Improved sexual health and HIV prevention service has launched for residents
28 April 2023
An improved sexual health and HIV prevention service has launched across South West London, including Richmond upon Thames, which aims to make sexual health services and information more bespoke and easily accessible for all members of our communities, particularly those identified as high-risk.
Sexual ill health is not equally distributed. The highest burden is often borne by females, gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), teenagers, young adults, and Black and other minority ethnic groups. Therefore, normalising conversations around sexual health and risk prevention is key.
The service aims to improve awareness of sexual health and HIV, especially amongst high-risk groups, promote safer sex behaviours, encourage regular sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV testing and signpost residents to local sexual health services.
Updates to the service will include a new Sex Workers Support service in Richmond upon Thames, as well as ongoing work to create a more comprehensive, tailored service for young people, based on feedback from focus groups and surveys with young people and local organisations that work with young people.
Services for Richmond residents will be split into four areas of priority:
- Sexual health services for young people, including improved relationship and sex education and wellbeing sessions in young people’s settings and mentoring and support for boys and young men.
- HIV prevention and support, including raising awareness and building knowledge of HIV/STI prevention among minority communities
- Sexual health outreach, prevention, and engagement, including improved one-to-one support with high-risk groups, such as trans communities, people with learning disabilities and people experiencing homelessness.
- Sex worker support services, including community outreach sessions and provision of safer sex initiatives, testing and treatment, as well as advocacy and support on wider issues.
The Southwest Sexual Health and HIV Prevention service is being delivered by Spectra, which has over 25 years' experience and expertise in the field, in partnership with METRO Charity, KWA Africa and Catholics for AIDS Prevention and Support.
Residents who would like to find more about how to find sexual health services local to them, local communities of support, informative seminars and events, or simply more information, can visit Spectra's website or the South West London sexual health website.
Share this
Up to: April 2023
Updated: 10 May 2023
Stay up to date! Make sure you subscribe to our email updates.