INTEGRATED SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES

The Service aims are providing a Sexual health and wellbeing of people living in Blackburn with Darwen. The service aims to commission a prevention focussed integrated sexual health service (ISHS); a service that will continually improve education, prevention, testing, treatment and support services in response to a changing environment of sexual health and relationship needs. This service aims to improve sexual health by delivering a range of interventions across the life course; with a focused direction of travel towards prevention, building resilience and self-esteem, along with consistently promoting healthy choices. The service shall provide, via a digital and clinic approach, open and easy access, cost-effective, high-quality provision for contraception and prevention, diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted infections, according to evidence-based protocols. The proposed contract will start 1st April 2026 and end 31st March 2028. An integrated sexual health service provides patients with open access to confidential, non - judgemental services including STI and Blood Bourne Viruses (BBV) testing, treatment and management; the full range of contraceptive provision; health promotion and prevention. Sexual health is an important area of public health. Most of the adult population of England is sexually active, and access to quality sexual health services improves the health and wellbeing of both individuals and populations.