UKHSA funding boosts sexual health awareness schemes

Projects involving the use of artificial intelligence (AI) chat bots, cartoon strips, night shelters and smart testing kits are among 14 schemes to benefit from a new fund to reduce sexual health inequalities across England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced.

Each community based, voluntary sector organisation has been awarded up to £30,000 as part of the £200,000 mpox and sexual health (STI and HIV) outreach and engagement activity fund to enable this.

Projects will offer vaccinations in community settings such as pubs and music festivals, raising awareness of sexual health issues at sex-on-premises venues, and communications to reduce anxiety around the mpox (monkeypox) vaccine. These am to boost engagement and outreach activity to reduce sexual health inequalities in underserved LGBTQ+ communities.

Read details of successful projects here.

Kate Folkard, Head of Programme Delivery for Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses at UKHSA, said:

"The innovation and reach of voluntary and community sector organisations is a vital piece in the puzzle of how we effectively tackle sexual health inequality across England. These projects span the length and breadth of the country and will provide a valuable set of resources in England to build on the achievements already seen in the response to the mpox outbreak.

"These organisations are the experts in their own communities and this fund will help further engage underserved populations and work with them to protect their health. I’m eager to see their innovative programmes come to fruition and we will work closely with them to help share the learning from their work across the country."

Minister for Primary Care and Public Health, Neil O’Brien, said:

"Voluntary and community sector organisations play a key role in improving sexual health across the country. It’s great to see this investment in innovative projects that are working to achieve this in their local area."