Sex and relationships further support

There are lots of ways to get support and information. But you may need to go to different places for different things. Your healthcare team is always a good place to start. This section has some ideas of who else can help.

Your local sexual health service can give you free and confidential information about:

  • contraception
  • sex and relationships
  • sexually transmitted infections
  • health and well-being

You can find your nearest services and get more information from:

England

Visit www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/ or call the National Sexual Health Helpline on 0300 123 7123

Scotland

Visit www.nhsinform.scot or call the information line on 0800 22 44 88

Wales

Visit Sexual Health Wales at www.shwales.online or call the sexual health helpline on 0300 123 7123

Information about relationships

There is a lot of information about relationships online. There are some websites aimed at teenagers and younger adults:

Relate also offers a range of online, face-to-face or phone services to help with relationships.

Support for lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans (LGBT+) young people

These organisations offer support and information for young people who are LGBT+:

Specialist professionals

There are lots of specialists who can help with different things. Your healthcare team may arrange for you to see a specialist if you need more support or advice. This section lists some types of specialist and what they might offer.

Counsellors, therapists, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists

These specialists are all slightly different. They can all help you understand and cope with your feelings and hard situations. They do that by talking and listening to you. Sometimes they can give you advice or ideas to help you cope.

Fertility or reproductive specialist

A doctor who specialises in treatments to help people get pregnant.

Sex therapists

This is usually a healthcare professional who supports people with sexual problems. They can often help you work out whether a problem is physical, emotional or both. They offer advice and exercises that may help.

Gynaecologist

A specialist doctor who treats female reproductive system problems.

Urologist

A specialist doctor who treats male or female urinary tract problems. They also treat male reproductive system problems.

Endocrinologist

A specialist doctor who treats hormonal problems.