About the HSE Sexual Health Programme
The HSE Sexual Health Programme (SHP) is a national programme with responsibility within the HSE for implementing the National Sexual Health Strategy 2025 - 2035, Ireland’s second national strategic framework for sexual health and wellbeing of the Irish population. It succeeds the National Sexual Health Strategy, 2015-2020, which was extended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Programme is one of a number of national policy priority programme situated within the Health & Wellbeing, Access and Integration function of the Health Services Executive.
The vision behind both Strategies is that everyone in Ireland experiences positive sexual health and wellbeing and has access to high quality sexual health information, education and services throughout life.
The strategy takes a life course approach, which is a key underpinning concept in the Healthy Ireland (HI) framework. It acknowledges the importance of developing a healthy attitude to sexuality throughout childhood and adolescence and builds on that foundation for positive sexual health and wellbeing into adulthood and older age through the following goals:
Goal 1
Sexual health promotion, education and prevention: Evidence informed, inclusive and tailored sexual health promotion will be available to all. This will be achieved through the provision of information, education and communications campaigns that support positive sexual health and wellbeing, and the prevention of negative sexual health outcomes across the life-course.
Goal 2
Sexual Health Services: Equitable, accessible and high-quality sexual health services for the maintenance and improvement of sexual health and prevention of sexual ill-health that are targeted and tailored to need, will be available to everyone.
Contraception and unplanned pregnancy: High quality information and services will be available to all, enabling reproductive choice in relation to contraception and unplanned pregnancy options and supporting those who have experienced domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
Goal 4
Sexual health surveillance, monitoring, evaluation and research: Robust and high-quality sexual health surveillance, monitoring, evaluation and research will underpin all aspects of policy, practice, service delivery and planning of sexual health outcomes.
The Programme has five core functions (Clinical, Funding, Education and Training, Research, and Communications) which lead on the development and implementation of projects, fullfilling the national strategic goals.
To contact the Sexual Health Programme please email sexual.health@hse.ie or call 01 795 9130.
