A new drop-in sexual health clinic for young people is opening in Oxford city centre tomorrow.
The Young and Free clinic, at the Terrence Higgins Trust in Pembroke Street, is the first of its kind in the city. It will offer testing and treatments for HIV, syphilis and chlamydia, pregnancy testing and advice, free contraception and emergency contraception. Counselling will also be available.
The clinic is aimed at youngsters aged 13 and over - and organisers said they would keep everything confidential unless there was what they termed a "child protection issue".
Young people across the city were consulted, and the 12.30-2.30pm Saturday opening hours have been tailored to meet their needs.
Latest figures show there were 318 teen pregnancies in Oxfordshire in 2006 - a reduction on the previous year and below the national average. However, the numbers of young people with sexually transmitted infections is following national trends and rising.
Terrence Higgins Trust regional manager Steve Jones said: "It is an incredibly important service for young people, to enable them to have quick and easy access to not only sexual health check-ups but also contraceptive advice and information.
"It can be very difficult for young people to access these services. This is accessible and confidential."
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