Empowering people to take charge of their own sexual health, a new campaign has launched to promote Tameside services and the support they provide.

Sexual Health and You aims to build a confident and sexually aware community in Tameside that has choice and takes control of decisions about themselves by accessing local free sexual and reproductive services that offer free contraception and regular testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

In 2021, 7,286 STI tests were carried out by people living in Tameside, of which 609 (8.4 per cent) had positive results. This included 10.8 per cent of young people aged 15-24 being tested for chlamydia as part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme.

Locala provide the open access specialist sexual and reproductive health service at the Orange Rooms in Ashton Primary Care Centre. You can have a free STI test there or, if you don’t have any symptoms, you can order a home test kit from their website.

The whole range of contraception, including emergency contraception, is available from the Orange Rooms and many GPs, while a lot local pharmacies are able to provide emergency contraception for use after unprotected sex.

Councillor Eleanor Wills, Tameside Council Executive Member for Population Health and Wellbeing, said: “No matter your age, gender or sexuality, it’s vital to think positively and proactively about maintaining good sexual health throughout your lifetime. Through the new Sexual Health and You campaign, we’ll be promoting different areas of support available in the borough, whether you’re looking for contraception, STI testing or want to contact some of the linked local services.

“Above all, we want to make people aware that they’re responsible for their own sexual health and we have lots of local organisations who can help.”

For more information on the whole range of sexual and reproductive support available in Tameside and their contact details, visit https://www.tameside.gov.uk/sexualhealth.

Anyone looking to use Locala’s sexual health services should visit Orange Rooms, Ashton Primary Care Centre, call 0161 507 9460 or visit www.locala.org.uk/services/sexual-health.

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