How to have safe sex as a young queer person

Sexual health advice can largely be focussed on straight, cis-gendered sex and rarely takes into account the experience of people who are multisexual. So, how can you have safe sex as a young queer person?

SH:24 is a free online sexual health service, delivered in partnership with the NHS. They make it easier for you to manage your sexual health by providing free at-home STI test kits across the UK and Ireland.

STIs – Prevention and Protection

STIs do not discriminate – no matter your gender or sexuality, if you’re having sex you should be thinking about STI prevention. They can be transmitted through many different types of sex and sexual contact – even if it’s not penetrative. STIs are transmitted through sexual contact and bodily fluids: vaginal, oral, anal sex, sexual touching, skin to skin contact or via sex toys. 

Barrier methods such as condoms, dams, internal condoms and latex gloves help but they are never 100% effective in preventing STIs. It’s still important to get tested regularly!

No matter who you have sex with, regular sexual health tests are important. And ask your partner to do the same, regardless of gender. But never rely on someone else’s negative result as assurance you’re STI-free.

• If you are changing partners regularly, the current guidelines advise testing every three months, if you’re not changing partners, then take a test once a year.
• If you have a vagina and you’re bisexual, research has shown that you’re less likely to test, and are at a higher risk of getting infections, so ensure you’re up to date with your STI testing.
• If you are a man who has sex with men, or AMAB (assigned male at birth) having sex with other AMAB partners, you could be eligible for hepatitis A and B vaccines, and HPV vaccines (if you didn’t get them at school). Book in an appointment with your local sexual health clinic to find out what services are available to you and what is on offer to help you look after your sexual health.
• If you have a vagina or are AFAB (assigned female at birth), and your partner is a bisexual man or someone with a penis, then you could be eligible for these vaccines too.

Remember – if you’re on contraception to prevent pregnancy, this doesn’t protect against STIs.

A lot of STIs can be symptomless, so even if you don’t have any symptoms, if you’ve been sexually active, had a change of partners, and haven’t done a test recently, it’s important to test. Untreated STIs like gonorrhoea and chlamydia can lead to more complex infections and serious health conditions – so it’s important to look after your sexual health.

How Can I Access STI Testing?

You can get tested for free at your local NHS sexual health clinic, you can find your nearest clinic here: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/sexual-health/find-a-sexual-health-clinic

However, if you have no symptoms, most clinics are now linked with a free online service so you can do your screening in the comfort of your own home at a time that is convenient to you. 

If you order an at-home testing kit with SH:24, depending on what genitals you have, what kind of sex you have and who you’re having sex with, you can get a:

• Vaginal swab, a throat swab, a rectal swab or a urine test which all test for gonorrhoea and chlamydia.
• A finger-prick blood test that tests for: HIV and syphilis.
• In some regions, these blood tests will also test for hepatitis B and C.

It’s important to remember that if you have any symptoms or you are a contact of infection, speak to your local sexual health clinic or GP.

What about PEP and PrEP?

PEP is a medication you take after sex that stops you from getting infected with HIV and is available from most sexual health clinics and A&E. 

PrEP is something that you take regularly (either daily or event based) that prevents you from getting HIV. It is available for free via the NHS and HSE, or you can pay for a prescription. 

If you’re on PrEP to protect against HIV, this does not protect against other STIs.

You can read more about PrEP and PEP, here:

‘What is PrEP?’ – https://sh24.org.uk/help-centre/what-is-prep

‘What is PEP?’ – https://sh24.org.uk/help-centre/what-is-pep

Consent

Consent is important in having safe sex and it’s important to remember that consent can be withdrawn at any time. If you said yes at the beginning, you can change your mind at any time and decide you don’t want to do something.

Let’s take a look at some important reminders about consent:

• Past sexual experiences with somebody does not mean you have automatic permission to have sex with them.
• Somebody’s outfit is not a sign of consent.
• Consent should be seen as looking for the presence of “yes” rather than the absence of “no”.

Consent is all about communication and acknowledging that communication throughout!