Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
HIV is spread by sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal and sometimes even oral sex. It’s most commonly caught by having sex without a condom.
It can also be spread by sharing needles, receiving surgical treatment in countries where sterilisation standards are low, and sometimes a mother can pass the virus onto her baby during the birth process or by breast feeding.
For more information on HIV, including how to avoid it, symptoms, testing and treatment, please see our HIV pages.
Other STIs
FREE STI kit
Take your own samples at home and return
them to us for testing, all for free…
Service locator
Need more help? Find local GPs, clinics and pharmacies to
provide further help and support…
Free condoms
Condoms are available for free from Umbrella
clinics and pharmacies, and from some GPs.