Contraception

Physical affection and intimacy are key parts of a healthy relationship. When you have sex, it is really important that you are being safe. “Safe sex” is sex where you are using contraception which will protect you from catching a sexually transmitted infection, from becoming pregnant, and from making somebody else pregnant.

Sex without contraception might be called “unsafe” or “unprotected”. It is your right to be able to use contraception whenever you have sex. If a partner forces you to have sex without using contraception that you want, then this is not consensual.

There are many different types of contraception available, such as condoms, “the pill”, the “implant” and “the coil”, so you can choose which form of contraception works the best for you. You can contact your GP or Sexual Health Sheffield to get contraception advice.

Free condoms and free pregnancy tests are also available from Hallam SU.

Allergies

Certain condoms contain latex, so it is important to make sure that if you are allergic to latex, you use latex-free condoms. These should be freely available at Sexual Health Sheffield.

Emergency contraception

If you have had unprotected sex and do not wish to become pregnant, you need to get emergency contraception as soon as possible. There are two main methods of emergency contraception offered by Sexual Health Sheffield, which you can use up to five days (120 hours) after sex. They are:

• The emergency contraceptive pill
• The intrauterine device (IUD)

These methods are more effective the earlier you take them, so it is important that you use them as soon after sex as possible.

Find out more about emergency contraception and where to get it.

STIs

A Sexually Transmitted Infection (or STI) is a disease or infection which you catch from having sex with somebody else who has the disease or infection. Some STIs are symptomless, while others have a variety of different symptoms. Some STIs can have long term health consequences, and some can have uncomfortable or painful symptoms. This means that it is important that you get yourself regularly checked for STIs to make sure you, and anybody you have sex with, is safe.

Common types of STI include:

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
• Trichomoniasis
• Genital warts
• Genital Herpes
• Syphilis
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

For information about different sexually transmitted infections, how to prevent them, and how to treat them, visit Sexual Health Sheffield's website or the NHS website.