Enhanced Sexual Health Services (ESHS) are SERVICES providing a comprehensive sexually transmissible infections management outside of the traditional Genitourinary Medicine settings, and provide sexually transmissible infection management at Level 1 and Level 2 as recommended by the British Association for Sexual Health and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (BASHH).
Enhanced Sexual Health Services can be sub-categorised into the following groups:
- Enhanced General Practices
- Integrated services (joint Genitourinary Medicine and Sexual and Reproductive Health Services)
- Young people clinics such as Brook
- Other NHS commissioned services e.g. community hospitals and outreach programmes
Note: General Practitioner with a Special Interest (GPwSI) will only be included if they operate from a GP Practice that has been commissioned to provide an Enhanced Sexual Health Service.
Sexually transmissible infection management at Level 1 includes:
- Sexual history-taking and risk assessment: Including assessment of need for emergency CONTRACEPTION and Human Immunodeficiency Virus post-exposure prophylaxis following sexual exposure (PEPSE)
- Signposting to appropriate Sexual and Reproductive Health Services
- Chlamydia screening: Opportunistic screening for genital chlamydia in asymptomatic males and females under the age of 25
- Asymptomatic Sexually Transmissible Infections screening and treatment of asymptomatic infections (except treatment for syphilis) in men (excluding men who have sex with men) and women
- Partner notification of Sexually Transmissible Infections or onward referral for partner notification
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus testing: Including appropriate pre-test discussion and giving results
- Point of care Human Immunodeficiency Virus testing: Rapid result Human Immunodeficiency Virus testing using a validated test (with confirmation of positive results or referral for confirmation)
- Screening and vaccination for hepatitis B: Appropriate screening and vaccination for hepatitis B in at-risk groups
- Sexual health promotion: Provision of verbal and written sexual health promotion information
- Condom distribution: Provision of condoms for safer sex
- Psychosexual problems: Assessment and referral for psychosexual problems
Sexually transmissible infection management at Level 2 incorporates Level 1 plus:
Sexually Transmissible Infection testing and treatment of symptomatic but uncomplicated infections in men (except men who have sex with men) and women excluding:
- men with dysuria and/or genital discharge
- symptoms at extra-genital sites, eg rectal or pharyngeal
- pregnant women
- genital ulceration other than uncomplicated genital herpes
This supporting information is also known by these names:
| Context | Alias |
|---|---|
| shortname | ESHS |
| plural | Enhanced Sexual Health Services |