We want everyone to feel welcome to use sexual health services in Derby and Derbyshire.

No matter your sexuality, gender, or age, it’s vital that you have good access to free STI testing and all the information you need to have safe sex. 

We and our partner agencies including Derbyshire LGBT+ can help with all aspects of your sexual wellbeing, such as:

  • questions about your sexuality
  • help if you’ve experienced homophobia, isolation or sexual abuse
  • support with your self-esteem, and family and relationship issues

While it may feel embarrassing to talk about sex, we are a specialist service and we’re here to support you. Whatever you tell us will be kept private. We will not tell anyone unless we think you’re at risk of harm.

When you visit one of our clinics, it’s helpful if you can tell your doctor or nurse that you’re LGBT+. This means they will be able to give you the right care and advice. 

If you’re a gay or bisexual man or a man who has sex with men (MSM),  we recommend that you book a full STI screening every 3 to 6 months. It’s also a good idea to take an STI test before having sex with a new partner. This is because you’re at a higher risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). 

It’s even more important to get tested if you have sexual partners who do not know whether they have HIV. In England, it’s thought that around 1 in 17 people living with HIV do not know they have it. About half of these people are gay and bisexual men . 

Order a free HIV test.

If you’re a lesbian or a bisexual woman, it's also important to get tested so you can enjoy safer sex. You can catch STIs from intimate touching and oral sex with another woman. You’re also at higher risk of passing on an STI if you’re both on your period.

Further information on LGBT+ women's health and support

Using our services can be daunting. You may worry that some services might not be trans-inclusive.

We want you to feel comfortable using our clinics and we will not bring gender into the conversation unless it affects your treatment. 

We may sometimes need to ask questions about the gender assigned to you at birth and whether you’ve had gender reassignment surgery or hormone treatment. This is so we can look after you and tailor your treatment.

We will do this in a sensitive and discreet way and only when needed. What you tell us is confidential.

Further information on support for transgender and non-binary people.