Southend residents can access free sexual health services. This includes some sexual health services offered by GPs, Community Pharmacists and Brook Southend.
Brook sexual health and contraception service in Southend-on-Sea
Sexual health services in Southend-on-Sea are provided by Brook Young People.
All services are free to access.
Brook Southend is in The Victoria Shopping Centre, 362 Chartwell Square, SS2 5SP.
If you have any questions or need to book an appointment you can visit the website at Brook Southend - Brook Southend or call the service on 01702 411701.
What does Brook Southend offer?
They offer a wide range of sexual health and contraception services. This includes:
- testing and treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- a full range of contraceptive methods, including contraceptive coils and implants (also known as long-acting reversible contraception or LARC) and the contraceptive pill
- emergency contraception
- a condom distribution scheme providing free condoms from several local outlets, see: Free condoms - Brook Southend
- pregnancy testing and support with pregnancy choices, including abortion referrals
- HIV testing and referral to support services
- information and support with all aspects of sexual health and wellbeing
- sexual health promotion, community outreach, education, and training
Online services
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- residents aged 16 and over in Southend-on-Sea can access testing and treatment for STIs online from SH:24 (if you are under 16 you will need to contact the clinic)
- this includes testing for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis as well as diagnosis and treatment of genital warts and herpes
Contraception services
- contraception refers to the methods that are used to prevent pregnancy
- contraception is free on the NHS and from Brook Southend for all ages
- Some contraception can also be accessed online via SH 24, including emergency hormonal contraception, oral contraceptive pill, contraceptive ring, contraceptive patch and self-injectable contraceptive
All online services can be accessed via the Brook Southend website
How to contact Brook Southend
Telephone: 01702 411701
Website: www.sexualhealthsouthend.co.uk
Email: infosouthend@brook.org.uk
Please note until further notice, Brook Southend services are only accessible by appointment. Appointments can be booked by calling 01702 411701.
Where possible, please use the available online services for STI testing and contraception. More information about these services can be found on their website.
Primary care: GP and Community Pharmacy Sexual Health Services
Several GP surgeries and Community Pharmacists provide some sexual health services, these include:
- contraception advice and provision including contraceptive coils and implants and the contraceptive pill
- emergency contraception
Speak with your GP or local community pharmacist to see what services they provide.
General Practice
General practices in the city provide sexual health services including access to contraception and testing for sexually transmitted infections. Please contact your GP to find out more about the services they offer.
Additional Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Services, funded by the Council, are currently being delivered by Southend East Primary Care Network. If you are a resident registered with one of the GP practices listed below, then you may be eligible to receive this service.
Participating General Practices
- Dr Irlam and Partners - Central Surgery
- North Shoebury Surgery
- The Thorpe Bay Surgery
- Drs Kumar and Sinha, Shoebury Health Centre
- Dr Palacin, Shoebury Health Centre
Further information about this service, including access details, is available at Womens Health | Southend East PCN
Community pharmacy sexual health services
Some pharmacies in the city are providing sexual health services. This enables them to supply free:
- emergency contraception
- condoms
Emergency contraception
You may be able to prevent pregnancy by using emergency contraception if you:
- have had unprotected sex or your contraceptive method failed (i.e. you missed a pill, or a condom split)
- seek help within the first 5 days of intercourse
Please note that this service is only available to people under the age of 25.
Emergency contraception is free to:
- eligible residents in the participating pharmacies
You can:
- self-refer to a participating pharmacy
- be signposted to one by your GP practice or Brook Southend sexual health and contraception service
The pharmacist:
- Will conduct a confidential consultation.
- Will issue emergency contraception, if clinically appropriate.
- Offer to discuss alternative contraceptive methods and testing for sexually transmitted infections.
Emergency contraception is most effective if you take it as early as possible.
Participating Community Pharmacists
- Chemist@Southend (SS1 2AB)
- Elmsleigh Pharmacy (SS9 4JH)
- Leigh Road Pharmacy (SS9 1JN)
- Queensway Pharmacy (SS1 2NL)
- Southchurch Pharmacy (SS1 2AY)
C-Card
The C-Card is free for anyone aged over 13 and living in Southend. This gives you access to free:
- condoms
- internal condoms (femidoms)
- lubricant
The pharmacist will complete an assessment with you. This is to register you to use the condom distribution service.
Participating Community Pharmacists are listed at: C-CARD distribution outlets - Brook Southend