NURSES at Chelmsford's new sexual health clinic were delighted to show it off to the community.
Health executives, medical staff and the Mayor and Mayoress of Chelmsford celebrated the official opening of the Fairfield Centre, in the grounds of the bus station, in Dukes Walk, on Thursday last week.
Since moving from the old clinic, on New London Road, last September, the team has noticed a sharp increase in the number of patients visiting.
Senior Sister Barbara Phillips has been working in sexual health for 18 years and has seen a big change in the stigma attached to such issues.
She said: "It is very low compared to years ago when I began working in this area.
"It was a scandal to come to one of these places, if you were seen it was like 'oh, who have you been sleeping with?'
"But it is people's responsibility to come here and people now are more aware of that."
Sister Phillips believes the average age of a patient is 17 to 35-years-old but, she added: "There is also a statistic that there has been a rise of patients between the age of 35 and 60-years-old who are separating or divorced, who visit before they start a new relationship."
The centre has ten clinical examination rooms, a laboratory, offices, recuperation room and consulting rooms.
Since moving centres, they have been able to extend opening times by an extra day a week, and now open Monday to Saturday from 8am.
There are also outreach centres in Maldon, Braintree and South Woodham Ferrers for people who cannot make it into the city.
"We needed the support from the executives to make this happen and we could not have done it without them," said Sister Phillips.
The team consists of about 20 full-time staff, including receptionists, nurses, a PA, advisors and health care workers.
Their aim is to advise all patients to undergo a full check up, even if they are just worried about one particular infection.
Of all sexually transmitted infections (STIs), nurses have said people contracting chlamydia is still the most common, but on the rise is the number treated for herpes.
New nurse to the team Sarah O'Connor said: "People often come in saying they are concerned about chlamydia, but if they think they have this, it is highly probable they have something else as well.
"When you explain it to them about how they benefit from having a full check-up, most of them do it, but there are some who are adamant they just want to do what they want.
"Visitors arrive with very sensitive issues, but they always comment on how welcoming everyone is.
Stigma
"We hope we can somehow remove some of the stigma attached to these issues, after all, it is the same as visiting your GP or dentist."
Lead nurse Lorena Allinson is proud of her new clinic.
She said: "We help people here with their testing and treatments; it is all free, like it should be.
"When I started in the field it was all about wart treatment, but now people do that themselves and use the clinic to get tested for HIV, and all STIs.
"We want to make this the most welcoming place for people; this is the best job in the world because you get to talk to people, and I love talking to people."
