Disabled People need better access to Sexual Health services

 

A big thank you to all our members who came to the recent Craftivism and Chat group to talk about sex! Specifically, we gave feedback on Merton's planned Sexual Health Strategy. 

 

The London Borough of Merton and Merton Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS), working alongside NHS England, are responsible for commissioning sexual health services in Merton. They are currently developing a joint 5 year sexual health strategy. This strategy aims to set out how everyone in Merton has good access to sexual health services and is supported to be healthy.

Our members made a number of recommendations as well as speaking about the issues Disabled people face in leading an active and healthy sex life:

• Make sexual health services and their location and opening hours easy to find in a number of formats
• Staff to be trained in disability awareness focusing on communication e.g. Autism, learning disabilities, Independent Living
• Give staff access to the resources they need to engage with Disabled people e.g. BSL interpreters, large print, easy read.
• Give Staff and clinics the equipment they need to be accessible e.g. hoists, supportive examination beds, manual handling training.
• Ensure sexual health clinics are well advertised in particular on google maps which is essential for those with visual impairments
• Home testing to be available free for Disabled People
• Make sexual health and intimacy a part of Social Care planning / Care plans
• Get services to work together. E.g.  having district nurse and sexual health visits when carers are around to help with hoisting.

There is still time to share your views, you can complete the survey by 22nd April here: https://consult.merton.gov.uk/KMS/elab.aspx?noip=1&CampaignId=688

 

You can see our full consultation response here:Sexual Health Consultation April 2019