YSH York & North Yorkshire

19/11/2025

It's International Men's Day 💙

Today is a great day to remind yourself that every part of you matters... 👀🍆

Your s*xual health is really important, and we can help you ensure that no inch is left unchecked:

💙 We offer STI testing and treatment across the region - both asymptomatic and symptomatic. Some STIs have no symptoms, but can cause long term harm, so make sure you get tested before and after each new partner. If you've been ignoring some worrying symptoms, take this as your sign to get checked out.

💙 Vaccinations aren't just for babies - we offer a range of vaccines to support your s*xual health including Hepatitis A and B, HPV, Gonorrhoea, and MPox. Visit our website for eligibility.

💙 Free (yes, free!) condoms are available from our website for people living in York and North Yorkshire. Condoms are your best protection against both STIs and unplanned pregnancies.

💙 PrEP is a medication that you can take to stop yourself from getting HIV. PrEP can be taken by a number of individuals at higher risk of coming into contact with HIV. Have a look at the website to see if you're eligible.

Taking proactive care of your s*xual health is really important. Visit yors*xualhealth.org.uk for more information on our services across York and North Yorkshire.

18/11/2025

It's Transgender Awareness Week 🏳️‍⚧️

We're proud to be a warm, inclusive, and gender affirming service. If you're a trans person living in York and North Yorkshire, you can be confident in accessing s*xual healthcare from all our clinic locations, where our dedicated team can help you with:

🏳️‍⚧️ STI testing and treatment
🏳️‍⚧️ Hormone friendly contraception
🏳️‍⚧️ Cervical screening
🏳️‍⚧️ Vaccinations
🏳️‍⚧️ PrEP
and more!

For more information and advice, visit yors*xualhealth.org.uk/people/lgbtq/

13/11/2025

We're holding another walk in cervical screening clinic in📍 Selby.

Come along on 🗓️ Thursday 20th November 2025 between ⏰ 4pm and 7pm. We'll be at Selby War Memorial Hospital - it's a great location, with ample free onsite parking, and you can watch our walk through video on our website if you're not sure where to go.

Cervical screening saves at least 2000 lives each year, but we understand why it might be difficult to tick it off your to do list. With busy lives, caring responsibilities, worries and anxieties, it's easy to put it to the back of your mind. Don't leave it there over the festive period!

All you need to come to our clinic is:
✅ To have received your reminder - this is now via the NHS app
✅ Your NHS number

What you don't need:
❌ A wax
❌ Matching socks
❌ Loads of enthusiasm - we're not offended, we know you'd probably rather be doing something else!

If you're still hesitating, here's what some recent attendees have said about our service:

❤️ All of the team are so friendly and welcoming and really make you feel at ease
❤️ Excellent service with fab staff
❤️ Super reassuring and calmed my nerves. Super quick and informative.
❤️ I had my first smear test today and I had the most positive experience. The nurse I had was just wonderful and very reassuring, she made sure I was talked through everything and made me feel so comfortable. I can’t thank them enough for making my first experience so positive

We also offer cervical screening as a booked appointment, if that suits you better. Give our team a call on 01904 721111 and we'll get something arranged.

For more information on cervical screening, visit yors*xualhealth.org.uk/wellbeing/cervical-screening/

07/11/2025

We're holding another walk in cervical screening clinic in📍 York.

Come along on 🗓️ Saturday 15th November 2025 between ⏰ 9am and 12pm. We'll be at our clinic on Monkgate (see our website for a video walk through of this location)

Cervical screening saves at least 2000 lives each year, but we understand why it might be difficult to tick it off your to do list. With busy lives, caring responsibilities, worries and anxieties, it's easy to put it to the back of your mind. Don't leave it there over the festive period!

All you need to come to our clinic is:
✅ To have received your reminder - this is now via the NHS app
✅ Your NHS number

What you don't need:
❌ A wax
❌ Matching socks
❌ Loads of enthusiasm - we're not offended, we know you'd probably rather be at the Christmas market!

Here's what some recent attendees have said about our service:

❤️ All of the team are so friendly and welcoming and really make you feel at ease
❤️ Excellent service with fab staff
❤️ Super reassuring and calmed my nerves. Super quick and informative.
❤️ I had my first smear test today and I had the most positive experience. The nurse I had was just wonderful and very reassuring, she made sure I was talked through everything and made me feel so comfortable. I can’t thank them enough for making my first experience so positive

We also offer cervical screening as a booked appointment, if that suits you better. Give our team a call on 01904 721111 and we'll get something arranged.

For more information on cervical screening, visit yors*xualhealth.org.uk/wellbeing/cervical-screening/

31/10/2025

Between 3rd and 14th November 2025, we'll be completing some essential staff training, which will cause some disruption to our usual clinic and opening times.

The biggest impact is on our Walk In and Wait clinics, and on our Central Bookings Line. Please visit our website yors*xualhealth.org.uk before calling us, or attending a clinic, so you can get the most up to date information.

We understand that this might be frustrating, and thank you for your patience whilst we make these improvements to our service.

31/10/2025

From this week, you can now get the emergency contraceptive pill for free from pharmacies across England. You no longer need to book an appointment with your GP or at YSH, but you can of course still access those services if you need to.

🆘 It's really important to know that the emergency contraceptive pill only works if you have not yet ovulated (released an egg) 🆘

The best method of emergency contraception is the copper coil (IUD) which can be inserted up to 5 days after unprotected s*x, or 5 days after the latest time you could have ovulated. All emergency contraception is time sensitive, so if in doubt, please see your pharmacy, GP, or s*xual health clinic as soon as possible, so you can get the right support.

