sell sex for over 20 years. This charity is inspired by Christian values. Visit their website or call 0300 302 1122 to speak to someone.
PORN
Watching porn alone, in a private place, can be a very healthy part of someone’s sex life and self-discovery and is nothing to be ashamed of. This leaflet covers all the key information you need to know about porn.
Find out important information you need to know relating to pornography.
Porn does teach about sex: some of this is not bad, some of it is bad. So this educational guide to porn is to help you be more critical of the sex you see.
Some pornography is legal and some isn't. If you choose to watch porn, make sure that what you are watching isn't breaking the law and that it isn't damaging to you.