11 March 2026
Wolverhampton is seeing the benefits of making sexual health services easier to access, with a sharp rise in sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing – and testing rates outstripping both the West Midlands and England averages.
The City of Wolverhampton Council has been working with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Wolverhampton’s sexual health service, Embrace, to promote online STI testing, which is helping to remove barriers like clinic opening hours, travel and stigma, and reaching people who might not otherwise get tested.
Last year, residents made 7,549 requests for a home test, showing that a simple, private and convenient service is helping people take control of their sexual health.
Although more tests are being carried out and more infections are being identified, the proportion of positive results has fallen. This points to more residents testing regularly and getting treated earlier – helping to both reduce the spread of infections and supporting better overall sexual health across the city.
Councillor Obaida Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Community, said: “Increasing STI screening is essential in order to reduce infections and improve sexual health – and these results show that when you make testing easy, people will use it.
“By expanding access and giving people more choice in how they get tested – either from the comfort of home or at a clinic – we are increasing uptake and speeding up diagnosis and treatment. This in turn is helping us detect infections earlier and reduce transmission in the wider community.”
To order a free home STI test, visit Embrace – Order your home STI test kit and select ‘Order your home STI test kit’. Clinics also remain open for testing, advice and treatment.
Condoms remain the most effective way to prevent STIs. Wolverhampton provides a free C Card scheme offering young people access to condoms through youth clubs, pharmacies, schools, health centres and young people’s services across the city.
People who are aged 19–24 and registered with Wolverhampton C Card can also order free condoms by post via Embrace, while over 25s can access free condoms by visiting a clinic.