President's Blog - Dr Cara Saxon - September 2026

11 September 2026 (Last updated: 11 Sep 2026 10:21)

I wanted to begin this month's blog by acknowledging BASHH's disappointment following NICE's draft recommendation not to approve lenacapavir for HIV prevention in the NHS in England. As a long-acting HIV prevention option, lenacapavir has the potential to expand choice and help address barriers that can make existing forms of PrEP difficult for some people to access or use consistently. We will continue to engage constructively with NICE and partners as the consultation progresses.

We have published a full response to the draft guidance, which you can read on our website using this link.

World Sexual Health Day and Celebrating Sexual Health Advisers

On a lighter note, many of you joined us in marking World Sexual Health Day on 4th September, an opportunity to recognise the importance of sexual health and wellbeing throughout our lives and the people who work every day to support it.

This year, BASHH highlighted the critical role of Sexual Health Advisers (SHAs) within modern-day sexual health services. While the invaluable contribution of SHAs is more than familiar to all those working within our specialty, it’s a part of the workforce that is unfortunately not as well recognised more widely as it should be.

Our recent statement reflected on the many ways SHAs contribute to patient outcomes and service delivery. On behalf of BASHH, I would like to add my own thanks to Sexual Health Advisers across the UK. The expertise, dedication and compassion you bring make an enormous difference to patients and colleagues alike, and I was delighted that BASHH could help shine a light on your vital role this World Sexual Health Day.

Clinical Thermometer Survey

I also wanted to encourage members to take part in our Clinical Thermometer Survey:

Link to survey

The survey aims to give us a clearer picture of what's happening across sexual health services, including changing patterns of demand, workforce capacity, access to training, service delivery models and opportunities for improvement. Most importantly, it gives you a direct opportunity to tell us about the realities of working on the frontline.

The more we understand about the challenges and opportunities facing services, the better placed we are to advocate for the specialty and ensure your priorities are reflected in our work. If you have not already done so, I would be extremely grateful if you could spare the time to complete the survey before it closes at 5pm on Friday 18th September.

2026 SAS Doctors' Conference

The 29th Annual BASHH SAS Doctors' Conference took place earlier this month in Birmingham.

The conference has long been an important fixture within the BASHH calendar, bringing together colleagues from across the UK to exchange knowledge, discuss emerging challenges and share best practice. By all accounts, this year's event delivered another engaging and high-quality programme, covering a wide range of clinical and professional topics relevant to SAS doctors working in sexual health and HIV care.

I would like to extend my thanks to the conference organisers, speakers and attendees who contributed to making the event such a success.

BASHH Consultation Response Input

I’d also like to extend my thanks to the many members who have supported BASHH's recent consultation responses and engagement activities.

Over the past few weeks, BASHH has contributed to important pieces of work with partners including the College of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare (CoSRH) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Much of this work can go unseen but it remains hugely important. In a constantly evolving policy and political landscape, these opportunities are another way for us to ensure that the expertise of our members help shape the guidance, policies and priorities that affect sexual health services across the UK.

I am continually grateful for the willingness of members to contribute their time to this work, often alongside already demanding clinical roles. In particular, I would like to thank the members of our Special Interest Groups (SIGs), whose thoughtful input play a vital role in helping BASHH develop responses that truly reflect the breadth of our specialty.

One of BASHH's greatest strengths is the knowledge that exists within our membership, and our SIGs provide an excellent opportunity to share that expertise. I would strongly encourage you to attend our upcoming Bitesize session on Thursday 17th September if you have ever considered becoming more involved in BASHH's work. This interactive session, featuring members of the BASHH Board, Clinical Governance Committee (CGC) and SIGs, is available to book using this link.

New voices and perspectives are always welcome, and your contribution can make a real difference to the work we do on behalf of the specialty.

Sexual Health Week

Finally, next week also marks Sexual Health Week 2026, which provides another milestone for us to recognise and celebrate the incredible work taking place across sexual health services every day.

Whether delivering clinical care, supporting prevention and health promotion, undertaking research, teaching the next generation of professionals or advocating for better outcomes for patients, colleagues across our multidisciplinary workforce make a remarkable contribution to sexual health and wellbeing.

I look forward to seeing the activity taking place throughout the week and to celebrating the role that our members continue to play in supporting high-quality, person-centred sexual healthcare.

With warmest wishes,

Cara