SX Lothian

• Outreach services providing advice, information and resources for safer sex.
• 1-1 risk reduction support appointments around sexuality, risk reduction, ChemSex, PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) and PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) as well as strategies for staying safe online and cruising.
• Testing Services. We provide weekly drop in services (Checkpoint) at the SX Hub as well as by appointment throughout the week. We also provide dried blood spot testing (DBS) which tests for HIV, HepB and HepC. In addition, testing outreach services are held regularly at Crew, the drug awareness charity.
• Free condoms and lube are available at the SX Hub.
• Health promotion and training. We engage with groups to promote HIV awareness through partner organisations and run local events and campaigns for World AIDS Day and HIV Testing Week. We also offer a variety of training and education sessions for professionals free of charge.

Services offered to people living with HIV:  

• Emotional Health: Helping you feel less isolated, improving self-esteem, dealing with stigma/discrimination and dealing with change or loss.
• Physical Health: Supporting you to access clinical services and treatment, dealing with side effects of medication, advice on health, diet and exercise.
• New Diagnosis: Understanding treatment, preventing onward transmission, if, and how, to tell other people, thinking positively about the future.
• Meeting other people living with HIV: Speaking to someone who understands what you’re going through, supporting each other, making new friends
• Discussing if, and how, to tell other people, how to deal with different responses.
• Practical support and information: Assistance with welfare issues and knowing your rights.

• One to one support: Our Health Improvement Team will work with you, allowing you to make informed choices about the sex you are having, and your sexual, physical and mental health and wellbeing.
• We provide opportunities for men to meet up to chat, socialise and get support from each other in a confidential, relaxed setting. This can be as a group or with a trained peer support volunteer.
• Our Counselling service provides a space where men can talk about the challenges they are facing, free from judgement, and find support to identify ways to improve their sex, health and wellbeing.
• LGBT Health's helpline provides free and confidential access to support, information and advice.

You can find us in the community making sure people can access information, advice and distributing condoms and lube. We also have a presence on mobile apps, like Grindr, where you can ask us questions about anything relating to the sex you are having, your wellbeing and safer sex.

For more information, see our Community Outreach page.

We run regular testing clinics available to anyone at risk of HIV and Syphilis. 

The clinics alternate between Crew and venues in East and West Lothian. Clinics at Crew take place every second Thursday from 5-7pm, offering:

• Rapid HIV and Syphilis testing
• Advice and support with all things sexual health

The service is completely free and confidential. Drop-ins are welcome, but booking is recommended. Book by completing the online form, or by contacting info@s-x.scot.

Information about additional testing clinics, delivered by NHS Lothian’s ROAM Outreach team, can be found on their website.

• Free condoms and lube are available at the SX hub.
• We are a member of the c:card scheme, which you can register to receive free, confidential access to condoms and lube at over 80 sites across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
• We also supply free condoms and sachets of lube to Edinburgh’s gay bars, clubs and saunas.

We can support you to access remote reporting which allows you to report crimes to the police anonymously, or be with you should you need to give information or make a statement.

For more information, visit our Reporting Hate Crime page.