Co-ordination

The Western Isles Sexual Health Committee was established in August 1999 and produced the very first sexual health strategy for the Western Isles in 2002. This group developed out of the former multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS Co-ordinators Committee and is chaired by the Director of Public Health, with membership drawn from the Western Isles NHS Board, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CnES), Northern Constabulary, spiritual groups and voluntary organisations.

On the 27th of January 2005, the Scottish Executive published its Sexual Health Strategy, 'Respect and Responsibility’, aimed at improving the sexual health of the Scottish population. The Western Isles Sexual Health Committee has updated its Strategy to meet the recommendations of this national strategic document.

The committee has strategic and operational staff membership, and its multidisciplinary nature is exemplified in the membership list.

Members:    

Dr. Sheila Scott - Chairperson, and Director of Public Health and Lead Director Sexual Health for the Western Isles NHS

Munro Gold - Vice Chairperson, and Director of Sustainable Communities and Lead for Sexual Health for CnES

Murdo MacLeod - Director of Education, CnES

Donald MacLeod - Integrated Community Schools, CnES

Emelin Collier - Head of Planning, Public Health Division, Western Isles NHS

Dr. Al-Kamil - Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, and Clinical Lead for the Western Isles NHS

Norma Skinner - Health Improvement Officer, CnES

Calum Russell - Spiritual Chaplin, Western Isles NHS

Philip MacRae - Inspector, Northern Constabulary

Neil MacLeod - Principle Officer, Sustainable Communities, CnES

Marion Kennedy - Parent

Cathie Anderson - Trainee Public Health Nurse, Western Isles NHS

Sara Bartram - Public Health Practitioner, Western Isles NHS

Catherine MacDonald - Public Health Nurse for Schools, Western Isles NHS

Lisa Buchanan - Western Isles Rape Crisis Service

Mary Kettings - Domestic Abuse Forum

Fiona Miller - National Children’s Home (NCH)

Susan Robertson - Guidance Dept, Nicolson Institute

Catherine Hughson - Midwife, Western Isles NHS

Christina Morrison - Men’s Health Project

Mike Sullivan - Street Worker Project, Community Education Service, CnES

Isabel Steele - Senior Health Promotion Officer (HIV, Sexual Health & Youth Health), Western Isles NHS Board

Principles and Intentions

The agenda is to be addressed by focusing on the following key principles:

Partnership - Success in developing sexual well being within a responsible and informed community will depend upon co-operation and collective approaches.  It is accepted that no single agency or individual approach can hope to achieve the same results as a well co-ordinated multi-agency strategy.

Inclusion - Sexual health affects all members of society and at all ages, but the problems associated with sexual health are more apparent in deprived and marginalised communities and individuals.  Our rural, remote and island communities carry their own challenges in developing an encompassing and equitable service.

Understanding - Increased individual and community understanding, tolerance and acceptance is pivotal to an informed healthy society.  It should be based on well-developed research and evidence of effectiveness, which leads to an information strategy that includes appropriate education and knowledge for all. Sex education is not only concerned with how our bodies work, but emphasis that sexuality is best placed within the context of relationships based on love and respect.  People are encouraged to appreciate the value of marriage, stable relationships and family life, including the responsibility of parenthood. Care will be taken to ensure that equal respect and dignity is accorded to the different backgrounds and needs of all young people.

Accessibility - Appropriate, good quality sexual health advice and service provision should be available to all ages, gender and sections of our community, regardless of sexual orientation.

All work will be underpinned by these values and the action plans will concentrate on implementation that reflects the ideals contained within the World Health Organisation's definition of sexual health:

‘The integration of the physical, emotional, intellectual and social aspects of sexual being, in ways which are enriching and that enhance personality, communication and love.’

The intentions of the Western Isles Sexual Health Committee are to enhance general health and emotional well being by enabling and supporting fulfilling sexual relationships, and in addition, to improve the sexual health of the population and narrow inequalities in sexual health. The Committee recognises that there is a need for work with adults and young people to consider current cultural stereotypes and focus on sexual well being not just sexual health problems. It is hoped to foster a culture of open, constructive and comfortable communication about sex and relationship matters. Details are contained in the action plans.

This will be achieved by adopting a balanced approach that allows individuals to make responsible sexual health decisions on the basis of informed choice, while respecting the wide range of religious, spiritual and cultural values within the Western Isles (also known as the Outer Hebrides).

The National Sexual Health Strategy -‘Respect & Responsibility’

Sexual health in Scotland is poor. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, are widespread and increasing, while teenage conceptions are amongst the highest in Western Europe. Thus, for example, reports of chlamydia in people aged under 25, rose from 4753 in 2002 to 5863 in 2003, an increase of 24%. Scotland's rate of births in the 15-19 year-old age group in 1998 was 30.6 per 1,000. This compares with rates of 6.2 in the Netherlands, 8.1 in Denmark and 9.3 in France. Scotland-wide indicators published by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland show that teenagers in the most deprived areas are three times more likely to become pregnant than their counterparts in the most affluent parts of the country.

Promoting positive sexual health is thus a key public health challenge for the Scottish Executive. Sexual health is not just the absence of disease, but includes an intricate range of ethical, moral, cultural and social issues. Improving sexual health requires a holistic approach that incorporates the personal, social, emotional and spiritual, as well as the physical, aspects of sexuality.

To address this, the overarching aims of this strategy are:

The strategy is built on the pillars of respect and responsibility and sets out, for the first time in Scotland, a coherent framework for improving sexual health, in a way that is respectful of both children’s rights and parental and personal responsibility, and which recognises religious, cultural and gender diversity.

Through the implementation of this strategy the Executive expects: