Christchurch Sexual Health Centre
Christchurch Sexual Health Service aims to provide sexual health care that is patient focused, culturally appropriate and of an excellent standard.
Pokapū Hauora Aitanga
The Christchurch Hospital Sexual Health Centre is a specialised outpatient’s clinic. It's for people needing tests, treatment and follow-up for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other specific genital or sexual health related problems.
All services are free if you're eligible for free or subsidised health care in New Zealand. Even if you aren't eligible, screening and treating most STIs is still free. Ask the Sexual Health Centre if you'll be charged for treatment. Health care at the Sexual Health Centre is confidential. But if another healthcare provider such as your usual general practice team has referred you to the service for advice about a particular problem, the doctors or nurses will usually write back to them to give advice.
Services
Christchurch Sexual Health Clinic is a specialist service offering free and confidential sexual health care including:
Diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted infections (STI's) and HIV as well as other related conditions, such as certain genital skin conditions and genital pain.
Sexual health advice and guidance
Onsite and takeaway STI test kits including optional bloods tests for HIV and Syphilis.
Outreach clinics
NO Walk-in clinics
Access to services
The clinic has a triage process via initial phone call 03 364 0485 to our admin team who will advise how best to proceed. Your GP can refer you to our specialised service if required.
Do I need to see the Sexual Health Clinic?
Many STIs have NO SYMPTOMS, the best time to do a check-up is 2 weeks after you’ve had sex with someone new. You can use this questionnaire tool to work out if you have symptoms and should contact the Sexual Health Clinic.
Making an appointment
You need to phone to make an appointment before going to the clinic. You won't be seen if you go along without an appointment.
▪ To contact the clinic, phone (03) 364-0485. ▪ The clinic is at 314 Riccarton Rd, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch (between Westfield Riccarton Mall and Bush Inn). It has plenty of parking.
▪ If you have a new sexual health related problem that you're worried about (for example, a new discharge or painful sores), or you've had sex with someone who has told you they have an STI, tell the reception staff when you phone the clinic. They'll ask the triage nurse to call you back to discuss the problem further.
▪ If you have an ongoing or recurring problem that you've already seen your own general practice team about, please ask your general practice team to send a referral to the clinic. This is so the clinic doctors will have your background information and any treatments that have already been tried when they see you. It also helps make sure you can be booked with the right healthcare provider for your particular problem. To make sure everything goes well at your visit, please:
▪ Be on time. If you're late for your appointment, you might have to make another one.
▪ Phone (or reply by text if you've received an appointment reminder text) to let the clinic know if you can't make it to your appointment.
▪ Don't pass urine (wee) for at least two hours before your appointment.
▪ Let the clinic know how they should or shouldn't contact you.
▪ Ask the doctor or nurse if there's something you want to know.
▪ Follow any instructions for taking your treatment.
▪ Go to any follow-up appointments. Let the clinic know if there's something about your visit that isn't quite right so they can look at how to make it better. When you arrive, the receptionist will record your name and other contact details. They'll ask you to take a seat in the waiting area.
You may want your partner or support person to come along with you. Just be aware that you may need to discuss personal information in your consultation with the doctor or nurse. You can do this without your partner or support person present if you wish. During your consultation You can ask to see a female or male doctor or nurse.
Depending on your problem, the clinic will try to meet your preference, but sometimes it might not be able to. If you need any follow-up appointments, you'll normally see the same person, but this may not always be possible. The doctor or nurse will first ask about what's worrying you. They'll then ask some questions to find out what's likely to have caused the problem. These questions can sometimes be sensitive as they include questions about your sex life, but they aren't meant to embarrass or upset you.
The questions will help the doctor or nurse decide which tests you need, and which treatment is best for you. It's your choice how much information you share. With your consent (meaning you'll be asked if it's OK), the doctor or nurse will examine you and do the required tests. You'll be offered a chaperone (another health professional) to be with you for any genital examination. A female nurse will always be present if a male doctor is examining a female. Generally, testing for STIs includes taking swabs and wee (urine) samples for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomonas and sometimes for other infections. A blood test is also done for syphilis, HIV and anything else your doctor or nurse requests. If you don't want other health professionals (such as your general practice team) to have access to your STI results, the clinic can code your test results so they don't go to the lab under your name. You can ask for this when you talk to the doctor or nurse who is doing your testing.
The clinic might do some tests while you wait but most tests will take around five to seven working days before the results come through. Some tests may take longer. The clinic will need to contact you if a test is positive or needs repeating. So, please check your contact details and the best way to contact you at every visit. Treatment You can get condoms for free from the clinic. You may be given pills, creams or injections if they're needed to treat your problem. The doctor or nurse will tell you how to take or use any medication and give you written information.
You don't need to pay for treatments that you get while you're at the clinic. Sometimes they'll give you a prescription to take to a pharmacy and there may be a charge at the pharmacy. Contact tracing and partner notification If you've been diagnosed with an STI, you'll need to contact your recent sexual partners so they can be treated at the same time to prevent the infection spreading further.
Follow-up
You may need to return for another appointment. This is usually to make sure that any treatment you've been given has solved your problem. It may also be for further treatment and advice. If you miss a follow-up appointment, the clinic may phone you to check if you're still having any problems that may need following up.
Services we provide
We provide:
diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted infections (STI's) and HIV as well as other related conditions, such as certain genital skin conditions and genital pain
sexual health advice and guidance
onsite and takeaway STI test kits including optional blood tests for HIV and syphilis
outreach clinics.
We also have some nurse led clinics in the community. These are sexual health advice and guidance clinics with:
STI testing
treatment options
condoms
emergency contraceptive pill.
Initial testing
Before you see a nurse or doctor, you will need to do some tests. You can do this onsite, or we can give you tests to take away and do at home. The tests are free, and you can do them whether you have symptoms or not.
If you do have symptoms, one of our nurses will call you to talk about what you need to do.
Depending on your test results, you may be booked with a nurse or doctor for treatment.
Before your appointment
To make sure everything goes well at your visit:
be on time. If you are late for your appointment, you might have to make another one
phone (or reply by text if you have received an appointment reminder text) to let the clinic know if you cannot make it to your appointment
do not wee (pass urine) for at least 2 hours before your appointment
let the clinic know how they should or should not contact you
when you arrive, the receptionist will record your name and other contact details. They will ask you to take a seat in the waiting area
you can ask to see a female or male doctor or nurse. Depending on your problem, the clinic will try to meet your preference, but sometimes it might not be able to.
You may want your partner or support person to come along with you. Be aware that you may need to discuss personal information in your consultation with the doctor or nurse. You can do this without your partner or support person there if you wish.
During your appointment
The doctor or nurse will first ask about what is worrying you. They will then ask some questions to find out what is likely to have caused the problem.
These questions can sometimes be sensitive as they include questions about your sex life, but they are not meant to embarrass or upset you. The questions will help us decide which tests you need, and which treatment is best for you. It is your choice how much information you share.
You can also ask the doctor or nurse if there is something you want to know.
Testing
If you say it is okay, they will examine you and do the required tests. You will be offered a chaperone (another health professional) to be with you for any genital examination. A female nurse will always be present if a male doctor is examining a female.
Generally, testing for STIs includes:
taking swabs and wee (urine) samples for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomonas and sometimes for other infections
blood tests for syphilis, HIV and anything else your doctor or nurse requests.
If you do not want other healthcare providers (like your general practice team) to have access to your STI results, the clinic can code your test results so they do not go to the lab under your name. You can ask for this when you talk to the doctor or nurse who is doing your testing.
The clinic might do some tests while you wait but most tests will take around 5 to 7 working days before the results come through. Some tests may take longer. The clinic will need to contact you if a test is positive or needs repeating. Check that we have your contact details and the best way to contact you at every visit.
After the appointment
Let the clinic know if there was something about your visit that was not quite right so they can look at how to make it better.
You may need to return for another appointment. This is usually to make sure that any treatment you have been given has solved your problem. It may also be for further treatment and advice. If you miss a follow-up appointment, the clinic may phone you to check if you are still having any problems that may need following up.
If you need any follow-up appointments, you will normally see the same person, but this may not always be possible.
If you have been diagnosed with an STI, you will need to contact your recent sexual partners so they can be treated at the same time to stop the infection spreading.
Treatment
You can get condoms for free from the clinic.
You may be given pills, creams or injections if they are needed to treat your problem.
The doctor or nurse will tell you how to take or use any medication and give you written information.
You do not need to pay for treatments that you get while you are at the clinic. Sometimes the doctor or nurse will give you a prescription to take to a pharmacy. There may be a cost at the pharmacy.
Referral information
You can contact us directly to request an appointment. When you phone, tell us if you have:
a new sexual health related problem that you are worried about (for example, a new discharge or painful sores)
had sex with someone who has told you they have an STI.
They will ask the triage nurse to call you back to discuss the problem further.
If you have an ongoing problem that you have already seen your general practice team about, ask them to send a referral to the clinic. This:
means the clinic doctors will have your background information and any treatments that have been tried when they see you
helps make sure you can be booked with the right healthcare provider for your particular problem.
Find us in the Community
We have some nurse led outreach clinics in the community. These are sexual health advice and guidance clinics (SHAG) with STI testing, treatment options, condoms, and emergency contraceptive pill (ECP).
See current list below:
Phillipstown Community Hub, Every Friday, 39 Nursery Road, Room 11, 10am-11.30am. Walk-ins welcome.
Waipuna Youth Clinic (24 years and under) - 3rd Thursday of the month, 349 Woodham Road, Wainoni, 10am-11.30am. Walk-in or bookings welcome. Phone: 03 386 2159
*these times and days may change at short notice due to unforeseen staffing levels - Call our clinic on 03 364 0485 to check availability.
