Sexual Health Programme
The HSE Sexual Health Programme (SHP) is a national programme with responsibility for implementing the National Sexual Health Strategy 2015 - 2020 Ireland’s first national framework for sexual health and wellbeing.
The aims of the strategy are:
- To improve sexual health and wellbeing
- To reduce negative sexual health outcomes
The strategy takes a life course approach, which is a key underpinning concept in the Healthy Ireland (HI) framework. It acknowledges the importance of developing a healthy attitude to sexuality throughout childhood and adolescence and builds on that foundation for positive sexual health and wellbeing into adulthood and older age through the following goals:
Goal 1
Sexual health promotion, education and prevention: Everyone living in Ireland will receive comprehensive and age appropriate sexual health education and/or information and will have access to appropriate prevention and promotion services.
Goal 2
Sexual health services: Equitable, accessible and high quality sexual health services that are targeted and tailored to need, will be available to everyone.
Goal 3
Sexual Health Intelligence: Robust and high quality sexual health information will be generated to underpin policy, practice, service planning and strategic monitoring.
The Programme has five core functions (Clinical, Funding, Education and Training, Research, and Communications) which lead on the development and implementation of projects fulfilling line with the national strategic goals.
For more information on sexual health and wellbeing please visit