Dr Ruth Lowbury

Lay Trustee

Ruth Lowbury is an independent consultant with extensive experience in HIV, STIs and sexual and reproductive health (SRH).

After graduating in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University and a short stint teaching English in Paris, she began her career on the SRH front line as a pregnancy advisor followed by a management role.  Later, she led the Health Education Authority’s HIV and Sexual Health Programme, delivering national public education campaigns and support for local health promotion. From 2000 to 2016, she was Chief Executive of MEDFASH (Medical Foundation for HIV & Sexual Health) which managed a range of major national and European projects, including the development of standards and guidance for health professionals and commissioners, a review of genitourinary medicine services and a review of the English sexual health and HIV strategy.  

Ruth was a member of the UK CMOs’ Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (2005-2014), the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV (2007-2010) and the Sexual Health Strategy Development Reference Group (1999-2001), and on the expert panel for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health’s inquiry into accountability for sexual health, reproductive health and HIV services in England (2014-2015). She has chaired the British Federation against Sexually Transmitted Infections (2011-2015) and the Sex Education Forum  (2005-2008).

She is an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and has received a BASHH Outstanding Achievement Award