06:00, 18 February 2026
Words by Cheyanne Bryan, Editorial and Campaign Marketing Executive, London
Let’s be honest: when it comes to sex, most of us have typed something into a search bar at 11.47pm. Is this normal? Should it look like that? Can you get pregnant if…?
But this is a safe space, so enter Brook — the UK’s leading sexual health and wellbeing charity for young people — part myth-buster, part lifesaver, and part calm, reassuring voice.
For over 60 years, Brook has been providing free, confidential advice, contraception services, STI testing, education and supporting people across the UK, especially under-25s . They champion the clear notion that young people deserve clear information and non-judgemental care.
They tackle everything from contraception and STIs to consent, relationships, identity and the knotty business of navigating intimacy in a world of mixed messages and misinformation. We got their most asked questions because if there’s one thing Brook knows, it’s that when it comes to sexual health, curiosity is common, confusion is normal — but they’re here to make sure you get the right information..
Free condoms are available across the UK from Brook services, young person’s services such as youth clubs, contraception clinics (often found in GP surgeries or hospitals), GUM clinics and sexual health clinics. You can find your nearest sexual health clinic here.
If you go to a service to get condoms, you will usually have a private consultation where they will ask you a few questions and they may show you how to use condoms by giving a demonstration. .
In this consultation you can also ask for specific types of condoms. For example if you have a latex allergy you may want to ask for just latex-free condoms, or if you need a certain size condom you can ask for those. If not there will be a mix of different types of condoms in the bag and you’ll also be given a couple of sachets of lube to use with the condoms.
There is no age restriction on accessing free condoms so if you are under the age of 16, you can still get them.
Yes, all STIs are treatable but not all are curable. For example:
STIs like HIV and Herpes are different. The Herpes virus is not dangerous and should clear from the body naturally over time but during an outbreak (where sores may appear) a 5 day course of antiviral tablets can be taken to treat this.
HIV is another STI that cannot be cured but it is no longer a death sentence. Once diagnosed with HIV, someone can take daily lifelong antiviral medication which reduces their viral load to the point that the virus is undetectable in their body. Once HIV is undetectable, it is untransmissible (U=U) meaning it cannot be passed on to someone else. Daily medication is still taken once the virus is undetectable.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 (England and Wales) defines consent as when a person ‘agrees by choice and has the capacity to make that choice’. All those involved must have the freedom and full capacity to make that decision. Engaging in a sexual act without the person’s consent is sexual violence and is a criminal offence.
When the law uses the words ‘freedom’ and ‘capacity’ in relation to consent, it is talking about someone being able to agree to sexual activity with full understanding of what they are agreeing to, and no pressure to say ‘yes’.
When someone is too drunk to understand what is happening, it means they no longer have the mental capacity to consent to sex as they may not be able to understand exactly what they are agreeing to, even if they can say ‘yes.’ This applies if one person is drunk, or if all those involved are drunk.
If you and a sexual partner(s) are drinking, it can be a good idea to take sex off the table to avoid any kind of confusion around sex and consent. It is safer to wait until you are both no longer under the influence, can consent fully and can enjoy the experience a lot more.
No, taking the morning after pill is not the same as getting an abortion.
The morning after pill works by delaying or preventing the release of an egg from the ovaries – if an egg has not been released, there is nothing to fertilise and therefore conception and pregnancy cannot happen.
If you have already ovulated (an egg has already been released), the IUD (the copper coil) can be used as emergency contraception instead. This is the most effective form of emergency contraception available as the copper kills any sperm in the uterus which prevents it fertilising an egg.
Abortion is different to this, emergency contraception is preventing pregnancy occurring whereas abortion is ending a pregnancy once it has already started. You can find out more about abortion here.
You can change your pronouns at any age. This is part of something called social transitioning – where someone changes their gender expression or social identity. This means that you might ask friends, family, colleagues etc. to refer to you using different pronouns than those you were previously using, and you might also change your name as part of this transition.
There is also something called legal transitioning. This is where someone might want to officially change their name, gender and/or sex on legal documents. The Gender Recognition Act 2004 gives certain legal rights to transgender people. Under this act, trans people can:
To apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate, you must be over 18.
What is important to remember is that transitioning looks different for everyone so it’s important to meet people with respect and kindness, no matter how old they are.
If you think you have an STI, the best thing to do is to get tested!
You can get tested at a sexual health clinic or you can order an at home test which you can do in the privacy of your own home and then send off in the post for results.
As a general rule you should get tested:
It can take two weeks for chlamydia and gonorrhoea to show up on STI tests after unprotected sex (sex without a condom or barrier method) and 6-7 weeks for HIV. If you don’t have symptoms, it’s best to wait this long before doing a test.
If you take an STI test but you still have symptoms, it’s important to see a GP. STI tests do not test for STIs such as Herpes or Public Lice as these can only be diagnosed by a doctor doing a visual examination.
You can find out more about STI testing here.
One of the most important things to know before sending nude images is what the law says about this.
It is illegal to send naked images or videos of, or to, people under 18. This means that, if you are under 18, you should not be sending or receiving sexually explicit images even if you are in a sexual relationship with the other person/people.
If you are over 18, it is illegal for you to receive sexually explicit photos of someone who is under 18.
Consent is also important when sending nude images. You should always seek consent before sending someone a nude image of any kind. If you send a nude image to someone who has not consented to receiving one, this is called cyberflashing and it is a crime in the UK.
Another thing to consider is your digital footprint. It’s important to know that once you send or upload an image or video, you lose all control over it. Everything you share could be sent to someone else or posted online and potentially seen by anyone, including your friends, family and total strangers.
People can take screenshots and capture your image on their phone, even if you send a photo with a time limit. Those messages, images or video could potentially exist forever and could resurface when you least expect it.
Boundaries vary person to person because we are all different in what we want, need and like in our relationships, be them sexual, romantic, platonic or otherwise.
Boundaries are rules we have for ourselves that keep us feeling safe. A great example of boundaries is being hugged when you meet someone. Person A loves hugs and is happy to be hugged by anyone they meet. Person B likes hugs but only from people they know well; they prefer to shake hands with new people. Person C hates hugs and they never want to be hugged, even by people they are close to.
How do we know if we’re meeting Person A, B or C? We ask!
Asking people what their boundaries are means we can always respect them. It’s natural that we may want to cross boundaries as relationships develop too, but it’s important to ask someone and have conversations about this to ensure everyone is comfortable first. And it’s not uncommon for boundaries to change either, which is why communication is so important!
For more information about the importance of boundaries, a good place to start is with Cassie’s story on the Brook website.
What is a good relationship is a really big question to answer! What a good relationship looks like to one person, might look completely different to someone else; we all have different preferences and desires and needs in relationships and that’s great, but there are some fundamental things we can say make a good, or healthy, relationship.
Some things that often come up in research and in our sessions at Brook are:
For all your sexual health needs and advice, visit Brook’s website.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Brook. Brook is a UK-based sexual health charity providing free and confidential advice, contraception and wellbeing services to young people, while campaigning for better relationships and sex education. Learn more here.
International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). Founded in 1952, IPPF is a global healthcare provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive rights, delivering services and championing choice for millions of people in over 140 countries. Discover their work here.
MSI Reproductive Choices. This organisation works in 36 countries worldwide to ensure access to contraception and safe abortion services, supporting women and girls to make informed decisions about their bodies. Find out more here.
This positive news article aligns with the UN SDG Good Health and Wellbeing.
