What is a Sexual Health Clinic?
If you’ve got questions about sex or a health issue that you don’t want to discuss with your doctor, think about heading to your local Sexual Health Clinic. Sexual Health Clinics are private, discreet, usually free for under 25 year olds, and best of all – they’ve heard it all before! At these clinics there are no embarrassing questions. Honest.
What is a Sexual Health Clinic?
- A Sexual Health Clinic is just like a regular medical clinic, except they only focus on sex-related stuff
- Sexual Health Clinics are also sometimes called a Family Planning Clinic
Sexual Health Clinics can help you with:
- Contraception
- Pregnancy
- STIs treatment
- Periods
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Abortion
- Reproductive health
- Puberty
- Pap smear tests
And the list goes on. Basically, they’re all over anything to do with sex organs.
Sexual Health Clinic’s are also the people to see if you have questions around sex and consent, alcohol and drugs, relationships….all the stuff you really want to talk about but don’t want to bring up with your usual GP (which is totally understandable).
Are Sexual Health Clinics free?
Yep, depending on where you go, Sexual Health Clinics or Family Planning Clinics are sometimes free. Some Sexual Health Clinics will bulk bill their clients, so if you provide your Medicare card or number, you won’t be charged.
If you would like a Medicare card of your own and you’re over the age of 15, you can apply for one. Read more here.
How do I know if a clinic is free or not?
Sometimes it’s listed on their website, but just to be sure, we recommend calling them directly.
If you’re under the age of 15, don’t have a medicare card and want to be bulk billed – don’t worry – some clinics will be able to call medicare for you and sort it out at the time of your appointment. Call first and check.
Are Sexual Health Clinics confidential?
If you’re over 14, doctors and nurses are bound by law to keep the content of your visit completely private. So don’t feel embarrassed about asking a particular question or having a certain procedure done – it’s your right to be informed about your health and feel safe with your doctor.
What happens at the clinic, stays at the clinic – unless someone’s safety is at risk. Read more about doctor/patient confidentiality here.
Find a clinic near you
Why should I visit a Sexual Health Clinic?
Sure, it might be kinda embarrassing to talk about sex and your health with a doctor, but there’s a couple of really important reasons why you should make the effort:
- Most reproductive health issues (like STI’s) are preventable.
Knowledge is power, baby! By having regular sexual health check ups, you’ll not only be confident in knowing how to avoid common sexually transmitted infections, you’ll also be able to quickly treat any issues before they become a big deal. - Some clinics give out free barrier contraception.
Yay, condoms! Yay, dams! - And last (but not least) – your sexual and reproductive health is really important.
For some people, sexuality and reproductive health is a huge part of their identity. Everyone deserves to be healthy and happy – and this is just one of the ways you can look after yourself. It’s basically self care.
