We’ve put together a list of handy contacts for services
in Oxford that you may need during your time at Balliol, covering
Sexual Health, Help & Advice, Homophobia Reporting, and
Local Groups. If there is anything you need that’s not
listed here, try the OUSU website – http://www.ousu.org
– or speak to your reps.
Sexual Health
The Harrison Clinic (GUM clinic / STIs) offers free
testing for all sexually transmitted infections and advice
on safer sex. This page (http://www.brookes.ac.uk/student/services/health/sti.html)
gives lots of information about what an appointment is like,
and should answer most questions - although the information
given on how to get to the clinic is out of date.
01865 231231
The clinic is open 9.15 to 11.30 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
and Friday for drop-in checkups for people who don't have
any symptoms of an STI, and 11.30 to 5.30 on all weekdays
for appointments for anyone.
The Clinic is at the Churchill Hospital. Take bus 15 from
St Aldates stop G5; it takes 10 minutes and the buses come
every 10 to 20 minutes. The journey costs £2.40 return.
30 Minute HIV Tests: The Terrence Higgins Trust offers free HIV tests
with the results available after half an hour. They can also answer questions
about sexual health and sexuality, and provide free lube and condoms suitable
for anal sex.
The tests are available 12-4pm on the first Saturday of the month at the Trust's
offices at 43 Pembroke Street (01865 243389)
The Alec Turnbull Clinic (Family Planning) offers
advice on safe sex and all things sexual as well as providing
free contraception (including the Morning After Pill/72 Hour
Pill for free) and pregnancy tests. Drop in and wait to be
seen or make an appointment, or ring them up for advice over
the phone.
Contraception can also be obtained from the college doctors,
although not usually for free.
The Clinic is open 9.30am to 7pm Monday to Wednesday; 9.30am
to 4pm Thursday and Friday; 10.30am to 1.30pm Saturday.
01865 456666
Until May 3rd 2007 (approx date), the clinic is at the former
Blackbird Leas Helath Centre. Take bus 5 from Queen St stop
F4, or from Cowley Road. Buses come every 5-15 minutes and
take 25 minutes from Oxford centre or 15 minutes from Cowley
Rd. Ask the driver to let you off at the stop before The Blackbird
pub. A return costs £2.40. Blackbird Leys isn’t the nicest
of areas, so be a little cautious.
After May 3rd 2007 (approx date), the clinic will be at Raglan
House, on Between Towns Rd at the far end of Cowley Road.
Buses 1, 5 and 10 go here, all leaving from Queen Street or
Cowley Road, all taking 12 minutes and 5 minutes respectively,
all costing £2.40 for a return. You shouldn't have to wait
more than 10 minutes for one of these to arrive. Get off at
the Templar's Square stop, and Raglan house is the building
on the corner of Between Towns Rd and Barns Rd.
Nightline
Free, Open every day, 8pm-8am, 0th-9th week
(2)70270
free to call from university phones.
Nightline is a completely independent listening, support
and information service run for and by students. It aims to
provide every student in Oxford with the opportunity to talk
to someone in confidence. No contact is made with any outside
agency, academic department or anyone else; you don't even
have to give your name. No problem is too big or small to
share.
Alternatively, you can drop in to talk and have a cup of
tea at the nightline offices during the phoneline hours, at
16 Wellington Square
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~nightln/
Oxford Friend Oxford Lesbian and Gay Helpline
(01865) 726893
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings from 7:00pm to 9:00pm.
We have several phone lines, but if you get a recorded message
asking you to call back because our lines are busy, we're
sorry. Please don't give up ... give it a few minutes and
try us again. In general, calls do not take all that long
and we're sure you'll get through the next time you ring.
HALT Homophobia Awareness Liaison Team
(01865) 243389
If you have been the victim of a verbal or physical
homophobic assault, you can report it to the Oxford
Homophobia Awareness Liaison Team, a local Thames Valley Police/Terrence
Higgins Trust initiative to improve community safety for LGBT
people in Oxford.
Groups
Way Out
Oxford’s LGBT youth group, for people under the age
of 25.
Social activities are organised every Monday, and you can
chat to the youth workers about any issues that you are worried
about.
To come along to the group, call the Wayout mobile on 07706
772392 – the location cannot be displayed online for
safety reasons. info.oxford@tht.org.uk http://www.way-out.org.uk/
LGBsoc Oxford University’s LGB Society
Organises weekly social events around Oxford University –
Tuesday drinks, Sundays at G&Ds, Graduate Drinks, men’s
drinks and women’s wine and pizza nights.
Chat online to the Welfare Officers – add oxfordlgbwelfare@hotmail.co.uk
to your MSN friends.
LGBsoc also have a Queer library with DVDs and books you can
borrow – see the website for details. You can also subscribe
to the mailing list from the homepage. http://www.lgbsoc.com
