People in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are being asked to give their views on a new 10-year strategy to improve sexual and reproductive health services.
It aims to ensure everyone has equal access to high quality services supporting them to have the best start in life, and to live and age well.
Sexual and reproductive health services help prevent and treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs), manage fertility and infertility and support people to make informed choices about their bodies and lives.
To achieve its aims, the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly outlines three key objectives to:
• Embed prevention and sexual and reproductive health promotion to reduce rates of unintended pregnancies and STIs.
• Provide flexible, accessible and integrated services to reduce rates of STIs, the number of late HIV diagnoses and unintended pregnancies.
• Deliver personalised care so that local people have choice and are cared for by a sustainable workforce to increase equal access to services and reduce health inequalities.
The strategy is based on extensive engagement with our communities to better understand peoples’ views, experiences and aspirations and meet their sexual and reproductive health needs.
This included hearing from a range of people who may find it harder to access services and have poorer outcomes and experiences of those services.
Cllr Thalia Marrington, Lead Member for Community Safety and Public Health, said:
“It’s vital that everyone in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has equal and easy access to the very best health services, including sexual and reproductive health services. We know this can be especially challenging due to our high number of remote rural communities, which is why it’s so important that we get this right.
“A lot of hard work has gone into developing this strategy and we’re keen for as many people as possible to read it through and tell us their views. So please visit the Let’s Talk page and help us to reduce health inequalities for our residents who need the most support and bring down our rates of STIs, late HIV diagnoses and unintended pregnancies.”
To read the draft strategy and have your say on it, visit Sexual Health Strategy | Let's Talk Cornwall
Press release issued on June 5, 2025.