Bridging health gap
A new project has been unveiled in Forth Valley which aims to challenge the health inequalities facing gay and bisexual men.
Delivered by Waverley Care, Scotland’s HIV and Hepatitis C charity, the SX project will work to improve the sexual health and wellbeing of men living across the area.
Funded by NHS Forth Valley, the project will work with community, recruiting volunteers to develop and deliver campaigns that promote good sexual health.
The team will also offer one-to-one support to men in the community, including men living with HIV, addressing a range of challenges that impact on men’s health and wellbeing.
The project will complement the work of the health board’s Central Sexual Health service, promoting access to regular STI testing and free condoms, and offering training to professionals about the health and wellbeing needs of the community.
Across Scotland, gay and bisexual men face a range of health and social inequalities that affect their health and wellbeing. These include higher rates of poor sexual health, depression and anxiety, alcohol or drug dependency and discrimination based on sexuality.
SX manager Alastair Rose said:“Scotland gets a lot of things right when it comes to LGBT issues but gay and bisexual men continue to face real health and social inequalities. SX is about bridging that gap.”
“NHS Forth Valley HIV consultant, Dr Kirsty Abu-Rajab, added: “Through Central Sexual Health we offer a range of services including confidential, convenient sexual health information and testing. Our partnership with SX will build on these services to provide support more directly tailored to the needs of local men.”