Frequently Asked Questions

This information can be found in the 'Clinics' section of the website.

Anything discussed with a member of our staff will remain confidential, even if you are under 16, except if you or anyone else is coming to any harm.

No, all our services are completely free for UK residents. However, not everyone is eligible for free Erectile Dysfunction treatment. Some clients will need to pay prescription charges.

Please be aware although we will try to see you as soon as possible, you may have to wait to be seen. You may want to think about your car parking, bus times etc.

Yes, children are welcome, but must not be left unsupervised.

Some services such as GUM and Family Planning are walk-in services. However, for services such as Erectile Dysfunction, Community Gynaecology and Menopause, you will need to ask your GP to refer you into the service. Alternatively, you are able to self-refer by using the form on the service information page. 

No, they will have to attend themselves.

No, it is contraception, which means that it prevents pregnancy but if you are already pregnant it won't cause you to abort your baby.

You are able to have emergency contraception as often as you require, but frequent use means that you should be seeking adivce on prescribed, regular contraception. Emergency contraception is not as effective as regular contraception.

The effectiveness of the emergency pill depends on where the woman is in her cycle and the time interval between taking the contraception and the unprotected sex. This will be worked out by the pill provider. You may be offered an emergency coil instead, which is also very effective.

You're not able to get emergency pills to keep at home from pharmacists, but you may be able to from your GP or local Family Planning Clinic.

CHCP CIC's Friends and Family Test allows you to give anonymous feedback on our services. You are also able to leave service comments on the Care Opinion website.

If you wish to make a complaint about one of our services, you can contact the Customer Care Team on (01482) 347627, or click here to email them.

TRUTH: The age of consent - meaning the age at which people in the UK can legally consent to sex - is 16. This means that you and your partner need to be 16 or older to legally consent to sex.

A boy who has sex with a girl under 16 (or 17 in Northern Ireland) is breaking the law, even if the girl agrees to have sex.

If the girl is aged between 13 and 15, the boy could go to prison for up to two years. If she is under 13, the boy could be sentenced to life imprisonment.

The law considers anyone under 13 to be unable to understand the consequences of having sex, so sex with someone aged 12 or under is illegal whether they have consented to it or not.

Our age of consent laws are there to prevent people from being pushed into something they don't understand or aren't ready for.

Many young people think that if they feel ready to have sex and they use protection; it is nothing to do with anyone else. Regardless of this, every teenager needs to know the laws and what they mean.

Although many young people are mature enough to know how to deal with it if someone tries to get them to have sex, not all teenagers do know what to do.

At any age, it is illegal to have sex unless both people agree to it by giving consent.

TRUTH: Even if the male doesn't ejaculate, sperm can still be present in his pre-ejaculatory fluid (the clear, sticky drops that are released when he's aroused). It only takes one sperm to get you pregnant, and the fluid can also contain sexually transmitted infections. Some men aren't aware that they are ejaculating until it's too late, and it's easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment.

The only way to be sure of avoiding both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections is to use safe, reliable contraception and to make sure you use it properly BEFORE you have sex.

TRUTH: Different types of contraceptive pills take different times to begin working. This can range from 0 - 14 days. Always follow the instructions which are provided with your pill, and ensure that you use an additional form of contraception such as condoms during the time it takes for your choice of pill to become effective.

TRUTH: The contraceptive pill should be taken at the same time each day, but is regarded as 'missed' if it is taken more than 12 hours late. This time changes to 3 hours for the mini-pill, although with the mini-pill Cerazette there is a 12 hour window).

If you're late in taking your contraceptive pill, take one as soon as you can, and then take another at the usual time, even if this means taking more than one pill in a day.

If more than one pill is missed, the last missed pill should be taken and then the rest of the packet at the usual time. However, alternative contraception (such as condoms) should be used for 7 days afterwards, just to be safe.

If you miss a pill and there are less than 7 pills left in the pack, the course should be finished as usual and a new packet started immediately afterwards without a break.

TRUTH: If you are a female and the condom has split, even before ejaculation has happened, please seek emergency contraception.

TRUTH: Urine exits the bladder through the urethra, which is above the vaginal opening. This means that any sperm in the vagina won't get wet when you urinate.

Once sperm has been released, it immediately starts travelling to the fallopian tubes to fertilise any egg that's there, so only emergency contraception can prevent a pregnancy.

TRUTH: Males who won't use a condom are those with no respect for you. You probably wouldn't trust your boyfriend to pick your clothes, so don't rely on him to provide condoms. If you're considering sex, then please take responsibility for yourself and get clued-up on safe sex and contraction options to keep yourself safe from unwanted pregnancy and STIs.