23rd September 2010,

Centre for HIV & Sexual Health, Sheffield

Cost: £150 (Early Bird - book by 28.05.10) or £190

-  new e-learning course

Sexual Health IN>PRACTICE is a web-based education programme designed to complement the national strategy for sexual health and HIV, and comes at a time when the UK's sexual health is high priority.

A unique and exciting new degree has been developed by sexual health experts at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in a bid to move sexual health forward.

 The BSc (Hons)/Dip HE Sexual Health Studies degree course is the first in the country to be offered at this level as a theory only, non-clinical route, and can be accessed by college leavers on a full or part-time basis.

 Debbie Wisby, Course Leader from the Midwifery Department in UCLan's School of Public Health and Clinical Sciences, commented: “With the rise in incidents of STIs, especially among young adults, there has been an increase in the demand for sexual health services. The development of these services is now influencing the educational requirements of sexual health staff.

 “This course has been created for people with an interest in sexual health and who don’t want to take the standard clinical approach. With sexual and reproductive ill-health increasing significantly in the UK, the Sexual Health Studies degree aims to help combat this increase, meeting the needs of the service and staff in the future in line with current sexual health issues, strategy and policy.”

 The first ever National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV highlighted key governmental targets that address key areas of sexual health such as the transmission and prevalence of HIV and STIs and unintended pregnancy (especially in teenagers). An important element of achieving these targets is the education and training of healthcare professionals.

 The first cohort of the new degree will start in September, covering topics such as understanding health, sexual health related biological sciences, sexuality, collaborative working in health and social care, research process, principles of contraception and fertility control, sexual health and sexually transmitted infections, sexual health promotion, leadership and organisational development, employability and enterprise amongst others.

from the School of Health and Social Care, University of Greenwich

This prospectus contains details of their Sexual Health Framework and associated programmes and courses provided by the School of Health & Social Care for those of you wishing to extend your Continuing Professional Development and thereby your career opportunities in sexual health.

Courses can be taken individually or as part of a programme leading to a specified award, such as a BSc Hons or an MA. Many are available via electronic learning, including the Sexual Health Skills course, which are offered in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing, Department of Health and Teenage Pregnancy Unit.

Modules include:-

Advanced Contraceptive Practice
Cervical Cytology and Breast Awareness
Contemporary Issues in Sexual Health
Contraception and Reproductive Sexual Health Practice
Current Issues in HIV and AIDS
Delivering SRE in the Classroom
Developing an Advanced Portfolio for Practice
Ethics and Professional Values
Fertility Awareness
Inter-Professional Working
Introduction to Sexual Infections and Sexual Health
Managing Infertility
Psychosexual Awareness

Includes courses on:

• Liberating Life Choices
• Fantasy vs. Reality: the Impact and Influence of Pornography on Young People
• Sexual Exploitation and Young People
• Basics of Contraception
• STIs: An Introduction
• Moving the Goalposts: SRE with Young Men
• Training the Trainers: Sexual Health Teaching and Learning Practice
• Core Competencies in Sexual Health for Youth Workers
• Sexual Health Starts Here
• Delivering sex and relationships work with people with learning disabilities: Practical Approaches
• Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), sexuality and sex and relationships work

 at Glasgow / London / Cardiff

 Natural Family Planning, now known more broadly as Fertility Awareness, is both a choice of contraception, and an option to facilitate conception for women and men. Fertility awareness methods are increasingly in demand from women and couples for several reasons – ecological and medical as well as cultural, religious and moral. In addition, from a service provider’s point of view, it is extremely cost effective. There is a growing demand for training in order to meet this need.

 A one-day course will take place at the Wellcome Foundation in central London on Tuesday 28^th September 2010. This day will be a lecture-based day and will provide a generic update on fertility awareness for a broad spectrum of health professionals. We are fortunate to have the eminent Dr Victoria Jennings of Georgetown University, Washington DC, speaking at this event. She will be supported by Professor William Ledger from Sheffield, together with Jane Knight and Dr Cecilia Pyper of Fertility UK.

 As leading practitioners in this field are participating, it promises to be an insightful and informative day which will offer a useful update for some, and a thorough grounding for those who wish to continue their studies and become practitioners in this growing area of service provision.    

 Following this one-day course which will constitute the first module, a further 4 study days will be announced which are designed to offer a complete training package for those wishing to become practitioners in this area of reproductive health care.

 
An application form for the one-day course with full details of the programme, venue and enrolment fee will be sent out in due course. In the meantime, please put the date in your diary if you would like to attend.