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Sexual and Reproductive Health SIG

The Sexual and Reproductive Health SIG will provide a forum for Faculty of Public Health (FPH) members, establish an advocacy resource and identify and share good practice in this critical public health area. It will also coordinate FPH responses to government and professional consultations and develop the evidence-base for practitioners built on active horizon-scanning of key developments in the field. This SIG directly contributes to several themes of the FPH manifesto, and it will deliver its aims through:

  • A clear business plan based on FPH and sexual health colleagues’ priorities, the evidence and expert testimony
  • Identifying the most important sexual and reproductive health issues for the UK, the needs of FPH members, the impact of inequalities, examples of good practice and the best ways to share them
  • Providing an expert resource for members, informing the annual conference, raising the profile of these issues through existing networks (if necessary, developing new ones), and agreeing the most effective FPH products including advocacy, research, and training
  • Process outputs which will include an annual report of activity to the FPH Board and regular briefings for members.

A copy of the SIG's workplan for 2023-25 can be found here.

The SIG is co-chaired by Natalie Daley: natalie.daley@barnardos.org.uk and Rachael McCarthy: rachael.mccarthy1@nhs.net.  

Join the Sexual and Reproductive Health SIG

FPH members can join this SIG by logging into their FPH members’ portal account, selecting the ‘Committees/SIGs’ button and choosing the correct SIG. You will then be asked to provide a few details, following which your application will be automatically approved. Further details on FPH membership are available here.

Vision

Our vision is to provide leadership in sexual and reproductive health public health. We aim to do so by collaborating with partners to influence and advocate for improving sexual and reproductive health and reducing inequalities.  

Aims

  • To provide a forum for collaboration for those interested in sexual and reproductive health
  • To provide and facilitate learning and training on topics in sexual and reproductive health from a public health lens
  • To widen the reach and influence of our SIG in the field of sexual and reproductive health

Workplan

Activity: Learning and training on Sexual and Reproductive Health topics

Outcome: To continue the delivery of ‘lunch and learn’ sessions to increase accessibility to sexual and reproductive health information, generate more interest in the SIG and attract new members.

Target date: One year

Named lead: SIG Chair with support from other SIG members

Progress to date: Two ‘lunch and learn’ sessions were held in 2022 and 2023. The recordings of these have been uploaded to the FPH SIG webpage. Work is ongoing to identify topics of interest and future speakers. 

Outputs: Dates for future ‘lunch and learn’ sessions are to be agreed. 

Activity: Collaboration with partners and other SIGs e.g. BASHH, BHIVA, FSRH, criminal justice partners, commissioners, clinicians, etc

Outcome: To increase the influence of the SRH SIG and its collaboration on specific projects with partners

Target date: One year

Named lead: SIG Chair with support from other SIG members (Jenny Hall represents FPH on FSRH task and finish groups for the Hatfield Vision)

Progress to date:

  • The SRH SIG has successfully obtained FPH endorsement for a letter by BASHH Bacterial SIG to private providers offering STI testing kits to address inappropriate testing and treatment. The FPH also endorsed a position statement from FSRH on the reclassification of oral emergency contraception and Bayer’s Fair Fees for Fitting campaign which is a campaign to secure equitable funding for LARC.
  • The SRH SIG is providing support for implementation of the FSRH Hatfield vision through attendance at and participation in subgroups on improving access to emergency contraception. The SIG also provides representation at meetings of the APPG on SRH.
  • Collaboration with the BASHH BBV SIG has not yet been achieved.
  • The SRH SIG will work with the newly formed Health of Women and Girls SIG on areas of mutual interest and relevance.

Outputs: Position statements endorsed by FPH, and blogs, articles, reports and journal publications as appropriate on outcomes of joint projects. 

Activity: Increase engagement in topics related to the sexual and reproductive health of children and young people

Named lead: SIG Chair with support from other SIG members

Progress to date:

The work of the SRH SIG has focused largely on the sexual and reproductive health of adults. Therefore, in the coming year, the SIG will seek to engage further in activities related to children and young people (e.g. relationships and sex education, child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation). This will include work to establish links with the BASHH Adolescent SIG and responding to consultations relevant to children and young people.

