West Sussex County Council’s Public Health team has published its updated Sexual Health Needs Assessment 2025. This comprehensive report reviews sexual and reproductive health trends across the county and highlights areas of focus for local services, including general practice.
What’s Changing
- STI trends: Post-pandemic, STI diagnoses have risen, but rates in West Sussex remain lower than national averages. Chlamydia detection in young women (15–24) is below national targets, and a local Chlamydia Action Plan is in place.
- HIV prevention: Uptake of PrEP is improving, aligned with the national ambition to end new HIV transmissions by 2030.
- Contraception: LARC provision is recovering but still lower than pre-COVID levels. Access to free emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) is patchy, with only a minority of pharmacies signed up to the local scheme.
- Digital access: Online testing and condom ordering now account for 30–40% of local sexual health service activity. Outreach remains important for vulnerable groups.
- Health inequalities: Higher-risk groups include LGBTQ+ communities, refugees, asylum seekers, neurodivergent people, and those in the criminal justice system.
What Practices Need to Know
- GPs remain key providers of LARC, with cross-practice referral mechanisms expected to ensure county-wide access.
- Opportunistic chlamydia screening for under-25s remains a public health priority.
- Practices may see increased demand for contraception advice post-abortion or post-pregnancy – an area highlighted as needing improvement.
- Digital models are increasing patient choice, but stigma, anxiety, and digital exclusion still create barriers for some patients.
SSLMCs will continue to work closely with Public Health and local partners on this agenda, and we encourage practices to review the full executive summary.