Sexual Health: A Guide for Children in Care
Do you wonder why you need to exercise?
What about how you go about doing it?
Have a read below to get some top tips:
Understanding Consent and Age of Sexual Activity
How old do I need to be to have sex?
In the UK, the legal age for sexual activity is 16 years old.
Does it matter who I’m having sex with?
Whether you have sex or not and who you have sex with, is an important decision which you need to make for yourself.
Safety and equality are really important to consider:
- Consent: Both you and your partner must willingly agree that you both want to have sex.
- Capacity: Both should understand the risks of sex and be able to make an informed decision for yourself.
- Similar Ages: Partners should be of a similar age if you’re under 18, to prevent being exploited (taken advantage of).
- Power balance: Don’t have relationships with someone in a position of trust / authority (e.g., your teacher or carer) again to prevent being exploited (taken advantage of).
Can I say no to sex?
Absolutely! You can say no or stop at any time. Watch this video for a clear explanation of consent.
What if someone forces me to take part in sexual activities?
If someone ever forces you to have sex or do anything sexual that you told them that you didn’t want to then it is very serious indeed. You should contact the Police (999) and urgently tell someone you trust like your carer / teacher / social worker / school nurse / Children in Care nurse / support worker / GP. You can get further support here.
What Are the Risks of Sex?
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs):
These can include chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, HIV and more. - Pregnancy:
If a male and female have unprotected sex, there’s a risk of pregnancy (the lady having a baby). - Emotional Impact:
Sexual activity can make you feel vulnerable, especially if the relationship ends. To avoid this it is important to only have sex when you feel ready and when you trust the other person fully. If you don’t feel totally peaceful, then just like having a cup of tea in the video above, it’s fine to say no thanks.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
What are the different STI’s?
There are two groups of these:
- Genital infections (Penis / vagina) - they are usually tested for with swabs (like cotton buds) and urine samples. Some of the common ones include:
- Chlamydia - often you don’t know you’ve got it, but if not treated it can cause scarring around your womb, testicle pain and effect your ability to have kids when you're older (fertility).
- Gonnorhoea - this usually causes creamy discharge to come from your penis or vagina and may cause pain.
- Herpes - causes blisters around the penis or vagina a bit like cold sores or chicken pox. They can appear around the mouth after oral sex.
- Blood infections - these are caught during sex and then carried around in the blood. They are tested for with blood tests. They are far less common but often more serious. These can be caught from other activities where blood is exchanged between people (injecting drugs / childbirth / operations with poor hygiene / blood transfusions abroad) and we routinely test for them in young people who grew up in certain countries where they are of higher risk. The main ones are:
- HIV - this reduces your bodies ability to fight infections (immune system)
- Hepatitis - this causes irritation of your liver (top right corner of your abdomen).
- Syphilis - this can cause ulcers on your genitals but may also cause other issues around the body.
Remember ...
None of these infections will always cause symptoms initially and you may feel fine but have an infection which is doing harm silently in the background. The only way to find out if you have an STI is to be tested.
You can read more about them here.
How to Avoid Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Condoms: They provide a barrier to many infections although aren’t always reliable. Get them free with a “C-card.”
- Regular Testing: Check for STIs at the start and end of relationships.
Where to Get STI Testing:
- School nurse / Children in Care nurse
- Local Sexual Health clinic (Google your town + “sexual health clinic”)
- GP practice or Pharmacy
Below are links to the local websites who can help you based on where Baker Baker Health is working:
We are still awaiting contracts but will add local information when we acquire them. In the meantime:
- SH.uk offer lots of information and allow you to find local sexual health clinics and order an STD test in the post.
- Brook offer excellent advice and support along with free STI testing and condoms in many areas of the country]
- NHS website allows you to find local sexual health clinics.
How are Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) treated?
The different infections are treated with different medications. Whichever professional arranges testing with you will tell you how they will let you know if there’s an infection there and they will then also arrange for you to get the treatment you need.
Pregnancy
How do I avoid getting Pregnant?
We call medications or ways to stop getting pregnant “Contraception”. There are various different types:
- Condoms: For men or women; also protect against some STIs. Not very reliable.
- Pills: Taken daily by women; can also help with period issues. Need to be taken reliably.
- Injections/Implants/Coils: Long-term options for women.
You can read more about the different options on the NHS website or on sh.uk.
You can request contraception from:
- School nurse / Children in Care nurse
- Local Sexual Health clinic (Google your town + “sexual health clinic”)
- GP practice or pharmacy
Below are links to the local websites who can help you based on where Baker Baker Health is working:
We are still awaiting contracts but will add details when we acquire them. In the meantime:
- SH.uk offer lots of information and allow you to find local sexual health clinics and order an STD test in the post.
- Brook offer excellent advice and support along with free STI testing and contraception in many areas of the country
- NHS website allows you to find local sexual health clinics.
What if I had sex without contraception? What if the condom failed?
If you had unprotected sex or a condom failed, Emergency Contraception is available. This prevents you from getting pregnant after having had sex. The key thing here is that the sooner the lady receives the treatment the less likely she is to get pregnant. You can read more about them here.
We would strongly recommend phoning your GP / Sexual Health clinic / local pharmacy today and tell them it’s for “Emergency Contraception”.
It is also important that you have support from an adult you trust, so please tell your carer / teacher / social worker / school nurse / Children in Care nurse / support worker / GP.
How do I tell if I’m pregnant? What if I think I might be pregnant?
Get a pregnancy test kit - A lady pees on it and you get 1 red line if it’s negative and 2 red lines if it’s positive. It’s a bit like the covid tests were.
They are available:
- Free from school nurse / Sexual Health clinic / GP practice
- For sale at a pharmacy or supermarket
You can read more here.
What if I’m pregnant?
If you are pregnant then there may be a mixture of emotions especially if it is a surprise. The key thing is not to panic and equally not to ignore it.
- Speak to a trusted adult—carer, teacher, social worker, nurse or GP.
- See a healthcare professional to explore your options. The professionals include:
- School nurse / Children in Care nurse
- Local Sexual Health clinic (try googling the name of your town followed by sexual health clinic)
- GP practice (google their name to find the phone number)
- You can search for local specialist pregnancy services here.
Key Takeaways
- Nobody should ever force you to have sex - you can always say ‘no’. If they do then contact the Police.
- Sexual health is about understanding risks, protecting yourself and making informed choices.
- Trusted adults and professionals are here to help—don’t hesitate to reach out. Often the earlier a problem is dealt with the easier it is.
- Resources like school nurses, sexual health clinics and GPs are free and confidential.
Further Information
- SH.uk offer lots of information and allows you to find local sexual health clinics and order an STD test in the post.
- Brook offer excellent advice and support along with free STI testing and contraception in many areas of the country
- NHS website allows you to find local sexual health clinics and offers lots of information here.
- Rape and Sexual assault support and advice can be found here.
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