Flirting and dating in the UK: sexual health, safety and scams

Most Flirt Naughty readers are in the UK, so this page collects the practical facts that help when flirting turns into meeting: looking after your sexual health, knowing the law on images, reporting a scam in the right place, and who to call if something goes wrong. Each fact links to the official source; services and numbers change, so check with the organisation itself if it matters. Facts checked 18 October 2026.

UK numbers at a glance

The numbers below are the ones most worth saving before a first date.

Sexual health: free, confidential, no referral

NHS sexual health clinics offer free testing, treatment and contraception, and you can go without seeing your GP first. Find your nearest one with the NHS clinic finder, which also shows whether a clinic runs walk-in sessions or needs an appointment.

Emergency contraception is available from pharmacies as well as sexual health clinics. Getting tested regularly and using condoms with new partners is part of flirting being fun rather than worrying.

Home STI test kits by nation

You can often test at home instead of visiting a clinic, but how you get a kit depends on where you live.

The NHS sexual health services pages are the best starting point in England, and Public Health Wales links to the Welsh service.

Images, sexting and the law

Since 31 January 2024, England and Wales have had specific criminal offences for image abuse, added to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 by the Online Safety Act 2023:

• Cyberflashing (section 66A). Sending a photo or film of genitals is an offence if it's meant to cause alarm, distress or humiliation, or sent for sexual gratification while reckless about that.
• Sharing intimate images without consent (section 66B). Sharing, or threatening to share, an intimate photo or film of someone without their consent is an offence. For a threat, the prosecution doesn't have to prove the image exists.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws on sharing intimate images. Wherever you are, the flirting rule is simpler than the law: never send an explicit image nobody asked for, and never share one you were sent.

If someone shares or threatens to share your images

Don't pay and don't send more. Keep the evidence, report the account, and report it to the police on 101 (or 999 if you're in danger).

• The Revenge Porn Helpline supports adults in the UK on 0345 6000 459, 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday (not bank holidays), or by email at help@revengepornhelpline.org.uk.
• StopNCII.org can create a digital fingerprint of an image so participating platforms can block it, without the image leaving your device.

Harassment and stalking

Messages that keep coming after a no can become harassment. In England and Wales, the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 treats harassment as a "course of conduct" that causes alarm or distress, and for one person that can mean conduct on just two occasions. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws.

If someone won't leave you alone, keep a record of every message, call and sighting, report the profile through the members help centre, and contact the police. The National Stalking Helpline, run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, gives free advice on 0808 802 0300. Our guide to taking 'no' well covers the other side of this.

Reporting a dating or romance scam

Where you report depends on which part of the UK you live in:

Report Fraud replaced the old Action Fraud service in December 2025, so older articles and leaflets may still give the previous name.

If you've sent money or shared bank details, call your bank straight away. Use the number on the back of your card, or dial 159, a short number backed by Stop Scams UK that connects customers of nearly all UK current accounts directly with their bank and can't be spoofed. Then report the profile to us through the members help centre, with the username and screenshots. Our safety page lists the warning signs, the biggest of which is any request for money.

If you've been sexually assaulted

Call 999 if you're in immediate danger. In England and Wales, the Rape Crisis 24/7 Support Line is free on 0808 500 2222 for anyone aged 16 or over, whenever it happened; Rape Crisis England and Wales also offers online chat. In Scotland, call Rape Crisis Scotland on 08088 01 03 02. NHS sexual assault referral centres can help too, whether or not you want to involve the police.

Flirt Naughty in the UK

You must be 18 or over to join. Joining, building a profile and browsing are free; reading and replying to messages needs a paid membership that renews until you cancel in Settings > Billing. The members area shows the price and currency of each plan before you pay; see our prices page. Your statement shows the billing name displayed at checkout.

Profiles are shared with partner sites in the same network, so you may hear from members who joined elsewhere. How it works explains what's checked and what isn't. For the fun part, start with our flirting guides, or read how to flirt by text.