Website of the Department of Health

For everyone

Your GP can discuss your personal and sexual problems with you, then refer you to experts within the NHS or to an NHS family planning clinic if necessary.

Brook Advisory Centres welcome disabled people up to age 25 at their 17 centres around the country, and they have a confidential young people's information service.
Helpline: 0800 0185023 (Mon-Fri 9.00-17.00) to locate the nearest centre or for emergency advice.
Website: www.brook.org.uk.

Disability, Pregnancy and Parenthood International (DPPi) and Disabled Parents Network (DPN), at the National Centre for Disabled Parents, are run by disabled people to promote better awareness and support for disabled parents during pregnancy and as parents.
DPPi Helpline: 0800 0184730; Textphone: 0800 0189949; Website: www.dppi.org.uk.
DPN Helpline: 0870 2410450; Textphone: 0800 0189949;
Website: www.disabledparentsnetwork.org.uk.

Family Planning Association (FPA) provides a nationwide information and education service on all aspects of contraception and sexual health.The FPA can also give details of your nearest source of family planning help and advice.
Helpline: 0845 3101334 (Mon-Fri 9.00-19.00).
Scotland helpline: (0141) 576 5088 (Mon-Thurs 9.00-17.00, Fri 9.00-16.30).
Northern Ireland helpline: (028) 9032 5488 or (028) 7126 0016 (Mon-Thurs 9.00-17.00, Fri 9.00-16.30).
Website: www.fpa.org.uk.

Relate offers counselling to adult couples with relationship difficulties, whether or not they are married.There are nearly 100 centres throughout England and Wales, some of which have counsellors with specialist understanding of the needs of disabled people. Relate also publishes a wide range of helpful literature. Tel: 0845 4561310 or look in the phone book for your local centre. For the Relate Direct telephone counselling service, book a session on 0845 1304016.
Website: www.relate.org.uk.

Couple Counselling Scotland.Tel: (0131) 558 9669.

• Brook (opens new window)
• Disability, pregnancy and parenthood international (opens new window)
• Disabled Parents Network (opens new window)
• FPA (opens new window)
• Relate (opens new window)

For all disabled people

Association to Aid the Sexual and Personal Relationships of People with a Disability (formerly SPOD) has ceased to exist. SPOD has transferred its remaining assets to The Outsiders. Whilst not having the same expertise and psychosexual staff or training for health professionals, The Outsiders will endeavour to answer as many queries and offer help and advice where possible. Please visit their web site to find out more about what they can offer.

• The Outsiders (opens new window)

For people with particular disabilities

British Deaf Association (BDA) offers people who are deaf or hard of hearing information and support about sexually transmitted diseases, safer sex, sexuality and sexual relationships, pregnancy and contraception.
Helpline (voice): 0870 7703300;
Textphone: 0800 5522965 (Mon-Fri 9.00-17.00);
Email: helpline@bda.org.uk.
BDA Northern Ireland:
Voice: (028) 9072 7400;
Textphone: (028) 9043 4755;
Email: northernireland@bda.org.uk.
BDA Scotland:
Voice: (0131) 221 2600;
Textphone: (0131) 229 3833;
Email: scotland@bda.org.uk.
BDA Wales:
Tel: (029) 2030 2216;
Textphone: (029) 2030 2217.

DISCERN offers counselling to people with physical disabilities or learning disabilities who wish to explore issues around their sexuality and personal relationships.
Tel: (01623) 623732;
Textphone: (01623) 473216

Genetic Interest Group (GIG) is concerned with issues of genetic disorders and co-ordinates groups specialising in particular disorders. Its information service provides addresses where people who are worried about passing on a disability to the next generation can find help locally.
Tel: (020) 7704 3141;
Website: www.gig.org.uk.

Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) has welfare counselling services that provide counselling and advice to help solve problems, including personal and sexual ones, and put people in touch with one another. SIA produces a range of publications about sexual issues and a newsletter in which readers discuss matters regularly and fully.
Helpline: 0800 9800501;
Website: www.spinal.co.uk.

The Source (Young Arthritis Care) is for people under 45 with arthritis. It has a nationwide network of over 80 contacts, all of them young people with arthritis. Contact Arthritis Care.
Tel: 0808 8082000 (Mon-Fri 10.00-14.00);
Website: www.arthritiscare.org.uk.

Reference point: Relate, Family Planning Association, Headway,ASBAH, Huntington's Disease Association, Stroke Association and Spinal Injuries Association are among the organisations producing helpful publications.

• Email: helpline@bda.org.uk (opens new window)
• Email: northernireland@bda.org.uk (opens new window)
• Email: scotland@bda.org.uk (opens new window)
• Genetic Interest Group (GIG) (opens new window)
• Spinal Injuries Association (opens new window)
• Arthritis Care (opens new window)