Impact of COVID-19 on LGBT Sexual Health

New Research Uncovers the Need for Investment and Innovation

 Whilst lockdown has meant a cessation or a significant reduction in sexual activity for many, the need for sexual health information, testing, treatment, contraception and HIV testing and prevention services such as PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) continues.

A new report examines the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on LGBT sexual health and identifies the need for investment and innovation in future service provision. COVID-19 and LGBT Sexual Health: Lessons learned, digital future, examines the characteristics of LGBT online service users during the COVID-19 pandemic, compares them to service users before the pandemic, and explores their experiences accessing, or trying to access, services and activities.

COVID-19 has highlighted inequalities and issues around access that existed well before the pandemic. COVID-19 will eventually come to pass, but these issues will remain. We now have the opportunity to learn from our experiences and develop online services that reach those we had not engaged with before.

COVID-19 and LGBT Sexual Health: Lessons learned, digital future, authored by Dr Jaime García-Iglesias, currently a Research Fellow at the University of Hertfordshire and Mildred Baxter Postdoctoral Fellow here at our Centre, with thanks to the Economic and Social Research Council for funding this project through the University of Manchester Collaboration Labs programme.

The full report can be downloaded here.