Helplines, home test kits and support

Free postal STI kit (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis) via SH:24 for people in Liverpool, Knowsley, Cheshire East, Warrington or Halton.

Axess is the free NHS sexual health service for these five areas and offers home testing through SH:24. The kit tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis, arrives next working day in a plain first-class envelope, and results are usually sent by text or email within five days of you returning it.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test
• Results by text

Free chlamydia and gonorrhoea postal kit via Brook and SH:24 for 16-19s in Manchester City and people in Stockport, Tameside or Trafford.

Brook offers free home STI test kits in certain areas of England, fulfilled by SH:24, and does not post kits to under-16s. In Manchester the kit is for 16 to 19 year olds without symptoms and tests for chlamydia and gonorrhoea only, by urine or vaginal swab; people in Stockport, Tameside and Trafford can also order through Brook. You get a text from SH:24 within a few days when results are ready, and testing and treatment are free.

• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test
• Results by text

Paid postal STI tests from SH:24 for anyone not covered by a free scheme: HIV test £25 (rapid) or £32 (lab), HIV and syphilis £64, results in 72 hours.

Fettle is SH:24's paid service for people who cannot get a free kit. Single tests include HIV lab test £32, rapid HIV self-test £25, syphilis £32, chlamydia £32, gonorrhoea £32, hepatitis B or C £34 each, and a combined six-infection kit (HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, hepatitis B and C) for £64; chlamydia and gonorrhoea tests cover oral, rectal and genital sites. Delivery is free by first class post and results arrive within 72 hours of samples reaching the lab, by text or in your account.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test
• Hepatitis B test
• Hepatitis C test
• Throat and rectal swabs
• Results by text
• Results online

Free postal HIV test (lab test or rapid self-test, syphilis in some areas) for over-16s in councils that fund it; nationwide each February.

Run by SH:24, this gives a free HIV test by post: either a finger-prick lab test (results by text within about 3 days) or a rapid self-test you read yourself in minutes (18+ only). Some councils also fund a syphilis test on the same sample. It is for people aged 16 or over living in a funding local authority, and the offer opens to all of England during National HIV Testing Week; the next week is February 2027.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Results by text

Free NHS home STI/HIV kit and condoms by post for Hampshire, IoW, Portsmouth and Southampton; chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis; text results in 5 days.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare's sexual health service posts free STI test kits and condoms once you register for its online Personal Health Record. Kits test for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis and can include throat and anal swabs as well as a urine or vaginal sample. Results are texted within five working days of the lab receiving your returned kit, and return postage is free.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test
• Throat and rectal swabs
• Free condoms
• Results by text

Free NHS Scotland postal kit for over-16s without symptoms in boards where it's live; chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV; results in 7-14 days.

NHS Scotland is rolling out free self-sampling STI kits, ordered online through NHS inform, but they are not yet available in every health board. Kits are for people aged 16 or over who have no symptoms, test for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV (samples depend on your body and partners), and are posted free to your home or another address. Results usually come within 7 to 14 days and you can order one kit every 3 months.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test

Free, confidential finger-prick hepatitis C test posted to anyone over 18 with an address in England; result within 2 weeks, free NHS treatment if positive.

NHS England's hepatitis C programme posts a free self-sampling kit to people aged over 18 living in England. You prick your finger, post the blood sample back and are contacted with the result within two weeks; if it is positive an NHS clinician calls to arrange free tablet treatment that cures most people in 8 to 12 weeks. It tests for hepatitis C only.

• Hepatitis C test

Free postal STI kit (HIV, syphilis, hep B and C, chlamydia, gonorrhoea) where your council funds it; results by text in about 72 hours.

SH:24 is a free online sexual health service funded by local councils, so you enter your postcode to see whether you can order. The kit uses a finger-prick blood sample for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, a urine sample for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and throat and rectal swabs are added when the questions you answer show you need them. Results usually come by text within 72 hours of the lab receiving your samples; condoms and PrEP can also be ordered in some areas.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test
• Hepatitis B test
• Hepatitis C test
• Throat and rectal swabs
• Free condoms
• PrEP
• Results by text

Free postal STI test kits for anyone in Northern Ireland aged 16 or over with no symptoms.

This is a postal service, not a clinic: order a kit online, it arrives in discreet packaging, you post samples back and get results by text or phone call. It is for people aged 16 or over with no symptoms; if you have symptoms, contact a GUM clinic. The Rainbow Project says kits can be sent to its Belfast office for collection if home delivery is a worry.

• STI testing
• HIV testing
• Home test kits

Free postal STI kit for Dorset residents via the Click-It online service; chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis after a short online assessment.

