Public health news: Sexual Health Service

Public Health Newsletter: June 2023

Sexual Health Service

South Tyneside Sexual Health Services are preparing to join the return of Northern Pride in July 2023.

Our local sexual health teams are gearing up over the month of June raising the profile to support National Pride Month in the run up to the Northern Pride event in July promoting local offer in South Tyneside to the public attending the event.

The South Tyneside Sexual Health community-based teams offer rapid access through self-referral, so people can directly access specialist care without a referral from their GP.

This includes services such as sexual transmitted infection (STI) screening, contraception and a counselling team who offer therapy for people experiencing issues with their sexual health and also includes outreach appointments in community settings for vulnerable hard to reach young people.

The team will also be promoting and raising awareness of the availability of HIV treatments such as Post Exposure Prophylaxis ( PEP) & PrEP.

It is hoped more people will feel confident in coming forward to get checked out or seek advice as a result of finding out more about what local sexual health services have to offer raising the profile of local service access in South Tyneside.

Among the teams to support the campaign and event this year include our Sexual Health Services in South Tyneside and also local Mental Health Services , who will be spending the month of June raising the profile of the support they provide and are now planning to attend Northern Pride's events in July as they return to the event for the second year following the pandemic.

Northern Pride will feature entertainment, various LGBT+ safe zones, information stalls, and market stalls across the Town Moor as well as a series of satellite events, with the event to mark 50 years since the first Pride march took place in the UK.

South Tyneside Sexual Health will join in the Pride March to show support for LGBTQ+ communities and to promote inclusive services provided by South Tyneside Sexual Health.

Following the march, the sexual heath team be running a hub across both the Saturday and Sunday 22nd and 23rd July offering advice, STI screening and information to members of the public.

The team look forward to seeing you there.