Sexual health: infections, screening and sex

Common infections and how they’re treated, where to get tested, screening, and the parts of sex that are worth talking about with a clinician.

4 min read Bacterial vaginosis (BV) Changes in discharge, treatment and BV coming back, including advice in pregnancy and changing advice on treating partners.
4 min read Cervical screening What screening checks, the latest England and US timings, testing yourself at home, and ways to make an appointment easier.
4 min read Common STIs: symptoms and treatment A plain guide to common STI symptoms and types of treatment, including infections with no symptoms and pelvic pain that needs urgent care.
4 min read Consent and healthy relationships What freely given consent looks like, how control can affect choices about sex and pregnancy, and how to find support safely.
4 min read Cystitis and urinary tract infections Spot possible signs of a UTI, find the right care, and understand the warning signs of a kidney infection and what helps prevent UTIs.
4 min read HIV: testing, PrEP and PEP Testing, what undetectable means, ongoing protection with PrEP, and urgent help if you may have been exposed to HIV. Includes when to get help.
4 min read HPV and the HPV vaccine How HPV spreads, what the vaccine prevents, and how vaccine programmes differ between countries. Having the vaccine doesn’t replace cervical screening.
4 min read Itchy or sore vulval skin: common conditions How irritation, lichen sclerosus, lichen planus and vulval pain differ, and which skin changes need an appointment. Includes when to get help.
4 min read Low libido and changes in desire Why desire can change, how desire can grow once things start, and when to ask about medicines, pain or other worries. Includes when to get help.
4 min read Pain during sex Possible causes of painful sex, what a check involves, and how treatment, including pelvic physiotherapy, may help. Includes when to get help.
4 min read Sexual health for LGBTQ+ people Screening, STI care and contraception based on your body and the sex you have, with practical ways to ask for inclusive care.
5 min read STI testing: where to go and what happens What happens at an STI appointment, how samples are taken, and how privacy, home kits and follow-up work. You can need an STI test even if you have no symptoms.
7 min read Vaginal discharge: what changes through the cycle and when to get it checked How discharge shifts through the cycle, in pregnancy, after birth and later in life, and which changes in smell, colour or feel are worth a check.
4 min read Vaginal thrush What thrush can feel like, when treatment from a pharmacy is right, and why pregnancy or thrush that keeps coming back needs a clinician.

Written by the Ruva team from the sources listed in each guide. They aren’t medical advice. If you’re worried about a symptom, talk to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.