Healthier Scotland. Scottish Government

My name is Margaret McArthur, I am the Lead Nurse for Sexual Health services in Forth Valley and also have a responsibility for sexual health practice development. My role is quite different in terms of I do have a clinical role where I would see clients in a clinical setting but I also have an educational role for clients as well as health professionals. So it means that I can actually see sometimes the benefits of some of the educational work that I put in to patients or into health professionals. Part of my day is probably spent engaging with, again other health professionals, voluntary agencies, youth workers to sort of support them in how they will actually deliver aspects of sexual health.

Most days I probably would have a clinic where I would see clients, most of that would be around contraception however we would discuss sexual health screening and I would probably undertake some of that if it was appropriate otherwise I would refer them onto the appropriate services where they can get full testing. Professionals wouldn’t be enforced on them if the are not happy with it but I think some people come into the clinic thinking “they’re going to talk me into doing x, y or z” and we don’t actually, we very much want them to be involved in what they are choosing

What we do discuss will be confidential however there is a clause around if we are told something and we feel they are going to be at risk or someone else is going to be at risk from someone that they’ve maybe had a partnership with. So I think I have to make it clear that there maybe rare occasions where we would want to share that with other health professionals so that we can offer then the necessary support to get them out of that situation if they are at risk of anything.

It’s quite a relaxed atmosphere, their likely to see quite a wide age range of people coming into the service, however there are services, if they feel uncomfortable perhaps if it is an older person feeling uncomfortable because with young people there, but there are services particularly targeted for young people and for older people. Most people will be able to give them information and advice around whatever problem it is that they have, they’d certainly be able to point them in the right direction. And I think those people are actually quite relieved when they come in and think, “oh, it’s not actually as bad as I thought”.