Merton’s first joint sexual health strategy is set to come into action in 2020.

Director of public health at Merton Council, Dagmar Zeuner, said that the strategy which will run until 2025 has been put together as needs are going up while funding is going down.

The joint strategy will be for both the council and the Merton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The council is responsible for diagnosis and treatment of sexual health problems as well as contraception.

While the CCG is responsible for abortions and HIV prevention.

At a meeting of Merton’s healthier communities and older people overview and scrutiny panel on Tuesday (November 5), Dr Zeuner said: “The purpose of having a joint strategy with our NHS colleagues is, let’s see what we have jointly and see whether we can improve the connectedness.

“And to work closely with our front line staff as well as with the communities that we serve and with particular groups that are overlooked.

“People understand that sexual health services are particularly relevant for young people, but but guess what? sex is also happening in the older generations.”

But the joint strategy does not mean that budgets of the two organisations will be pooled.

The strategy outlines that groups most at risk are men who have sex with men (MSM), under 25s, black and minority ethnic (BAME) and people with learning difficulties, mental health issues and substance misuse issues.

Engagement with these groups has been carried out.

Dr Zeuner added: “For me the MSM community is really quite vocal but people with learning disabilities and people with dementia – people don’t talk about their sexuality.

“De-stigmatsing that is a real step forward and I want to do other work around people with learning disabilities and it is part and parcel of what we want to achieve.”

Part of the strategy includes sexual health education in schools, which will become compulsory in 2020.

Another thing that has been supported in Merton is a London-wide STI e-testing service.

“[People can] type in symptoms get a swab sent to you in the post which you then send back,” said Dr Zeuner.

“That is a big step forward both for the clients but also for the purse. It is particularly suitable for people who are asymptomatic but worried.”

Next the strategy will go to the council’s Health and Wellbeing Board in January.