MBB Clinics

We are working with Barts Health NHS Trust and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Foundation Trust to start a cervical screening clinic especially for women who have experienced sexual violence, and a clinic where women who have been raped will be able to self-test for STIs.

We are starting these in direct response to requests from women we have worked with, who regardless of when they were raped, wanted a space where they feel in control, and their needs are met. The result is, we are starting the MBB clinics.

Later this year, you will be able to book yourself into these clinics via this website.

MBB Cervical Screening Clinic

By May 2015, we aim to have a cervical screening clinic especially for women who have experienced sexual violence. This will be based in the Ambrose Kings Centre (part of Barts Health NHS Trust), which is in Whitechapel, east London.

All of the female staff will be trained to work with women who have experienced sexual violence, and if you choose to use the service, you have the option of booking in for an initial consultation with a Sexual Violence Health Advocate (SVHA). She will be able to support you throughout the process. We understand that physical procedures can be emotional and stressful when the right support is not available.

The SVHA will discuss your needs with you, and how to ensure you are comfortable throughout the smear test. For example, if there are certain body positions you don’t like, places you don’t want to be touched, or phrases you would prefer are not used during the test – then these will not be used. The SVHA will also discuss grounding techniques to make the test easier for you, breathing exercises, and optional aromatherapy services as some women have reported this helps them feel calmer during testing. You don’t have to have the smear taken in one go, and can use a series of sessions to work up to the actual smear. For example, you or the nurse can insert the speculum at the entrance of the vagina in the first session, then a quarter of the way in during the second session, half way in during the third session, until you are ready to have it inserted the whole way and have the smear taken. You are welcome to insert the speculum yourself if this makes you feel more comfortable.

Before and after the test, we will offer you tea and cake, to ensure you feel calm and in a good frame of mind. We are also working with local businesses to offer a complimentary massage to every woman who uses the service. You can use this before or after your test, to help you feel relaxed.

MBB Self-testing Clinic

We aim to have this service set up by the end of 2015, based at 56 Dean Street, just off Shaftesbury Avenue in central London. This is to enable women who have been raped to self-test for STIs. This is because women we have worked with have said they want to be tested, whether they were raped recently or a long time ago, but don’t necessarily want to undress or be touched by anybody, including a healthcare professional.

The option of self-testing means you can anonymously book in through a machine at the Dean Street clinic, be supplied with a straightforward kit, and test yourself in a private space by following simple instructions. The results will then be texted to your mobile phone. If you require it, we can also supply you with the emergency contraceptive pill, and signpost you to other helpful services should you want this.

Check http://www.mybodybackproject.com/services-for-women/mbb-clinics/

April 15, 2015