Sexual health
Looking after your sexual health is an important part of your mental and physical health, as well as your social and emotional well-being. Tower Hamlets has a range of sexual health services and support organizations available in the borough.
Visit a Sexual Health Service
All East
All East provides free and confidential sexual health services at centres across East London.
You can book an appointment for:
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Sexual wellbeing support and advice
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Sexual health testing for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV testing
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Treatment for STIs
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Contraception including routine LARC (long-acting reversible contraception).
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Psychological assessment and therapeutic support for a variety of sexual difficulties for adults attending their service
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Pregnancy choices including how to check if you are pregnant, your pregnancy choices for continuing with the pregnancy, adoption, having an abortion.
GP surgeries
Your GP surgery also offer several sexual health services:
Use the NHS Find a GP tool to search for a GP.
Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Service
Safe East is a free, confidential health and wellbeing service for children and young people who need support around sexual health and/or drug and alcohol use. The service works with anyone who lives or studies in Tower Hamlets up to the age of 19 (up to 25 if you are in care, have special educational needs or a disability).
They provide help with:
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Sexual health: issues around consent and relationships, contraception, C-card (free condoms), testing and treatment for STIs
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Drugs or alcohol use including smoking and vaping: information, advice and support
You're Welcome - young people friendly services
Services which display the You're Welcome logo have met the criteria for providing young people friendly services and helped to improve accessibility.
To access the service, you can:
Online free Sexual Health Service - Sexual Health London (SHL)
Pharmacies
There are over 30 pharmacies in Tower Hamlets that are signed up to deliver free sexual health services. These include emergency hormonal contraception (EHC), chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing. Find your nearest pharmacy.
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For information on different contraception methods available through the NHS, including where to access them and guidance on choosing the right method for you, visit the NHS Contraception guide.
Free condoms – C-Card scheme
Young people aged 13-24 can access free condoms through the Come Correct (C-Card) scheme. Once registered, you can collect condoms or get advice from any outlet displaying the Come Correct logo.
For more information and to register, visit the Come Correct website.
Emergency contraception
There are two main types of emergency contraception:
- Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC): Commonly known as the "morning after pill," it's most effective when taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex. Available at local pharmacies. If you cannot access this from the pharmacy then please book an emergency contraception appointment online through All East
- Emergency Intrauterine Device (IUD): The most effective form of emergency contraception. To access an emergency IUD, you can walk into the sexual health clinical at Ambrose King Centre or call 020 7480 4737.
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Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEPSE) are medications that can reduce the risk of HIV infection.
- PrEP is meant to be taken before potential exposure to HIV. People who at high risk of becoming infected with HIV are eligible for PrEP, if you are unsure whether you are eligible you can get advice or start taking PrEP by booking an appointment with our sexual health service All East.
- PEPSE is a four week course of HIV medication you can take after unprotected sex or a condom accident, to reduce your risk of becoming HIV positive. PEPSE must be started within 72 hours of the unprotected sex or condom accident. It is best to start PEPSE as soon as possible.
You can get PREP and PEPSE at sexual health specialist centres:
- Ambrose King Centre
- Sir Ludwig Guttmann Centre.
- Local A&E departments (if clinic are closed)
Positive East
Positive East offers comprehensive support for individuals living with or affected by HIV, including:
- HIV/STI testing and advice
- Information and advice on benefits, housing, and immigration
- peer support and mentoring
- support groups and counselling
- specialist support for HIV-positive women who are asylum seekers or refugees and who have experienced violence or trauma
- health and wellbeing activities: acupuncture, mindfulness, yoga, women’s gym sessions, etc.
Contact information
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For more information on help after sexual abuse, please see our directory about support services for sexual abuse (including online sexual abuse).
If you are a child or young person you can find out more information on support services for children and young people.
If you are concerned about the welfare or safety of a child/young person, you should contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub or call the police on 999 if the child is in immediate danger.
Female Genital Cutting (FGC) support
Support services for women affected by FGC include:
- Primrose Clinic, Mile End Hospital - a community-based clinic that offers a range of support services and a reversal service for women affected by FGM.
Address: Bancroft Road, E1 4DG
Phone: 020 7377 7898
- Sister Circle – women’s charity organisation that provides holistic support for women experiencing health complications as a result of cutting.
Website: Visit Sister Circle for more information.
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All sexual health services and clinics in the borough are confidential and professional services which are fast and free to use and delivered by friendly professionals.
Additional support is available through:
- Elop - is a local holistic lesbian and gay mental health charity based in East London that offers a range of social, emotional and support services to LGBT communities, and core services include advice and information, counselling and young people’s services. Visit elop for more information.
- London Friend – LGBT charity that support the health and mental wellbeing of the LGBT community in and around London. Visit London Friend.
External links
Evidence, strategies, and plans
Tower Hamlets Public Health are currently working with other North East London boroughs to develop a sexual and reproductive health strategy for the next 5 years to ensure delivery of high quality, easy-to-access, and equitable provision across NEL with prevention and promotion of good sexual & reproductive health including healthy relationships being at the core of all activity. Our priorities for this include ensuring residents have:
- healthy fulfilling relationships
- good reproductive health across the life course
- have access to high quality and innovative STI testing and treatment
- HIV prevention, towards zero transmission and support for living well.
Public Health will also produce a borough wide action plan to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
We have a multi-agency sexual and reproductive health partnership group in the borough, if you are a professional interested in working collaboratively to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes, please e-mail Sukhjit.Sanghera@Towerhamlets.gov.uk or Viknesh.Akilan@Towerhamlets.gov.uk for more information.