Integrated Sexual Health Service - Essay Example

INTEGRATED SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICE Integrated Sexual Health Service Sexuality is a paramount dimension of any human existence. Integrated sexual health service establishes noble directions on what is fundamentally required in the field of sexuality, sexuality counseling and sexuality treatment. Integrated sexual health service effectively highlights the paramount holistic approach to reproductive and sexual health (Department of Health, 2010). According to the Department of Health (2004), there are numerous pros of an integrated sexual health service to the user (Patient), which includes the improvement of quality of care since the service will ensure that it takes into consideration all the required necessities on the patient. Thus, the service enhances all the other services that were there before and improves them by using latest techniques to handle the sensitive and complex issue of sexuality. There is also the benefit of accessing reproductive services and sexual health on the same facility. This ensures the handling of all these issues within the same facility therefore acting as a one-stop sexual health facility. This ensures that time is well utilized since the patient will be attended to on both crucial elements. The utilization of time is made possible and the costs are evidently reduced on the part of the patient. It is cost effective and it takes into consideration the factor of time management. There is also the advantage of providing faster services due to the integrated sexual health service. This noble service ensures that services provided are as fast as possible as well as ensuring that patients are attended to in a faster manner than before. The cons of an integrated sexual health service to the user (patient) include the stigmatization of patient due to the topic viewed as a taboo. This reason has lead to sexuality being a non-discussion topic where many people are not comfortable discussing their sexual issues with another person. Sexual health-related and sexuality issues are most likely fraught with fears, values and emotions, which need sorting and clarifying in order for the patient to make an informed decision. The thorny issue of confidentiality is also another challenge since patients do not trust the health professionals. This leads to the patients not disclosing all the details ailing them and this translates to wrong diagnosis or counseling. Recent research elaborately shows that the age factor between the patient and the health professional is another challenge. The age factor makes it uncomfortable for the patient to disclose all the sexuality information especially if the patient is much older than the health professional. Additionally, according to the results of the same research, gender issues escalate these factors further especially when the patient is of the opposite sex to the health professional. A combination of these two factors leads to detrimental effects generally on the integrated sexual health service (Department of Health, 2001). There are a number of notable pros of an integrated sexual health service to the Provider (St. George’s), which include service improvement. The service effectively ensures an upgrade of all the systems in order to efficient implement better practices. This evidently translates to improvement of services by the provider. St. George’s is also able to speed up patient service as well as improve on the turn- around time taken by the provider in handling various health issues (Great Britain, 2005, p. 101). Preeminent practices by the provider will lead to highly skilled workers, which will go a long way in escalating to better reputation for the provider (Secretary of State for Health, 2010). All these factors will ensure that the provider’s revenues are increased which will have a trickle effect to both the health professionals working at the facility and the patients. The trickle effect will lead to better remuneration to the health professionals who will then provide better excellent services that the patients will greatly appreciate. There is also benefit of increased career development opportunities due to the service. Thus, the provider will attract highly qualified health professionals to the provider. The service will reduce waiting times after the improvement of access to services. This will eventually lead to high patient satisfaction rates (Department of Health, 2008). The cons of an integrated sexual health service to the provider (St. George’s) include the challenges of career development, professional status and adequacy of expertise. Since the service will lead to many career development opportunities, the provider will have to upgrade its recruitment system to ensure a smooth transition of the health professionals. This will lead to increased costs for the provider since it has to readjust their budgets respectively. The provider will have to overcome the challenge of patient stigmatization and confidentiality by ensuring that it conducts civic education to the patients on the two issues (Department of Health, 2001). According to Miller and Green (2002, p. 95), there are a number of various pros of an integrated sexual health service to the commissioner, which, include providing an integrated model, that allows for non-judgmental sexual health services, which include contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted infections, health prevention and promotion. It also ensures the provision of all sexual health services all within one roof in order to ensure a more effective health approach. Thus, the enhancement of health standards and improved which will eventually lead to better lifestyles. The service will be a benefit by allowing easy access to a number of sexual health services. The cons of an integrated sexual health service to the commissioner include the numerous challenges of health professional’s career development, which includes professional status, and adequacy of expertise. The role of the commissioner will be to overcome these challenges amicably in order for the service to be effective. The service will create numerous career development opportunities and therefore it is the duty of the commissioner to fill the humongous demand of staffing. Eventually, these factors will lead to increased costs for the commissioner. The commissioner will be required to readjust its budget respectively. The commissioner will also be required to assist the provider to overcome the challenge of patient stigmatization and confidentiality by ensuring that civic education to the patients on the two issues are efficiently and effectively done (Bekaert and White, 2006, p. 101). In conclusion, it is evident from the paper that integrated sexual health service establishes dignified guidelines on what is vitally required in the field of sexuality, sexuality counseling and sexuality treatment. Integrated sexual health service effectively highlights the paramount holistic approach to reproductive and sexual health. There is need to establish and overcome the numerous obstacles to integration and thus, corrective measures are required in order to make this splendid service more effective (Pattman, 2010, p. 2). References Bekaert, S., & White, A., 2006. Integrated contraceptive and sexual healthcare: a practical guide. Oxford, Radcliffe Pub. Department of Health. 2000. Patient Group Directions. Health Service Circular 2000/26, Healthy lives, London: DOH. Department of Health. 2001. The National Strategy of Sexual Health and HIV, better health, better services, better sexual health. HMSO, London. Department of Health. 2004. Choosing Health, Making healthy choices easier http://webarchive.nationalarcives.gov.uk/+www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAnd Guidance/DH4094559 Department of Health. 2008. Abortion statistics, England and Wales 2008 Statistical Bulletin www.doh.gov.uk Department of Health. 2010. Healthy lives, healthy people: our strategy for public health in England, (TSO) The Stationery Office. Great Britain. 2005. The governments public health white paper (Cm 6374): minutes of evidence. London, Stationery Office. Miller, D., & Green, J., 2002. The psychology of sexual health. Malden, MA, Blackwell Science. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10233207 Pattman, R., 2010. Oxford handbook of genitourinary medicine, HIV, and sexual health. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Secretary of State for Health. 2010. Healthy lives, healthy people: our strategy for public health in England, (TSO) The Stationery Office. Read More