so where did you first get your contraception/sexual health advice then?

[Heathcliffscathy]

not many replies on the Brook thread here so I'm wondering, where did you go when you first decided that sex was for you/when sex first reared it's head/when you needed some sexual advice? how old were you and where did you turn?

My dad had a chat with me when I moved in with him aged 16 and drove me to where the local family planning clinic was to make an appointment to speak to a nurse there.
I'm glad he did as I think I would have struggled to access the facilities otherwise as I would have been far too shy to ask anyone outright due to growing up in a household that did not speak of such things (thanks for that mum).
The people there were really nice and easy to talk to, gave me lots of advice about contraception and also made it very clear that if I ever needed to talk about sex or anything to do with relationships that they were there to listen. Plus they gave me a big paper bag full of free condoms which my terribly immature friends and I had great fun blowing up and using as balloons

Yes unfortunately I did the blowing up condoms thing too.

More experienced friends to begin with, then the FPC. My GP refused to give me the pill at 16 because he was uncomfortable with keeping secrets from my mother (This was the late 70s)
FPC was very helpful and non-judgy. Friends had a wide range of experience and were comfortable talking about stuff.

that's the problem with GPs when you're young...sometimes when you're not so young. #judgey

My mum bought me a book called 'diary of a teenage health freak' which was pretty comprehensive plus both my parents are pharmacists so I knew all about contraception from working in their shop.

Forgot to add, I was about 14. Didn't have sex for 4 more years but I think mum reckoned 'better a year too early than a day too late'.