Advice, Support and Information for the LGBTQ+ Community!

Over the Rainbow is an NHS Initiative for the local Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community in Bournemouth, Weymouth and Dorset. We offer information for individuals and their families with issues relating to:

• Sexuality
• Sexual Health
• Sexual Identity
• HIV

Working closely with local agencies, we also host a variety of support and social groups.

Counselling service

Our counselling service is available for you to discuss problems in a safe, confidential space with a qualified, professional counsellor, helping you to see things from a different perspective, think and act more productively and feel more confident in yourself.

We work closely with local drug and alcohol agencies if you feel you need a referral to a specialist service.

We would like to empower and support you to take care of yourself as a whole, to educate you and provide easy access to condoms and lube, reducing the risk of catching a sexually transmitted infection.

Health services

We’re here to provide advice, support and information for a healthier community. Our services include:

• Sexual health information & advice
• General health information
• Health promotion
• Psychological support
• Help to stop smoking
• We provide condoms, dental dams & lube
• Advocacy
• Risk assessment work
• Coming out support
• Self esteem encouragement
• Sexuality advice & support
• Peer support
• 1 to 1 or group training

The services we offer are available in person or over the telephone. Staff are present in Bournemouth, Weymouth and at other venues throughout the county. There are many good resources available to you, if they are not enough, we can extend them or provide you with more help and information.

We are staffed by doctors and nurses from West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust and supported by the community.

Sexual health clinic

At Over The Rainbow we can help you consider HIV/Hepatitis/Syphilis testing, hepatitis vaccinations, discuss sexually transmitted infections and regular sexual health screening and now offer full screening of sexually transmitted infections.

Clinics are staffed by NHS health care professionals. We are able to offer you private and confidential screening for:

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhoea
• Syphilis
• HIV
• HEP B
• HEP C

Additionally we offer:

• Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
• Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
• Hepatitis A and B vaccinations
• HPV vaccinations
• Sexual health advice
• Risk reduction
• Free condoms, dams & lube

Results are usually available within 7 to 10 working days and can be sent to you via text message.