Whether it’s a festival, party, gathering or pride event 🎉 –

let’s look after each other! 🤗

Check out our online queer guide below for wellbeing & harm reduction info and links to helpful resources ✌🏾😘

Check in on your friends 🫂 – if they’re not having a good time, find support. Many events have welfare or specialist security support. Let’s look after each other!

QUICK TIPS :)
Be prepared! Have everything you need with you: HIV meds, PrEP, condoms, lube, gloves, phone charger 📱, harm reduction resources, water, sun cream.

QUICK TIPS :)
Keep hydrated! 💦 Remember to drink water, especially if you’ve been dancing, moving around a lot, or been in the sun.

QUICK TIPS :)
Slap-on that sunscreen! 🌞🧴 That sun can get strong – even in the UK summer! Sunscreen, head scarves, and sunhats can help reduce sun damage and help avoid hydration. If you’re using DoxyPEP (see below) make sure to be sun-safe.

QUICK TIPS :)
Know about consent! Know what’s OK and what isn’t. Grab support if you don’t feel safe or comfortable in a space (see below). 👇

QUICK TIPS :)
Mask-up in enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces 😷. COVID is still out there and is making some of us really sick.

QUICK TIPS :)
Got a cough or flu-like symptoms? 🤧 Please take-a-break until your symptoms have subsided: many of us in our communities have to do everything we can not to get sick, including those of us with disabilities or compromised immune systems.

QUICK TIPS :)
Wash your hands! 🧼 🫧 Remember to use soap and water to wash your hands, especially after going to the toilet, and especially when there are lots of people at an event (such as a festival or pride event).

QUICK TIPS :)

Sexual health and well-being tips

Make sure you have enough PrEP before you head out or travel. HIV PrEP is FREE on the NHS across the UK. Find out more about PrEP and your nearest sexual health clinic here.
If you’re planning to travel, make sure you’ve got enough HIV meds with you. It’s strongly advised to carry all meds in hand-luggage, in case checked-in luggage gets delayed.
HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP – different from PrEP) is available from some A+E centres (especially during weekends and evenings) and sexual health clinics. PEP needs to be taken within 72 hours of an HIV exposure, and ideally within 24 hours.
DoxyPEP is a fairly new way of taking antibiotics soon after sex to reduce bacterial STIs. It’s important to know how to use DoxyPEP. Check out our new Guide to DoxyPEP.
If there’s a chance you won’t go home, or will stay out partying, make sure you’ve got the supplies you need with you. Lots of people use metal bullet-pill holders that can be attached to a key fob, to hold meds like PrEP.

Need a sexual health check-up now or after the festival season?

Sexual health testing and treatment is FREE on the NHS via sexual health services. 🧑🏾‍⚕️

Find your closest clinic here:

ENGLAND

NORTHERN IRELAND

SCOTLAND

WALES

If you DON'T have any STI symptoms, you can use a postal testing service such as Sexual Health London (SHL). 📮

It's a FREE and discreet sexual health service for Londoners. Receive your test kit or contraception at home quickly and discreetly.

Other online testing services include:

WALES

BRISTOL

Chilling or partying?

Check out our Safer Chillouts Guide (available in five languages) with hints and links to partying as safely as possible.

Need free needles 💉 or other harm reduction resources?

Check out the resource list in the Safer Chillouts Guide. Some parts of the UK offer access to a free postal delivery service for harm reduction materials. Check out if you live in an area that is part of the scheme here.

Doing kink play?

Check out our Kink and Consent Guide to kink play with mutual pleasure and harm reduction in mind.

Need access to free condoms and/or lube? 💧

FREE stocks are often available from your local sexual health clinic or outreach service. Many community queer projects provide free condoms and/or lube (including internal condoms) during festivals and pride events.

Consent Tips

ALWAYS ask permission before you grope and grind. Just because someone’s booty or boobs are out, doesn’t mean you can cop-a-feel. ♡
Don’t push into a scene and start getting involved unless you’re obviously invited. If someone pushes your hand or body away – MOVE AWAY. ♡
If someone is so drunk or high that they can’t clearly communicate with you – they are NOT consenting. ♡
Taking sexualised photos or filming someone without their permission is shitty – and it’s illegal. ♡
Stealthing – removing a condom during sex without the consent of the other person/people – is considered rape under UK law. It’s also a crap thing to do. ♡
If you are being harassed or harangued - try to move away from the situation and alert a staff member or a security immediately. They take consent seriously. ♡

Sex space etiquette 💅🏽

Sex spaces, such as darkrooms, sex saunas and cruising spaces, have been an important part of queer cultures for centuries. You know what things can be like: you squeeze through a gap in a hedge, you push through a tiny door at the back of a bar, you pull back a curtain – and find yourself in a whole new wonderful, unexpected world.

If you happen upon a sex space, there are things you should know about the beautiful new land you find yourself in. Explore nicely – and don’t be a coloniser.

✘ It’s not a photo opportunity 📵

put your camera and your phone away – REALLY. There’s no bigger kink-shrinker than realising someone is taking pics without your consent. It’s shitty – and it’s illegal.

✘ It’s not a zoo 👀

there’s a difference between consensual observing and treating it like a freak show. Want to give new things a try? Great! Want to giggle with ya straight mates? Nah.

✘ It’s not a toilet 🚽

we know loo-queues can be a pain but don’t be a darkroom dumper. Someone has to clean it up. And without judgement, if you're feeling a little scatty in your sex play – take it out of the darkroom.

✔ Consent is hot 🥵

and in a darkroom consent is often harder to navigate (see Consent Tips). But consent is still hot, wherever it happens.

✔ Be respectful 🤝🏽

don’t force yourself on others – if people don’t want to engage, give them the opportunity to walk away.

✘ Don’t shame 🙅🏼

accidents happen; you might not be into the kink you’ve walked in on (turn around and walk away!); or someone might be in a hot, sweaty mess. Let’s support – not shame!

✔ Ask for help 🏳️

getting teased, harassed or harangued in a sex space? Ask welfare or security for help.

And finally…

✔ Clear up when you’re done 🗑️

you know those used condoms, lube wrappers, used tissues? Take ‘em out with you please – and don’t throw them in a hedge!

let’s look after each other! 🤗

Check in on your friends 🫂 – if they’re not having a good time, find support. Many events have welfare or specialist security support. Let’s look after each other!

Be prepared! Have everything you need with you: HIV meds, PrEP, condoms, lube, gloves, phone charger 📱, harm reduction resources, water, sun cream.

Keep hydrated! 💦 Remember to drink water, especially if you’ve been dancing, moving around a lot, or been in the sun.

Slap-on that sunscreen! 🌞🧴 That sun can get strong – even in the UK summer! Sunscreen, head scarves, and sunhats can help reduce sun damage and help avoid hydration. If you’re using DoxyPEP (see below) make sure to be sun-safe.

Know about consent! Know what’s OK and what isn’t. Grab support if you don’t feel safe or comfortable in a space (see below). 👇

Mask-up in enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces 😷. COVID is still out there and is making some of us really sick.

Got a cough or flu-like symptoms? 🤧 Please take-a-break until your symptoms have subsided: many of us in our communities have to do everything we can not to get sick, including those of us with disabilities or compromised immune systems.

Wash your hands! 🧼 🫧 Remember to use soap and water to wash your hands, especially after going to the toilet, and especially when there are lots of people at an event (such as a festival or pride event).