The North East London Joint Sexual & Reproductive Health Strategy (2024 – 2029)
Good sexual and reproductive health is a fundamental part of everyone’s health and wellbeing. Poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH) can have wide-ranging public health consequences, impacting not only individuals but families and society as a whole.
The significant rise in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) both nationally and locally is alarming and highlights the need for a clear strategic vision, alongside a more integrated approach among all parties involved in commissioning and delivering sexual and reproductive health services and incorporating the views of our residents.
North East London (NEL) is a vibrant, diverse and distinctive area of London. Our residents come from different age groups, ethnic backgrounds, faith, beliefs and socio-economic levels. The principles of equity, equality and inclusivity are therefore an integral part of our strategic vision for better SRH across NEL.
However, despite the diversity of our population, there are many commonalities in the sexual health inequalities seen across NEL. This is one of the main reasons for a strategic approach that advocates for a more joined-up and integrated way of working across the wider health, care and education landscape.
NEL’s local sexual health provision has undergone necessary optimisation and transformation as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, adopting new approaches to support residents with the most urgent and complex needs. Nevertheless, SRH-related inequalities persist; with large parts of NEL seeing an increasing number of teenage pregnancies and repeat abortions, some of the highest STIs diagnostic rates in London, high HIV prevalence and increasing rates of HIV late diagnosis.
Rather than proposing a “new start,” this strategy advocates an approach that builds on the optimisation of local services that began in response to COVID-19, underpinned by collaboratively agreed goals and delivered through detailed local Action Plans that will be monitored regularly and refreshed on an annual basis.
