Sexual Health worsening

The BBC is reporting a significant rise in sexually transmitted infections in teenagers and young people. The Department of Health are apparently about to produce a “Sexual Health Promotion Strategy” before the Stormont summer recess.From the Department press release: Targets included in the Strategy include: increasing the number of teenagers delaying sexual activity; reducing the rate of births to teenage mothers; reducing the incidence of STIs; and reducing the access time to Genito Urinary Medicine GUM clinics to two working days.

The Children’s Commissioner also has a press release on the subject and a policy paper which outlines some of the problems.

One of her comments which particularly struck me was that about young people in Fermanagh having a sixty mile trip to the nearest clinic. In most things to do with modern acute health care centralisation is key (whatever John Robb may have had to say on the subject). Regarding largely out patient based specialities such as sexual health clinics, however, there is significant merit in rolling them out as widely as possible provided staff experience levels can be maintained.

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