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Camden’s Sexual Wellbeing and Reproductive Health System - Review and Work Programme 2025 to 2030

This review aims to ensure that everyone - regardless of age, gender, sex, sexuality, ethnicity, disability, or background - can access high-quality care in relation to their sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing.

We heard from nearly 200 residents and many professionals about what worked well and what we can improve in the following four areas.

Pillar 1: Healthy, fulfilling and safe relationships

Young people value relationships and sex education, but told us they would welcome more support around topics like consent, contraception, and online harms. They want to see themselves and how they really live their lives better reflected in what they learn. Online harms, violent pornography, changing attitudes to consent and harmful sexual behaviours are growing concerns both for young people and adults. Some adults such as disabled adults and autistic people often lack support for their intimate lives and can sometimes face stigma or infantilisation.

Pillar 2: High quality sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment

Camden has some of the highest sexually transmitted infection rates in London, with rising diagnoses among heterosexual populations and differences in access or gaps in our knowledge about the experience of older adults, disabled people, some global majority populations and trans/non-binary residents. Many residents report positive experiences of care from sexual health services but barriers to access like stigma and unclear information persist. 

Pillar 3: Towards zero HIV transmission and living well with HIV

Camden’s HIV prevalence is decreasing. However, it is still high compared with London and England. Our residents are proactive about testing, and we have lower late diagnosis rates than London or England, but they remain a concern. People living with HIV reported experiencing stigma, inconsistent care, and a lack of support as they age. 

Pillar 4: Good reproductive health across the life course

Women - and other people, such as trans, non-binary and/or intersex people, who do not identify as women but experience menstrual difficulties, pregnancy, menopause and/or other reproductive health needs - in Camden said reproductive healthcare could feel fragmented and hard to navigate. Waits for gynaecology services are long for some. Fewer women in Camden are taking up cervical cancer screening than in other parts of the country and access to screening is especially low for our Asian and White Other populations. Many people reported not feeling listened to about their health needs, and stigma or cultural barriers prevent some from accessing services. 

Read the full report or the Easy Read version, which includes recommendations in each area.

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