Sexual Health - Who's responsibility is it?

Professor Paul Flowers from Glasgow Caledonian University gave a presentation and stimulated a great deal of discussion on the topic of responsibility for sexual health.

Prof Flowers reminded people that the criminalisation of HIV leaves people who are living with HIV in a complex position with regard to sexual relationships. In particular, the recent successful prosecution for exposure where no transmission took place means that any sexual encounter could be subject to future scrutiny. This could lead to an increasing number of people choosing to have anonymous and possibly more risky sex than they would otherwise have chosen.

Some of the fears explored were that people would be less likely to give a full sexual history to clinicians, less likely to report Sexually Transmitted Infections and perhaps become reluctant even to test for HIV. There is also the potential for an increase in experiences of stigma and discrimination.

Dilemmas can arise for staff who are working with people living with HIV, especially those whose primary responsibility is for sexual health. There was a general consensus that any work to encourage disclosure of HIV status to a sexual partner should be set within a broader framework and be sensitive to the situation of the individual concerned – whose needs, as the patient/service user, would be the immediate and most important focus.