A SEXUAL health charity is trying to encourage people to get tested for sexually transmitted infections.

The Terrence Higgins Trust has partnered with Brighton and Hove's Sexual Health and Contraception Service, the city council's public health team, ahead of Brighton and Hove STI Testing Week, which starts on October 11.

They are hoping people will get tested for STI's whether it be at home, a clinic or at a local venue.

The Brighton and Hove area has some of the highest rates of STIs in the country, which is why the annual week – now in its seventh year – is so important.

The lockdowns resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic mean fewer people have been screening for common STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea than usual. This has resulted in a 32 per cent fall in STI diagnoses in Brighton and Hove from 3,562 in 2019 to 2,418 in 2020.

But STIs are still circulating, and it's as important as ever to get tested and, if appropriate, access free treatment.

STIs are easily passed on through sexual contact and often symptomless. If left untreated, they can become more serious and even impact fertility. Regular testing is important as it minimises the chances of infection passing on and provides the early treatment.

Self-sampling kits to do at home can be ordered online from Brighton's Sexual Health and Contraception Service. Online tests involve you taking your own samples in the comfort of your own home and then posting them back to the lab.

Face-to-face testing for STIs, including HIV, is available from Terrence Higgins Trust at its base in Ship Street. Bookable appointments are available Monday-Friday between clinic 10am and 5pm.

If you have symptoms of an STI, the Morley Street walk-in clinic is open daily.

The team from Terrence Higgins Trust will also be out and about through the week, including drop-ins at:

• Boiler Room Sauna – October 12, 12-2pm

• Brighton Sauna – October 13, 6-9pm

• Amsterdam Bar – October 15, 7-10pm

Rory Finn, Health Promotion Practitioner at Terrence Higgins Trust in Brighton and Hove, said: "If everyone who is sexually active screens for STIs, we can reduces the number of onward infections. That's why Brighton and Hove STI Testing Week is such an important date in the diary.

"We're excited to get out and about across the city and surrounding area to deliver fast and free STI testing and answer questions. The service we deliver is always confidential and without judgement."

Have you got a story for us? Email news@theargus.co.uk or contact us here.

Follow us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates sent straight to your inbox.

You can also call us on 01273 021 400.