Dorset HealthCare's sexual health service lets anyone living in Dorset order a free postal STI test through Click-It after registering for a Personal Health Record. A quick online assessment picks the right kit, which can include tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis. Once you have ordered a kit you are asked not to book a clinic appointment unless you develop symptoms.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test

Free NHS postal STI kit for over-16s in most London boroughs; blood test for HIV, syphilis, hep B and C plus chlamydia and gonorrhoea swabs.

Sexual Health London, operated by Preventx with Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust, posts a free self-sampling kit to people aged 16 or over who live in a participating borough (30 are listed; Croydon, Greenwich and Hillingdon are not on the list). Kits include a finger-prick blood test for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C and a urine or vaginal sample for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, with extra throat and rectal swabs if your consultation shows you are at risk. Results come by text or email, and the site also offers contraception and PrEP information.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test
• Hepatitis B test
• Hepatitis C test
• Throat and rectal swabs
• Results by text

Free NHS Wales postal kits for over-16s: chlamydia/gonorrhoea swabs (incl. throat and rectal) and a blood kit for HIV, syphilis, hep B and C.

Public Health Wales runs a free Test and Post service for people in Wales aged 16 or over. You can order a chlamydia and gonorrhoea kit (urine, vaginal, throat or rectal swabs) and a separate finger-prick blood kit that tests for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C; free condoms and lube can be ordered too. Results should arrive within 3 weeks of posting the kit back, with negatives sent by text and positives followed up by your local sexual health service.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test
• Hepatitis B test
• Hepatitis C test
• Throat and rectal swabs
• Free condoms
• Results by text

Free postal chlamydia and gonorrhoea pack (postcode restricted) plus HIV and syphilis home kits ordered via sh.uk; text results within 7 working days.

Spectrum Community Health's sexual health service in Wakefield and Barnsley offers a free postal pack to test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea at home (urine sample or vaginal swab, subject to postcode), and separate home kits for HIV and syphilis ordered through the sh.uk portal or via its clinics. Results are texted within 7 working days of the lab receiving your sample.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test
• Results by text

HIV self-test by post for over-18s anywhere in the UK, £16 incl. delivery; free kits in some areas or if you can't afford it. Result in minutes.

Terrence Higgins Trust posts HIV self-test kits (finger-prick blood or oral swab) to any UK address for people aged 18 or over who do not know their status or last tested negative. Kits cost from £16 with free postage, but in some areas the charity funds them for free and a limited number of free kits are available to people on a low income. You do the test yourself and read the result within a few minutes; THT Direct offers support on 0808 802 1221.

• HIV test

Free NHS home STI kits for people in Manchester, Trafford and Salford, ordered through a Personal Health Record; posted same day, results by text.

The Northern, run by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, offers free home testing kits to people living in Manchester, Trafford and Salford through its online Personal Health Record. You answer a few questions so the right tests are chosen, the kit is posted the same working day if ordered before 4pm, and results come by text. New kits are released daily at 8.30am.

• Results by text

Free NHS self-sampling kit for over-16s in Birmingham or Solihull: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis, plus hepatitis B for men who have sex with men.

Umbrella, run by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, sends a free postal STI kit to anyone aged 16 or over living in Birmingham or Solihull. Every kit tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis, and men who have or have had sex with men also get a hepatitis B test; kit variants include rectal and oral swabs. Results can take up to 10 working days after the lab receives your kit.

• HIV test
• Syphilis test
• Chlamydia test
• Gonorrhoea test
• Hepatitis B test
• Throat and rectal swabs

Free home STI test for over-16s through Derbyshire's NHS service and SH:24; pee and blood sample, sometimes mouth or rectal swab; results by text within a week.

Derbyshire's sexual health service offers a free and confidential STI test by post through its partner SH:24 for people aged 16 or over (under-16s are asked to visit a clinic). The kit usually needs a urine sample and a finger-prick blood sample, and some people are sent a mouth or rectal swab as well. Results come by text within a week.

• Throat and rectal swabs
• Results by text

Free postal STI kit (blood, urine, throat or rectal swab) for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire; results by text within 72 hours.

Yuno is the free NHS-backed sexual health service for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, delivered with SH:24, Brook and Brigstowe. Its postal kits test for the most common STIs using a blood sample, urine sample or a vaginal, throat or rectal swab depending on your answers. Results are texted usually within 72 hours of your samples reaching the lab.

• Throat and rectal swabs
• Results by text

Free postal STI screening kit from iCaSH (NHS) for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, Norfolk and Peterborough; results in an online portal.

iCaSH's Express Test is a free, confidential way to screen for STIs without visiting a clinic, delivered with Preventx and available across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, Norfolk and Peterborough. You order through the online portal and view current and past results in your own patient account. The page does not spell out which infections are included.

