Royal College of GPs conference on Britain's sexual health crisis

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 21 Nov 2004 - 12:00 PDT

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The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is holding a one day conference on sexual health issues arising out of the Government's recent White Paper on public health.

Sex in the Surgery, in London on December 7, will advise GPs and other primary healthcare professionals on how they can provide better sexual health services and ease the current demands on sexual health (GUM) clinics.

The conference, supported by the Department of Health's Sexual Health and Substance Misuse Unit, is being organised against the backdrop of unprecedented increases in the rates of new HIV infections and cases of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) such as chlamydia and syphilis over the last ten years. Young men will be a particular focus and strategies will be suggested for reducing Britain's teenage pregnancy rate - currently the highest in Europe.

Dr William Ford-Young, chair of the RCGP Sex, Drugs and HIV task working group, said: "Sexual health and the under-25s is a real time bomb. This event - the first of its kind in the UK - will give GPs and other healthcare workers the opportunity to put together a cohesive strategy for treating and reducing the number of people appearing in our surgeries with sexually transmitted infections."

Delegates wishing to attend should telephone Brian Whitehead on 020 7604 4826 or e mail: SHOC@gp-E84025.nhs.uk

Ends

For more information please contact Rachel Lawrence on 0207 344 3135 or Dan Stern on 020 7344 3136 at the RCGP press office. press@rcgp.org.uk Out of hours contact number 07885 958632.

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Notes to editors

1. Members of the press wishing to attend Sex in the Surgery should contact the RCGP Press Office.

2. The event begins at 8.45am and is being held at the Royal College of Physicians, Regents Park, London, NW1

3. The Royal College of General Practitioners is the largest membership organisation in the United Kingdom solely for GPs. It aims to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and to act as the "voice" of GPs on issues concerned with education, training, research and clinical standards. Founded in 1952, the RCGP has over 21,000 members who are committed to improving patient care, developing their own skills and promoting general practice as a discipline. http://www.rcgp.org.uk.

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