For young people

Sex and young people

We know it can be embarrassing or scary for young people to come to a sexual health clinic – that’s why we’ve made our clinics as welcoming and friendly as possible.

Despite what some people think, most people start having sex when they are 16 years or older, not before. 16 years is the legal age for consent in England, but this doesn’t mean that this is necessarily the right age for you to start having sex.
You can always choose whether you want to have sex, whoever you're with. Just because you've done it before, even with the same person, doesn’t mean that you have to do it again. Working out whether you're ready is one of life’s big decisions. You're the only one who can, and should, decide.
When it is the right time for you to start having sex, it’s really important that you know how things work, and how to protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy. We are here to talk to you about all these issues, in confidence, and we will try to make you as comfortable as possible.

Whether it is embarrassing questions about your body, or what happens during sex, or information about infections and contraception – we’re here for you whatever your age.

Under 16s welcome!

We offer:
• Information, advice and counselling
• Pregnancy testing
• Contraception
• Sexual health checks including HIV tests
• Treatment for STIs
• Free condoms

What is the age of consent in the UK?

In the UK, the age of consent (the age at which it is legal to have sex) is 16. This is the same whatever your sexuality. This law is in place to prevent you being abused or exploited.

Having sex with someone younger than 13 is a very serious offence and could lead to you being charged.

I’m under 16, can I talk to someone in confidence?

If you are under 16 years old, it is legal for you to get confidential sexual health advice, information and contraception without your parents/guardian being told as long as we think you understand what’s going on.

The rules on confidentiality are very strict and the law says that all patient records and information must be kept completely private.
In exceptional circumstances, where we think you and/or others might be at serious risk of danger, such as abuse, exploitation or harm, we might need to discuss your case with a professional outside of the sexual health service. If this happens, the healthcare professional looking after you will make all efforts to talk to you about this first before talking to anyone else