• Results online

National helpline for parents, families and friends of LGBT+ people who want support or someone to talk to.

A volunteer-run charity supporting the families and loved ones of LGBT+ people, useful if a parent or relative is struggling after you come out. Support is by phone helpline; there is no centre to visit.

• Helpline
• Peer support

Free national helpline for LGBT+ people facing domestic abuse, sexual violence, hate crime, conversion practices or other abuse.

A confidential helpline, email and webchat service run by an LGBT+ anti-abuse charity for anyone LGBT+ in the UK, plus friends, family and professionals. Advisors are trained in domestic abuse, sexual assault and rape, and conversion practices, and calls can last up to 40 minutes. Phone, email help@galop.org.uk or use the webchat on the site.

• Helpline
• Hate crime support
• Advice and advocacy
• LGBT-specific service

Free helpline for LGBTQ+ people in Scotland: emotional support and information by phone, live chat or email.

A free helpline run by LGBT Health and Wellbeing where trained volunteers offer a listening ear, information and signposting, including around hate crime, substance use, domestic abuse and sexual health. Call, use live chat or email during opening times; no referral needed.

• Helpline
• Mental health support
• Hate crime support
• Drug and alcohol support
• LGBT-specific service

Support line, safe housing and social groups for LGBTQI asylum seekers and refugees already in the UK.

Helps LGBTQI people seeking asylum and refugees with temporary safe housing, free workshops, peer support groups and community events, and help moving into work once status is granted. Call the free support line or email with your name, where you live, phone number and whether you need a translator. It can only help people already in the UK.

• Helpline
• Housing support
• Peer support
• Support groups
• LGBT-specific service

Volunteer-run evening helpline for LGBT+ people in Nottinghamshire, by phone, text, email or online chat.

A listening and information service that has run since 1975, giving support and understanding and pointing callers to local groups and services. Call, text 07481 344040, email or use the online chat on weekday evenings.

• Helpline
• Peer support
• LGBT-specific service

Free legal information and emotional support for LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum or applying for partner visas.

Gives free, confidential specialist legal information and advice plus emotional support to LGBTQI+ people going through the asylum system, and legal advice for people who want to live in the UK with a partner. Get help through the online form or by phone. The office does not take drop-ins - appointment only.

• Advice and advocacy
• Helpline
• LGBT-specific service

Free housing advice line for LGBTQ+ people of any age who are homeless or living somewhere unsafe.

Gives housing advice and support to LGBTQ+ people anywhere in the UK, with specialist help around domestic abuse, plus supported accommodation in London, Brighton and Eastbourne. Call the free advice line on weekday mornings, use the online referral form or live chat, or go to its Friday drop-in at London Friend.

• Housing support
• Helpline
• Advice and advocacy
• Drop-in
• LGBT-specific service

National listening service for LGBT+ people by phone, email and online chat.

A listening service for LGBT+ people who want to talk something through, available by phone, email and online chat. Contact details and opening times are on its website.

• Helpline
• LGBT-specific service

Terrence Higgins Trust's helpline for HIV and sexual health questions and emotional support, weekdays 10am-6pm.

A phone, email and live chat service offering emotional support if you are worried about your sexual health or living with HIV. Advisers can explain HIV and STI testing, PrEP and PEP, and point you to local services. There is no centre to visit: the London head office is not open to the public.

• Helpline
• HIV support

South West HIV and sexual health charity: HIV testing, online HIV peer groups, chemsex support, PrEP info and condoms.

HIV and sexual health charity covering Plymouth, Devon and Torbay, Cornwall, Somerset and Gloucestershire. It offers HIV testing, support for people living with HIV including online peer groups, chemsex support, PEP and PrEP information and condoms by post. Call the freephone number or email to get help.

• HIV support
• Peer support
• Support groups
• Helpline
• HIV testing
• Chemsex support
• Free condoms

Charity offering free rapid HIV and syphilis tests in central Wakefield and community venues. Book online or call.

Tests are booked online or by ringing the team, and take place in a private office in Wakefield centre or at community venues. The charity also posts free condoms to Wakefield postcodes and offers peer support and counselling, including for people on PrEP.

• Appointments
• HIV testing
• STI testing
• Free condoms
• Counselling

Charity offering free rapid HIV tests, home HIV kits, STI screening and condoms for Black and minoritised communities.

Book a rapid HIV test online through the charity's site or meet the team at community outreach events; home HIV kits and free condoms by post are also offered. The service is aimed at Black and racially minoritised people across Greater Manchester rather than at gay and bi men specifically.

