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Sexual & 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 Laura French: lcfrench@doctors.org.uk and Lucy Fagan: lucy.fagan2@ukhsa.gov.uk   

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: Promote SIG activity & expand membership amongst public health professionals

Outcome: Quarterly SIG meetings with active, engaged members, including dedicated avenues for networking and sharing of opportunities. Active recruitment of new members including registrars and consultants.

Target date: One year 

Named lead: SIG Chairs with support from other SIG members

Progress to date: 

Outputs:

  • Quarterly meetings (online) - dates TBC. 
  • Consideration of at least one in-person or hybrid event.
  • Promotion of SIG at registrar orientation or other learning spaces.

Activity: Learning and training on Sexual and Reproductive Health topics

Outcome: Continued 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: 

Outputs: Dates for future ‘lunch and learn’ sessions are TBC. 

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

Outcome: Increased influence of the FPH SRH SIG and its collaboration on specific projects with partners.

Target date: One year

Named lead: SIG Chair with support from other SIG members 

Progress to date:

Outputs: 

  • Continued attendance at: Hatfield Vision task force meetings, representation on APPG on Sexual and Reproductive Health.
  • Scoping of discrete projects with other SIGs and system partners (policy, advocacy and capacity development).
  • Ongoing coordination with the SIG on  Health of Women and Girls.

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

Outcome: To increase the understanding of SRH topics in relation to children and young people

Target date: One year

Named lead: SIG Chair with support from other SIG members

Progress to date:

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: Communications and awareness raising

Outcome: Strengthened voice and influence of the SRH SIG , including sharing of 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: 

Outputs:

  • At least two contributions to the FPH blog on relevant topics per year by SIG members.
  • Press releases, articles and consultation responses and updates shared to the SRH SIG membership.
  • Consultation responses uploaded to the SRH SIG webpage. 

Activity: Anti-racism

Outcome: SIG activities to tackle ethnic inequalities in SRH and promote an anti-racist and decolonial  approach to sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Target date: One year

Named lead: SIG Chair with support from other SIG members

Progress to date:

Outputs:

  • Dedicate a lunch and lesson session or section of quarterly meeting to cultural humility training for SIG members.
  • Identify opportunities to collaborate with expert organisations to provide learning opportunities on decolonisation and justice in SRH.
  • 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.  

Activity: Advocacy for continued national focus on improving women’s health and reproductive and sexual health

Outcome: SRH SIG to become a consistent and powerful voice which advocates for keeping issues relevant to SRH on the agenda for discussion nationally, and for maintaining funding.

Target date: One year

Named lead: SIG Chairs and members

Progress to date: 

Outputs:

  • Continued attendance at Hatfield Vision Taskforce meetings.
  • Collaboration with the Health of Women and Girls SIG and the DoH Network of Women’s Health Champions.
  • Make maximum use of opportunities for the SIG to have a voice in national conversations regarding ongoing changes in the NHS and funding cuts to keep SRH up the priority list.

Webinar recordings

Faculty members can visit the FPH Members Portal to watch webinar recordings.

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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