Bodyzone

Bodyzone is a confidential drop-in service providing young people with information and support on all aspects of physical, emotional mental and sexual health and contraception.

What happens at Bodyzone?

You can get leaflets, health advice (e.g. how to stop smoking), take part in health activities, or just talk to trained workers. Bodyzone centres are staffed by a team made up of a School Nurse, an Early Intervention Worker or Youth Worker and a Family Planning Nurse and, where possible, they are run by the same team every week so you can see the same person more than once, if you want to.

Any health advice you receive at a Bodyzone will be confidential, unless you want the workers to talk to someone. There is also an on-call GP who supports the team when necessary.

Bodyzones are deliberately based in or near schools so that young people can access them easily without the hassle of travelling or making special arrangements. However, they are not run by the school – although teachers are supportive of the service. Therefore, Bodyzone is an independent service.

Where and when are they?

There are many Bodyzones across Oxfordshire. Most are in rural communities, but there are health drop-ins for young people in Oxford and Banbury too. Bodyzones are usually based in secondary schools, or youth centres near a secondary school. This means young people can go to them easily without the hassle of travelling or making special arrangements.

Bodyzones are run at lunchtime once a week, often on a Monday or Tuesday.

Reasons for going to Bodyzone 

People go to Bodyzone for all sorts of different reasons. These might include:

• feeling stressed about exams
• needing advice about contraception
• worrying about bullying
• painful or irregular periods
• anxiety about drugs
• family stress
• worrying about weight or looks
• to find out more about safer sex
• feeling low, self-esteem problems
• problems with friends
• health worries.

Find out more about the questions people ask at Bodyzones.

What if you don't have a Bodyzone?

If you're not at school, or your school doesn't have a Bodyzone, you can:

• talk confidentially to your school’s health nurse.
• make an appointment to see your doctor without your parents' knowledge or consent, no matter how old you are. Doctors will keep your visits confidential as long as they feel sure that you understand what is going on and that you’re not in serious danger.
• get free and confidential sexual health advice from any family planning or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic.

My experience: ‘You can talk about secret stuff’

‘We found out about Bodyzone through the posters. And the teachers told me. The first time we went it was just a bit of fun. Sometimes people go all together, just taking the mick (boys especially) but you can see they're taking it all in really. You go back, and you do start to talk about problems. Secret stuff. Sometimes you don't want to talk to your mum or mates or whatever. You need to talk to someone different. We'd like more people to talk to: twice a week would be nice!’ – A, Kidlington

Find out more…

• NHS Direct Diagnose yourself, look at an encyclopaedia of illness, check to see if you need a doctor
• Teenage Health Freak Answers lots of young people's health worries, based in Oxford
• BBC Health Masses of health information from the BBC