Sexual Health

The promotion of sexual health should enhance sexual and emotional wellbeing and help people to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy.

Explicit confidentiality procedures are essential to encourage service uptake.¹ Sexual health needs may be associated with:

• Detecting and managing sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV
• Contraception advice and provision
• Pregnancy testing and support
• Abortion service provision
• Termination of pregnancy services, including support and counselling
• Sexual dysfunction
• Related problems, e.g. infertility (see separate articles on male infertility, female infertility and fertility assessment and management in primary care)
• Experiences such as sexual assault or coercion
• Psychological problems, including poor self-esteem and dependant personality

Specific action should recognise and meet the needs of particular groups of people, such as:¹

• Young people who are, or are contemplating becoming, sexually active:
  • Teenage conception and abortion rates are consistently high.
  • Rising numbers of new STIs among those in their teens and early twenties.
• Homosexual men:
  • There is now an increasing number of new HIV infections. A a significant number of those with HIV are unaware they are infected.
  • High rates of STIs are also diagnosed, especially gonorrhoea and syphilis.
• Black and minority ethnic communities:
  • Disproportionate number of STIs, including HIV, in some black and minority ethnic communities in England.
• Other individuals who may have higher levels of sexual health needs or who may have access to services: these might include refugees and asylum seekers, homeless people, people in custodial settings and young people who are in care or are leaving care provision.