Family Planning and Sexual Health

Sexual Health and The Law

The law states that it is legal for you to consent to have sex from the age of 16. In Northern Ireland, you have to be 17. However, although a girl under 16 is not committing a criminal offence if she has sex, the boy she is having sex with is breaking the law - even if she has given her consent.

Gay sex is legal if you are 16 or over in England, Wales and Scotland. In Northern Ireland it is 17 and in Jersey it is 18.

Sexually Transmitted Infection

In wales, the numbers of cases of Chlamydia have more than doubled over the past 5 years and it is estimated that up to 1 in 10 sexually active women under 25 years of age may have the infection.

Use a condom for your protection. If you think you may have been at risk from sexually transmitted infection, you can be tested at you local sexual health clinic. For information on this, please visit our Safer Sex page.

Clinics in Your Area

All GPs and Practice Nurses offer advice and support on sexual health problems to people registered with their practice. Altrenatively, Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust run local clinics where anyone can just turn up and see a nurse or doctor. Clinics being run in Blaenau Gwent are as follows:

Abertillery

Bridge Centre
Foundry Bridge, Abertillery, NP13 1BQ
Tel: (01495) 322742 / 322743
(Thursday 9:30am - 12:00pm for Family Planning and Monday 3:30pm - 5:30pm for Young People's Clinic)

Blaina & Nantyglo

Blaina Clinic
The Avenue, Blaina Hospital, Hospital Road, Nantyglo, NP23 4LY
Tel: (01495) 293275
(Tuesday 9:30am - 12:00pm for Family Planning)

Ebbw Vale

Ebbw Vale Family Planning Clinic
Ebbw Vale Clinic, Bridge Street, Ebbw Vale, NP23 6XJ
Tel: (01495) 303013
(Wednesday 9:30am - 12:00pm for Family Planning)

Ebbw Vale Young People's Clinic
Coleg Gwent, College Road, Ebbw Vale, NP23 6LE
Tel: (01495) 333007
TERM TIME ONLY (Wednesday 12:00pm - 2:00pm)

Brynmawr

Brynmawr Clinic, Lower Bailey Street, Brynmawr, NP23 4DL
Tel: (01495) 314937
(Alternate Tuesday evenings for Family Planning and every Thursday 4:00pm - 6:00pm for Young People's Clinic)

Tredegar

Tredegar Clinic, Park Row, Tredegar, NP22 3XP
Tel: (01495) 722271
(Monday 9:30am - 12:00pm and Wednesday evening 5:30pm - 7:30pm. No Young People's Clinic)

Useful Links

For more information on relationships, contraception and sexually transmitted infections go to:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/relationships/sex_and_sexual_health/
http://www.relate.org.uk/
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/index.asp
http://www.caughtout.org.uk/
http://www.fpa.org.uk/

Source: Aneurin Bevan Health Board Web Site