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Ministerial foreword
I'm pleased to introduce the second annual report on Respect and Responsibility, Scotland's Strategy and Action Plan for Improving Public Health.
The strategy itself sets out very clearly the challenges that we face in improving Scotland's sexual health and wellbeing and the action required to make that happen. In the two years since it was published we have taken important steps towards achieving the strategy's aims.
Sexual health can be an awkward subject, but that is no excuse to shy away from it. It's much too important for that. We want to improve the sexual health and wellbeing of everyone in Scotland.
Only by creating an environment where everyone, regardless of their background or where they live, has access to high quality, up-to-date information and advice about sexual health, so that they can make their own, informed choices, will we achieve our goal. And, of course, this needs to be backed up by top-notch, joined up services.
This report shows that we're beginning to see real change.
Looking forward, I'm determined that we'll see even more improvement in the years ahead.
The Scottish Government has made plain its commitment to improving public health and tackling health inequalities. Better sexual health and wellbeing for all is part of our overall health improvement agenda.
This was underlined in summer 2007 when my colleague Nicola Sturgeon, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, and I travelled across Scotland to chair each NHS Board's annual accountability review. We were pleased to hear for ourselves how the principles and practicalities of the sexual health strategy are being implemented to suit local circumstances. Be assured that we will continue to ask questions about progress in improving sexual health and wellbeing, both in next year's reviews and in our on-going dialogue with NHS boards, clinicians and the public.
While the report highlights many positive developments, it's important not to gloss over the remaining challenges. No strategy is going to transform the sexual health and wellbeing of the nation overnight - it will take time to reverse rising incidence of sexually transmitted infection and current rates of teenage pregnancy, for example.
This report shows that we're making a good start.
I would also like to pay tribute to the hard work and professionalism, both of members of the advisory committee and of the many people who are working together towards implementing the strategy across Scotland. It's not down to one or two agencies or even one Government Directorate. It's up to all of us to continue the good work.
Shona Robison MSP
Minister for Public Health
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