Everyday life · England
Friendships, relationships and sexual health
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This guide is for adults in England.
It is about friendship, relationships, privacy and sexual health.
You may want friends, a partner or time on your own.
Tell your supporters what matters to you.
People can love people of the same gender or a different gender.
You can ask for help understanding your sexuality or gender.
Your privacy matters.
Ask supporters to knock before entering your room.
Sex needs each person's free agreement.
This is called consent.
You can change your mind and stop.
Nobody can agree to sex or marriage for you.
This includes family members and support workers.
A sexual health clinic can give you advice and tests.
NHS sexual health clinics are free.
Ask for information you understand.
You can ask to speak privately at your appointment.
Tell someone you trust if a person pressures or hurts you.
Ask to speak without that person there.
What you can do next
Ask for information in a way that works for you.
You can ask someone you trust to help.
Find a sexual health clinic Web pageThis link opens another website.
It may use harder words.
More useful links
- Find sexual health help Web page
Find a local NHS clinic and learn what support it offers.
- LGBTQ+ information and Easy Read resources Web pageEasy Read resources
Supported Loving resources about sexuality, gender and inclusion.
- Relationships and sex resources Web page
An NHS collection of accessible information. Some linked leaflets use explicit educational pictures.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Friendships, relationships and sexual health
Support for friendships, dating, privacy, consent and looking after your sexual health.
Adults · England · Individual relationship and communication support
Start with what you want
You may want friendships, dating, a partner or time on your own. Receiving support does not make these wishes less important. Ask your support team to help with practical barriers, such as arranging visits, transport, accessible activities or time together. Adults should be treated as adults. People with profound and multiple learning disabilities also need opportunities for meaningful relationships.
Your identity and privacy
People have different sexual orientations and gender identities. You may be lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, asexual or use other words, or none. Ask for information that helps you explore your own feelings without pressure. Discuss privacy with supporters: knocking before entering, time for private conversations and who needs to know personal information. Do not assume families or staff already know what someone wants.
Understand consent
Consent to sexual activity means agreeing freely, with the ability to make that choice. Agreement to one activity does not mean agreement to everything. Either person can change their mind or stop. Being in a relationship or having agreed before does not remove the need for consent now. Pressure, threats and fear are not a free choice. Ask for accessible teaching about boundaries and saying or showing no.
Nobody can consent for you
The Mental Capacity Act does not allow anyone to consent to sex, marriage or a civil partnership on another person's behalf. A relative, deputy or court cannot supply that consent under the Act. Use the linked decision-making guides if there are concerns about capacity. Get specialist advice and appropriate communication support; do not use a generic checklist as a legal assessment.
Get sexual health advice
NHS sexual health clinics provide free, confidential care, including contraception advice and tests for sexually transmitted infections. Ask for an accessible appointment, information you understand and a supporter if you want one. You can ask to speak privately. Staff should explain if a concern about harm means information needs to be shared. Use the NHS clinic finder to find local help.
Support safety without losing your voice
Tell someone you trust if another person pressures, controls or hurts you. Ask to speak without that person present. The safeguarding and abuse guides explain help routes. Supporters should listen to the person's own communication, check uncertain interpretations and seek appropriate advice rather than treating silence as agreement.
Words you could use
“I want support with relationships and privacy. Please help me get information I understand and respect how I communicate my choices.”
More useful links
- Find sexual health help Web page
Find a local NHS clinic and learn what support it offers.
- LGBTQ+ information and Easy Read resources Web pageEasy Read resources
Supported Loving resources about sexuality, gender and inclusion.
- Relationships and sex resources Web page
An NHS collection of accessible information. Some linked leaflets use explicit educational pictures.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 27 October 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- CQC: relationships and sexuality in adult social care PDF
Supporting adult relationships, privacy and expression of sexuality.
- Choice Support: Supporting LGBTQ+ People Web page
Inclusive support and accessible resources about sexuality and gender identity.
- Crown Prosecution Service: what is consent? PDF
Free choice, capacity, limits of consent and the right to withdraw consent.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005, section 27 Web page
The Act cannot authorise consent to sex, marriage or civil partnership on someone else's behalf.
- NHS: find a sexual health clinic Web page
Free services, confidentiality, support at appointments and harm-related information sharing.
- Dorset HealthCare NHS: relationships and sex Web page
Accessible resources for people with learning disabilities and supporters.