To date, the SIG has inputted into the consultation on RSPH education in Scotland. 

Outputs:

  • Connection established with the BASHH Adolescent SIG and an area of support/joint working identified
  • Consultation responses relevant to children and young people uploaded to the SRH SIG webpage

Activity: Modern slavery

Outcome: To provide input to and feedback from the UK Modern Slavery Training Delivery Group (UK MSTDG), as a member of the health task and finish group. This is to improve identification of and support for modern slavery victims in healthcare settings.

Target date: One year

Named lead: Clare Oliver-Williams (SIG representative on the UK Modern Slavery Training Delivery group) supported by SIG Chair

Progress to date: 

The work of the UK Modern Slavery Training Delivery Group has been paused while it awaits guidance from the Home Office as to the direction of travel for the group.

Once re-established, the SIG will provide input into the health task and finish group.

Outputs: Updates on work undertaken and opportunities for new projects to be shared with the SRH SIG membership

Activity: Communications and awareness raising

Outcome: To strengthen the voice and influence of the SRH SIG and share its expertise by attending events, providing input into consultations and writing blogs, articles and opinion pieces on areas of relevance

Target date: One year

Named lead: SIG Chair with support from other SIG members

Progress to date: 

  • Inputted into consultations on RSPH and the implementation of safe zones around abortion clinics in Scotland
  • Published a blog on the sexual and reproductive health inequalities experienced by women who have sex with women for Pride Month
  • Identify opportunities to share good practice of SRH-related public health with others and promote the SIG in the Faculty e-bulletin

Outputs:

  • Blogs, press releases, articles and consultation responses and updates to the SRH SIG membership
  • Consultation responses uploaded to the SRH SIG webpage

Activity: Anti-racism

Outcome: To tackle ethnic inequalities in SRH and promote an anti-racist approach to sexual and reproductive healthcare

Target date: One year

Named lead: SIG Chair with support from other SIG members

Progress to date:

  • Ensure that lunch and learn sessions are planned to include those with a focus on anti-racism and reducing ethnic inequalities
  • Use communications to raise awareness of the impact of racism on SRH outcomes and ethnic inequalities
  • Identify opportunities to collaborate with other SIGs (e.g. Women’s Health SIG, BASHH BBV SIG, BASHH Racially Minoritised Communities SIG) on projects that focus on reducing ethnic inequalities in sexual and reproductive health

Outputs:

  • Published blogs, press releases and articles and share these regularly with SIG members
  • "Lunch and learn" sessions with a specific focus on reducing ethnic inequalities in SRH
  • Agreed collaborative projects focusing on reducing ethnic inequalities in SRH

Sexual and Reproductive Health SIG Lunch and Learns

The Faculty of Public Health’s Sexual and Reproductive Health SIG recently launched a series of lunch and learn sessions discussing sexual and reproductive health topics through a public health lens and exploring how these relate to clinical practice.

Regulation of online STI testing

The SIG has been working with the Bacterial SIG at the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) to tackle the issue of unregulated online sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and inappropriate treatment. Demand for accessible STI testing services has increased, alongside advances in molecular diagnostic testing. As a result, there are now a large number of online and private providers in the UK offering STI testing and treatment. Unfortunately, the quality of these services varies significantly. People who access these services may receive the incorrect advice; be tested for organisms of questionable significance; be tested when this is not indicated; and/or be asked for inappropriate specimens to test for particular infections. Furthermore, not all online providers offer first line treatment that is in line with national clinical guidance and tests may be insufficiently validated and have poor sensitivity and specificity. Such practice is not only a public health risk, contributing to rising antimicrobial resistance, but is morally wrong and can result in considerable financial cost to the public.

To raise awareness of and gain support for action on this issue BASHH has authored a letter, which has been co-signed by the Faculty of Public Health, to the Chief Medical Officers of the UK nations and England’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer; BASHH has also produced a position statement which you can view on their website.

Useful Resources

If you would like further information relating to sexual and reproductive health, please see the links below: 

Documents produced by the SIG

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