If you'd like more information on Emergency Contraception, visityors*xualhealth.org.uk/emergency-support/emergency-contraception

10/10/2025

Our next walk in cervical screening clinic in 📍 Northallerton is on Saturday 18th October 2025 at The Friarage Hospital. You'll find us in The Women's Unit from 10am - 3pm. If you've received your reminder letter and have been putting it off, we'd love to see you there!

💫 If you've been struggling with booking an appointment, a walk in is a great way of getting your screening. Simply turn up on the day with your NHS number, and we'll do the rest.

💫 If you're anxious about your screening, our highly experienced team are on hand to support you every step of the way. You can chat to your nurse who will make adjustments to help you. Remember, you're in control and we're here to help. You can even bring a friend for support.

💫 If you're embarrassed, please don't be! We know it can feel uncomfortable and awkward, but we're a judgement free zone. We're not bothered how long it's been, whether you've waxed, or whether your socks are odd. We'll just be so pleased you came!

💫 If you're seeing this post and you've been putting it off or haven't got round to booking, take this as your sign to tick it off your to do list ✅ This is our last walk in clinic in Northallerton for 2025, so we'd love to see you there.

If this clinic doesn't suit you, check out our website yors*xualhealth.org.uk for information on other ways to access your screening through YorSexual Health.

19/09/2025

On Wednesday 24th September, we'll be closed for training.

Please see our website yors*xualhealth.org.uk for our typical opening times, and signposting to alternative services.

10/09/2025

Meet our lovely nurse Tanya 👋🏻

Say hello to Tanya Qualter, Specialist Sexual Health Nurse at YSH York & North Yorkshire 👋

🤔 Tell us about your role
At YorSexual Health we provide a wide range of public health services related to s*xual health, from contraception services to advice on s*xually transmitted infections (STIs).

In a typical day on a clinic, whether it is walk-in or drop-in, I fit coils, take smear tests, and provide contraceptive advice, which often requires me to fit implants. I also investigate various issues or discomfort patients are experiencing; we have a lab onsite, so we can diagnose and prescribe all in one appointment for certain infections.

I also travel to work at various clinics across North Yorkshire – Harrogate, Northallerton, Malton, Selby and Scarborough. I provide routine and emergency care.

⏰ How long have you worked at the Trust, and why do you like it?
I’ve been a nurse for over 40 years, beginning my training in 1984 at the York School of Nursing under Mr Darley, based at York Hospital, where the current admin block now stands.

My first role was caring for elderly patients at the city hospital, now the site of the social club off Haxby Road. I then spent some time as a midwife at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, which I thoroughly enjoyed, before returning to York to work as a midwife for 14 years. For the past 20+ years, I’ve focused on s*xual health.

I love this role more than any other I’ve had because it allows me to care for the 'whole person' through holistic practice. Sexual health is important and can be a sensitive subject, so it’s essential we get it right, as it can impact other areas of a patient’s health. I strive to reassure patients, help them feel relaxed, and provide non-judgmental support.

One of my favourite aspects is running drop-in smear clinics for my colleagues at York Hospital who find it difficult to get appointments at Monkgate – a service that has been very successful.

🤩 Do you have a role model at the Trust?
I work with the best team; they are like-minded and all have patient care at the top of their agenda. Our receptionists are fantastic, as are my colleagues who book appointments for patients - they set the scene and are very kind. They all encompass Trust values.

💙 Tell us about a special moment you've experienced at work?
I enjoy working with the LGBTQ+ community, especially the trans community. I feel they have so many barriers to cross, and I have met so many wonderful people. Our patients say we offer a positive compassionate experience, so that’s great to hear.

I also love being known as a ‘coil queen’! It’s a big deal for some women to get one fitted, so I do my best to make all my patients comfortable. The overall care of a patient is very important to me.

If you’re worried or have concerns about your s*xual health, I encourage you to get in touch.

For more information, visit www.YorSexualHealth.org.uk.

09/09/2025

Next week, it's a bumper week for our walk in cervical screening clinics.

September can feel a bit like new year - summer is coming to an end, the kids are back at school, and some normality is resuming, so if you received your invite a while ago and have been pushing it down your to-do list, pop these dates in your diary and get your screening (smear) ticked off. All you need is your NHS number, we'll do the rest.

On Monday 15th September 2025, you can come along to📍Monkgate Health Centre, York between 4pm and 7pm.

On Thursday 18th September 2025, you'll find us at📍Selby War Memorial Hospital, Selby between 4pm and 7pm.

As many as 1 in 3 eligible people in our region are not up to date with their screening. We know there are lots of reasons for this, and are on a mission to help.

Visit our new website yors*xualhealth.org.uk/wellbeing/cervical-screening for lots of information on the screening. If you'd prefer a bookable appointment, you can also find details on how to contact us.

04/09/2025

It's World Sexual Health Day 🎉

We're YorSexual Health, and if you live in York or North Yorkshire, we are your specialist s*xual health service. Alongside your GP and local pharmacy, we're here to give you the power and resources to make healthy decisions about your body.

We provide lots of services including:
🧪 STI testing and treatment
❤️ Contraception
💉 Vaccinations
🩸 PEP and PrEP
🔵 Cervical Screening

If you'd like more information on our services, or just need a reliable source of information for any of your questions, visit our brand new website yors*xualhealth.org.uk

*xualhealth *xualjustice *xualhealthday