25 February 2021
UKONs are pleased and proud to announce the launch of a new section of our website covering Sexual Health and Well Being. This is a publicly available page.
UKONS believe that sexual health is an important aspect of the lives of our patients, and those who love and care for them, and are committed to improving the manner in which nurses, and other health professionals, approach this element of care.
The first piece of content we will be sharing on our new page is focussed on caring for people who identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning). The LBTQ+ community have been disadvantaged in terms of cancer care and are less likely than the non-LGBTQ+ people with cancer to be given written information about the type of cancer they have. The LGBTQ+ community have increased risk factors and experience a higher burden of some cancers. They also face more barriers to accessing health care which can result in more late-stage diagnoses.
UKONS have worked alongside the charity ‘Live Through This’ (a cancer support and advocacy charity for the LGBTIQ+ community) to produce a video, an accompanying factsheet, and a list of resources.
The short video “A Guide to Pronouns and Gender Inclusive Language” aims to break down definitions of gender identity and explain pronouns use, which might be unfamiliar to some. We are also providing details on a wide range of resources relevant to the LGBTQ+ community. These are separated into resources for professionals and for patients.
The weblink for the UKONS Sexual Health and Well-being (SHWB) page can be found here.