fpa Reacts To Sexual Health Prioritisation In High Quality Care For All, UK

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 01 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Speaking about the launch of Lord Darzi's Report High Quality Care for All, Julie Bentley, Chief Executive, fpa said:

"We are delighted that Lord Darzi's report has recognised the importance of sexual health and included it as one of six key goals for the NHS, as part of the commissioning of comprehensive wellbeing and prevention services. This is a tremendous step forward.

"Becoming a key goal will invigorate sexual health and refocus Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) attention on it. Sexual health has historically been a low priority for many PCTs who, despite national strategies have viewed sexual health as easy prey for cuts and under-funding.

"Good sexual health is an essential part of everybody's lives. However, it is also a very private subject, so embarrassment and stigma can stop people seeking advice, treatment and information. These proposals mean that contraception, abortion and STI (sexually transmitted infection) services will become an integrated part of all community health. Today's announcement should fold sexual health services into the heart of public health, where currently they can be remote, separate and hard to access.

"We look forward to seeing the plans in High Quality Care For All become a reality. "

fpa (Family Planning Association) is the only registered charity working to improve the sexual health and reproductive rights of all people throughout the UK.

http://www.fpa.org.uk