Mims Davies MP champions sexual health as we welcomed Sexual Health Week 2024
Recently, Mims Davies MP was pleased to attend a Parliamentary drop-in event focussed on the state of play of sexual health in the UK.
The event was hosted by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) alongside the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health, and was an opportunity to discuss the key issues in sexual health at the moment and the steps needed to tackle them.
Mims took the opportunity to speak with leading sexual health experts, including Professor Matt Phillips (BASHH President) to understand the sexual health needs of East Grinstead and Uckfield as well as the national picture. Nationally, gonorrhoea diagnoses are at the highest ever recorded rate, with syphilis cases at their highest rates since 1948.
Amongst young people (aged 15-24), there was a 26% increase in STI diagnoses between 2021 and 2023, and a 21% increase in chlamydia in young people despite no increase in testing among this group.
Based on this concerning picture, Mims had conversations with attendees around the importance of ensuring young people have access to testing and that we work to end barriers to condom use.
Mims also discussed BASHH’s Four Priorities to turn the tide on sexual health. These set out steps that can be taken in this Parliament to address the serious challenges confronting sexual health services, including the need for a new sexual health strategy and ensuring timely access to expertise for everyone with a need for sexual health provision, including younger people.
Mims Davies MP said:
“I was delighted to be supporting Sexual Health Week in Parliament and attending the sexual health drop-in event.
Its focus was on the importance of improving sexual health outcomes and addressing challenges that exist. It’s crucial our expert sexual health advisers are supported to provide timely and effective care to safeguard people’s health.
Ultimately, sexual health is a crucial part of our overall health and it deserves proper attention and we must ensure everyone knows everything they need to stay safe, especially our younger people.”