• Appointments
• HIV testing
• STI testing
• Home test kits
• Free condoms

East London LGBT mental health and wellbeing charity offering counselling, advice, support groups and community activities.

An LGBT mental health and wellbeing organisation offering counselling, advice and information, mental health support, wellbeing and support groups and community activities. Its website is being rebuilt, so the way in at the moment is to phone or email.

• Counselling
• Mental health support
• Support groups
• Advice and advocacy
• Youth services
• LGBT-specific service

Health and wellbeing charity (home of GMFA) with online peer-support forums and online HangOuts groups, including a men's 40+ group.

Runs online forums for peer support and counselling, and online support and social groups called HangOuts, including groups for South Asian gay, bi and trans men, people over 50, and a Forty & Beyond group for gay, bi and trans men. It also publishes GMFA health information for gay and bi men. Everything is accessed through the website rather than by visiting.

• Peer support
• Support groups
• Counselling
• LGBT-specific service

Peer support, groups, counselling and one-to-one support for LGBT people across Lancashire. No drop-in.

Offers free groups including Manspace, a peer support group for gay, bi, trans and queer men, plus counselling, one-to-one support, a walking group and an information service. Phone or email first; the office cannot take visitors without an appointment.

• Peer support
• Support groups
• Counselling
• Mental health support
• Trans services
• LGBT-specific service

Free counselling, coaching, peer support and wellbeing workshops for adults living with HIV in London.

One-to-one and group support for people living with or affected by HIV, including counselling, life coaching, peer support, art therapy, wellbeing workshops and dietitian advice, with online and phone options. Its Connect Well programme is free for over-18s in London's HIV community. Phone to get started, or a professional can refer you online.

• HIV support
• Peer support
• Counselling

HIV support charity for Hampshire and South West Surrey with drop-in centres in Aldershot and Southampton.

Charity giving emotional and practical support to people and families affected by HIV. It runs confidential drop-in centres in Aldershot and Southampton and offers HIV information, one-to-one support, counselling, complementary therapies and condoms, free to registered users. Use the contact form on the website to register and get the centre details.

• HIV support
• Drop-in
• Counselling
• Free condoms

HIV outpatient department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham with counsellors, psychologists and social workers on the team.

Outpatient care for people living with HIV from specialist consultants and a wider team including pharmacists, health advisers, mental health counsellors, psychologists and social workers. The trust's page gives only the hospital switchboard as a contact route.

• HIV treatment and care
• Counselling
• Mental health support

HIV support and LGBTQ+ support charity covering Berkshire and Hampshire. Contact by phone, WhatsApp or email.

Charity providing HIV support services and LGBTQ+ support services across Berkshire and Hampshire, with named support managers for each area. There is no public centre address; get in touch by phone, WhatsApp or email and a worker will arrange support.

• HIV support
• LGBT-specific service

Grocery deliveries and nutrition support for people living with HIV in London who are in hardship. Referral only.

Food and nutrition help for people living with HIV in London and their dependants, mainly through grocery deliveries to people in serious hardship. You cannot refer yourself: a social worker, HIV organisation or healthcare professional such as your clinic doctor or dietitian has to refer you.

• HIV support

LGBTIQ+ homelessness project in London offering crisis shelter, a community centre and street outreach.

Gives short-term crisis accommodation to LGBTIQ+ people who have become homeless while living in London, alongside an LGBTIQ+ centre, a Westminster outreach service and a winter night shelter for trans people. Shelter places come through its own outreach and centre team rather than outside agencies. Contact is by the 'Write to us' form on the website.

• Housing support
• LGBT-specific service
• Trans services

Wales-wide support service for sexual diversity, reachable by phone, text or email.

A Welsh support service for LGBTQ+ people covering health, home, identity, education and the criminal justice system, including help reporting crime. Contact them by phone, text (07520 645700) or email; BSL and interpreter support can be arranged.

• Advice and advocacy
• Hate crime support
• Trans services
• LGBT-specific service

Charity helping LGBTQ+ people aged 16 to 25 who are homeless or living in a hostile home.

Supports LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25 facing homelessness or an unsafe home, with one-to-one caseworkers, help finding safe housing and emergency accommodation. Refer yourself online, use the live chat on the website, or phone the nearest office. Offices are appointment-only.

• Housing support
• Youth services
• Advice and advocacy
• LGBT-specific service

Housing and homelessness support for LGBTQ+ people aged 16 to 25, by appointment at akt's Bristol office.

akt helps LGBTQ+ young people aged 16 to 25 who are homeless or living in a hostile home, with housing support, casework and live chat. The Bristol office sees people by appointment only; refer yourself with the online form or phone on weekdays.

• Housing support
• Advice and advocacy
• Youth services
• LGBT-specific service