Rethinking sexual health clinics: Trainees need integrated training programme

In a reply to their article Rethinking Sexual Health Clinics Yvonne Stedman and Max Elstein are right to suggest that sexual health clinics should be provided under one roof. Patients would get a better and distinctive service by an experienced well trained trusted doctor as opposed to the current situation in which services are provided by different professionals at various times. Providing sexual health care under one roof would enable the Health of the Nations targets to be achieved with minimum cost to the government. Three studies showed that among female patients attending genitourinary medicine clinics 37 of 356 were at risk of an unwanted pregnancy only 33 of 71 adolescent females used oral contraceptives and 78 of 159 under 16 years old were not using any contraception. These figures clearly indicate the need for family planning and sexual health and genitourinary medicine services to be under one roof. As a specialist in genitourinary medicine the author now offers contraceptive advice to patients who require it but does not prescribe as facilities are not readily available except for emergency contraception. The unwanted delay in treatment of genitourinary infection leads to avoidable morbidity. It would be ideal if the Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training of the Royal College of Physicians integrated with the education and training committee of the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health care of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to formulate a structured training program in family planning and reproductive health care to be made available to trainee specialists in genitourinary medicine. If this could be implemented a comprehensive sexual health service would be available in the National Health Service ensuring better care.