The Sexual Health Centre Launches Its Five Year Strategic Plan

The Sexual Health Centre, a Not-for-Profit, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) providing services in relation to sexual health, sexuality, healthy relationships and wellbeing, is proud to announce the launch of its 5-year Strategic Plan. The plan’s primary focus lies on forging strategic partnerships, expansion of the locally-centred services and the enhanced use of modern and digital channels for improved client communication.

“I’m delighted to launch the Sexual Health Centre’s strategic plan which is an ambitious vision for the work and services provided by staff, volunteers and partners of the organisation for the next five years. Throughout the past thirty years, the Sexual Health Centre has been through a number of transformations, navigating and responding to the constantly evolving area of sexual health in Ireland. Over the next five years, the Sexual Health Centre will continue to provide quality, professional services to an evolving community, building on existing partnerships and developing new and responsive collaborations on the journey”, says Ciarán Lynch, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Sexual Health Centre.

The Sexual Health Centre has been delivering the most in-demand sexual health services to the people of Cork City and county for over 30 years. By 2023, the Centre commits to the introduction of the services that reflect the growing needs of the local community, including the innovative disability programme, providing sexual health services and education to people with mental or physical disability and providing for individuals experiencing period poverty. The outlined programmes would be unique to the Centre and will be introduced in light of the identified needs and received requests from clients and partner organisations.

The Strategic Plan also recognises the Centre’s social responsibility. It highlights its continuous contribution to the bystander intervention programme, the planned introduction of the enhanced support services in matters of the sexual health education and innovative STI screening initiatives, including community Rapid Syphilis testing.

Building on the previous years’ success, the Sexual Health Centre aims to further develop its current partnerships.  

“The Sexual Health Centre has long assisted HIV patients with their life adjustment, provided disease specific information and promoted self-management, and the feedback we have received from peer support or one-on-one counselling has always been full of praise. Sexual Health Centre has had a relationship with HIV services as long as HIV services have existed and the plan is to continue this work into the future. Together we can support those living with HIV to deal with stigma and health concerns and ensure both mentally and physically they obtain a good quality of life,” says Elizabeth M. Murphy, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Infectious Diseases, CUH.

The Sexual Health Centre has always put the accessibility of its services first. With the clients’ increased expectations of digital responsiveness of service providers, the Centre will ensure that the they can access all the necessary information online as well as get in touch with a member of the team via the online channel of their choice. The Centre will also increase the amount of services delivered in the community setting as these prove to help create the feeling of ease and often desired anonymity.

In the next five years, the Sexual Health Centre aims to further normalise the current perception of sexual health in Cork and ensure that all communities have access to the most up-to-date and innovative sexual health programmes.

The Strategic Plan will be available on the centre's website www.sexualhealthcentre.com from Monday, April 29, 2019.