Guidance
Glossary
Glossary
Black Africans
The term 'black African' includes anyone who identifies themselves as black African, whether they are migrants from Africa, African descendants or African nationals.
Competence
In this guideline, competence refers to an assessment of whether a young person has maturity and understanding to make decisions and provide consent. This is sometimes called 'Gillick competence' and may be applied through 'Fraser guidelines' (see section 6 of Brook and Public Health England's C-Card condom distribution schemes).
Dental dam
A thin, square piece of rubber that is placed over the labia or anus during oral-vaginal or oral-anal intercourse.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
A month-long course of drugs that can prevent HIV infection after the virus has entered a person's body. The sooner PEP is started, the more likely it is to work. A course of PEP needs to start within 72 hours of exposure otherwise it is unlikely to work.
Public sex environments
Public areas where people go for consensual sexual contact (both same sex and opposite sex).
Sex-on-premises venues
This term is used for commercial venues, as opposed to public spaces and parks, where men who have sex with men can meet and have sexual relations on site. A similar term, 'on-premises club', is used by heterosexual swingers to describe a sex club where non-commercial sexual activity takes place.
For a glossary of public health and social care terms see the Think Local, Act Personal Care and Support Jargon Buster.