Sexual Health Strategy
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Since 2002, the regional and local direction for sexual health promotion has been provided by the document ‘Teenage Pregnancy & Parenthood Strategy 2002 – 2007’ (DHSSPS, 2002). http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/teenagepregnancy-action0207.pdf
During its ‘lifespan’ this strategy has aimed to:
• facilitate a reduction in the number of unplanned births to teenage mothers; and • minimise the adverse consequences of those births to teenage parents and their children.
Targets set within the strategy have included:
· a reduction of 20% in the rate of births to teenage mothers by 2007; · a reduction of 40% in the rate of births to teenage mothers under 17; · 75% of teenagers should not have experienced sexual intercourse by the age of 16; · 100% of teenage mothers of compulsory school age should complete formal education; · 50% of teenage mothers should participate in post 16 education beyond school leaving age.
The response in the Southern Area to the publication of the strategy was to establish a multi-sectoral consortium to oversee the development and implementation of a local action plan to address the issues highlighted in the strategy. The Southern Area Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood Consortium was set up in 2003 and consists of a broad representation from health (including SHSSB and SHSCT), education and youth sectors, family planning and GUM services, primary care, school nursing, post-primary schools and voluntary and community based organisations such as Family Planning Association and Love for Life. The consortium has presided over the development and monitoring of an annual action plan for sexual health promotion since 2003.
Within the promoting wellbeing department in the Trust, (and previously its legacy component organisations), a sexual health team has led on the development of initiatives such as sexelearning, an online learning resource for professionals working with young people. This resource recently won first prize in the Northern Ireland Institute of Healthcare Management Quality Awards (November 2007) and first in the health category of the Irish eGovernment Awards (February 2008). In addition to this, the Trust has worked in close partnership with SHSSB and consortium members to carry out research into the extent and nature of sexual health services and sex education practice throughout the Southern Area; to support schools nurses to deliver consistent puberty education in schools; to establish and facilitate a health and wellbeing forum for young people to enable their views on a range of health issues to be heard; to develop a resource manual on developing resilience work with young people.
In addition to these initiatives, the Trust also supports the Community Sexual Health Advice Service, currently running in the Craigavon area, and provides clinical support to the GUM clinic in Daisy Hill. This support is provided by the sexual health advisor, a post that comprises clinical function with strategic health promotion planning and delivery.
In November 2008, the DHSSPS published a new Sexual Health strategy for Northern Ireland. http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/dhssps_sexual_health_plan_front_cvr.pdf
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