Sexual Health

We operate an appointment only booking system for the following opening times:

Clifden Centre
Monday, Tuesday, Friday – 09:00-16:00
Wednesday –GU clinic 12:00-16:00 and GU Evening clinic 17:00-19:00
Thursday- 09:00-16:00 GU clinic & 17:00-19:00 MSM

Ivy Centre
Monday to Friday - 09:00-16:00

Leadenhall Street Clinic
Monday to Friday - 09:00-16:00

Please note we are currently unable to offer walk ins.

Monkeypox in the UK

Monkeypox is a rare disease that is caused by infection with monkeypox virus. The UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) has identified some cases of monkeypox in the last 2 weeks. So far most have been in gay men. This suggests that the virus can be passed on through skin-to-skin contact during sex. It is still very rare in the UK. It usually causes a mild illness which gets better without treatment. It can also cause more severe disease in some people.

How do you catch monkey pox?

Monkeypox does not spread easily between people. Person-to-person spread is uncommon, but may occur through:

• contact with clothing or linens (such as bedding or towels) used by an infected person
• direct contact with monkeypox skin lesions or scabs
• coughing or sneezing of an individual with a monkeypox rash

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms can start between 5 and 21 days after contact with an infected person. Most people do not need any specific treatment and recover within 2-4 weeks. Sometimes people become more unwell and need to be admitted to hospital.

The illness can begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. Between 1 and 5 days later, a rash can develop. The rash can spread to other parts of the body. The rash changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab which later falls off. People are infectious until the last scab has dropped off, leaving healthy skin underneath.

Ibuprofen and paracetamol can help with the fever and aches.

What should I do if I think I might have monkeypox?

If you are a man who has sex with other men, and you become unwell with a fever or a rash, then call us on 020 7683 4103 for advice.

Please don’t make an appointment or walk into the clinic without speaking to us about your symptoms.

Avoid skin to skin contact with others. Don’t share plates, cutlery, bedding, towels or other linen. Avoid sex until you’re given the all clear.

If you test positive, continue to isolate until the last scab comes off. If you have to travel (e.g. a hospital appointment), you should ideally walk, cycle or be driven in your own car. If you have no other choice, wear a mask and cover any lesions on public transport.

Plates and cutlery can be washed in diluted bleach (check instructions on bottle). Wash clothes and bedding on a hot wash.

Some people are at increased risk of complications for monkeypox. So particularly avoid contact with:

•           Pregnant people

•           Children

•           Immunosuppressed people (HIV positive people not on treatment or with a CD4 count under 200)

What should I do if I have been in contact with someone who has confirmed monkeypox?

People exposed to a known case of monkeypox should self-isolate at home for 21 days. Don’t share plates, cutlery, bedding, towels or other linen. If you have to use a shared bathroom or kitchen then wipe down surfaces after use. If you have to travel (e.g. a hospital appointment), you should ideally walk, cycle or be driven in your own car. If you have no other choice but to use public transport, then wear a mask and cover any lesions.

The UKHSA is contacting anyone with known exposure. Giving smallpox vaccine after exposure reduces the chance of becoming unwell. The UKHSA will advise you about vaccines when they contact you.

 

Further information

Additional information on Monkeypox can be found on:

UKHSA webpage: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/monkeypox

WHO factsheet: http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox