'Respect and Responsibility' - the sexual health strategy
Respect and Responsibility: A Strategy and Action Plan for Improving Sexual Health, launched January 2005, sets out for the first time a framework for improving sexual health in Scotland.
It is firmly based on the principles of respect for self, respect for others and strong relationships. In recognising the diversity of lifestyles in the population in Scotland, the action plan seeks to improve access to information and services whilst enabling flexibility for local services to respond to local needs.
Actions are geared towards:
- Improving the quality, range and consistency, accessibility and cohesion of sexual health services
- Supporting everyone in Scotland, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, age or disability, to acquire and maintain the knowledge, skills and values necessary for good sexual wellbeing and thus avoid sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy
- Positively influencing cultural and social factors that impact on sexual health
To achieve these aims it sets out a range of actions for NHS Boards, local authorities, Health Scotland, Quality Improvement Scotland, Health Protection Scotland as well as for individual departments within the Executive.
Latest news
- Shona Robison MSP, Minister Public Health announced a £1 million pound cash boost on 16 January 2008 which will be allocated to increase access to independent sexual health information particularly in rural areas.
- £15m has been set aside over the three years to 2007/08 to help implement the strategy and action plan, this includes £4.5m already made available to NHS Boards to take forward their clinical service plans in each year
- NHS Board have appointed a Executive Lead Director and Lead Clinician to take forward sexual health developments in their own area
- All councils have appointed/are designating a strategic lead for sexual health
- NHS Boards have published local inter agency sexual health strategies
- A progress report on progress implementing the strategy was published on 21 November 2006 and a further progress report for 2007 was launched on 16 January 2008.