Blog: Sally Jewsbury and Tom Witney discuss the recent Gender and Sexual Minorities Study Day and the launch of the Trans-Inclusive Sexual Health Workbook
10 December 2025
(Last updated: 10 Dec 2025 12:11)
In this blog, Sally Jewsbury and Tom Witney discuss the recent Gender and Sexual Minorities Study Day and the launch of the Trans-Inclusive Sexual Health Workbook—Sally is BASHH’s Gender and Sexual Minorities Special Interest Group (GSM SIG) Chair and Tom is a researcher based at The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections at University College London.
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Sally, the GSM SIG have just run a sold-out study day in Leeds, in putting the day together, what were you hoping to achieve?
The study day had not been held for several years, and there was strong enthusiasm to revive it. Although the remit of the SIG takes in all minoritised gender and sexuality groups, acknowledging the current challenges for trans and non-binary people, our goal was to bring people with shared interests together to reflect on how sexual health clinicians can better support these communities in particular. We wanted to recognise existing good practice, think about what more we can do and hopefully spark some new collaborations.
We designed the programme to be a mix of practical clinical sessions and broader, thought-provoking discussions - something for everyone. It was important to us that the event felt truly multidisciplinary, with speakers from a range of backgrounds, not just medical professionals. That variety and MDT approach really added depth to the conversations.
There was a wide range of input from clinical and community colleagues. What were some of the key takeaways for participants?
There was a real sense in the room that these are challenging times for the trans community, and uncertainty remains about what lies ahead, especially with ongoing reviews that could shape future healthcare. That said, the day felt positive and focused on what we can do now. A big theme was allyship: being visible, celebrating diversity, and educating others about the needs of trans and non-binary service users. We talked about the small, everyday actions that make a big difference asking about and using correct pronouns, respectful language, and approaching people with kindness. Hearing directly from the community set the tone for the day and reminded us that sexual health services can and should respond to people’s needs in practical, meaningful ways. We also discussed supporting neurodivergent service users and that gave real food for thought!
Outside of this, there were also great tips on manging common presentations in trans masc people and a brilliant section on STI prevention focussing on PrEP and Doxy PEP -I think a real take home from this was about assessing each individual person’s risk and need for prevention strategies.
If there’s one thing that you’d like to see change in this area of sexual health, what would that be?
Getting the basics right makes a huge difference. Simple actions, like being welcoming and respecting people’s identities, don’t require specialist skills, but they matter to everyone. This applies across the board, from reception staff to experienced clinicians, and it goes a long way toward creating an inclusive environment.
Looking ahead, I’d love to see us explore harm-reduction approaches for people using gender-affirming hormones, similar to what we did for those seeking PrEP before it was widely available on the NHS. It’s more complex, with challenges around funding and governance, but sexual health services are well placed to offer support if we can overcome those barriers.
Tom, the Trans-Inclusive Sexual Health Workbook has just been launched, what are the issues that trans and non-binary individuals face when accessing sexual health services?
We know that trans and non-binary people are less likely to access sexual health services than cis people. One of the major barriers we heard about is fear – of being misgendered, misunderstood or dismissed. Participants also talked about struggling to access appropriate sexual health screening kits and vital prevention tools, like PrEP. As the world is becoming a less welcoming place for trans and non-binary people, there is a real need for services to reach out to the community to build trust and confidence, which was one of the motivators for developing the workbook.
There’s lots of great advice in the workbook, what are some things that services can do to be more accessible and welcoming?
While there is a huge amount of diversity within the trans community – in terms of identities, relationships and sexual practices – there are really simple things that can make a huge difference for everyone. One participant in the research that the workbook is based on talked about how important it was to feel welcomed walking into a service. Seeing a trans pride flag in the reception area, or seeing appropriate gender options on an intake form, were all things participants talked about as giving them confidence that services were engaging with trans and non-binary people’s needs. For the clinical end of things, the BASHH standards provide really detailed recommendations and guidance on delivering inclusive care.
You also took part in the study day, what are your reflections on the event?
It was inspiring to see so much energy and collaboration aimed at making sexual health services more inclusive and responsive. Having strong representation from the community within the programme was an invaluable part of that. There has been a huge amount of change in prevention tools with the new PrEP guidelines and the launch of doxyPEP, so it was also great to have an opportunity to discuss how these can be implemented. Personally, it was a privilege to share a platform with passionate clinicians and advocates and to see so many people in the room with a shared commitment to improve care.
Sally, how can people get more involved in this area of work?
We’re always keen to welcome new members to the GSM SIG. There’s no limit on numbers, but we do encourage active participation. If you’d like to get involved, the easiest way is to reach out to us through BASHH.
Beyond joining the SIG, there are plenty of ways to make a difference locally. Start by having conversations about what can be done in your own setting and look at implementing the BASHH recommendations and the suggestions in the workbook. These practical steps can help create more inclusive services where they’re needed most.
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This study that the workbook was based on was funded by the NIHR Health Research Unit in Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections at University College London (NIHR200911), in partnership with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)