Urgent symptoms

If you have any of the following urgent symptoms, you can call your sexual health service on 01522 309 309 and choose option 1:

• Severe stomach pains with heavy bleeding
• Severe pain in your testicles
• Very painful blisters
• Very painful ulcers and/or unusual discharge from your genitals.

If you need urgent help during out of hours you can call 111 or go to 111.nhs.uk

Help! I’ve had
unprotected sex

If you’ve recently had unprotected sex or think your method of contraception has been ineffective, try not to panic!

Emergency contraception is available for such instances. These include:

• Levonelle (levonorgestrel) is one pill taken within three days (72 hours) of having unprotected sex.
• ellaOne ( ulipristal acetate) is one pill taken within 5 days (120 hours) of having unprotected sex.
• The emergency intrauterine device (copper IUD) can be fitted in your uterus up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex or within 5 days of the earliest time you could have released an egg.

Emergency contraception is most effective when taken as soon as possible after the event of unprotected sex.

How to access emergency contraception:

Levonelle
You can get Levonelle free from:
North and North East Lincolnshire Sexual Health Service
General Practice (your own doctor)
Walk-in centres
Some pharmacies
Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments (you may need to call first to check)
You can also buy Levonelle, it will costs about £25.
ellaOne
You can get ellaOne free from:
North and North East Lincolnshire Sexual Health Service
General Practice (your own doctor)
Some pharmacies
Walk-in centres
Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments (you may need to call first to check)
Emergency IUD
You can get an emergency IUD inserted at:
North and North East Lincolnshire Sexual Health Service
General Practice (your own doctor)

Sexual assault
and abuse

If you’ve been sexually assaulted, or even if you may think you have but aren’t sure, please do not suffer alone speak to someone you trust.
You don’t have to report the assault to the police if you don’t want to. You may need time to think about what has happened to you, but it’s important that you’re seen as soon as possible for physical and emotional support.

You can call the local Sexual Health Service straight away but we recommend you first contact your nearest Sexual Assault & Referral Centre (SARC) which is called CASA Suite for care and support.

You can call them on 0330 223 0181 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Brook

The website ‘Brook’, also has some really helpful information on abuse, including where to go for help and support and even some real stories from young people who have experienced abusive relationships themselves in some way.

Abuse can be many different things. It can be verbal, emotional, physical or sexual but it can also be less obvious and take the form of controlling behaviour.

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