New publications (October 2007)
 Sexual health, asylum seekers and refugees
This handbook is published by fpa, and has developed from the concerns of asylum seekers and refugees.
The handbook aims to be a useful resource not just to a wide range of health workers, but also to many other people and organisations working with refugees and asylum seekers. It many different sexual health issues, including areas such as rights and law, background information and good practice guidance. There are also listings of useful organisations and other resources.
You can download a free copy of the Sexual health, asylum seekers and refugees handbook from the fpa website.
 Sexual health in exile
For the community research component of the Asylum Seekers and Refugees Sexual Health Project, the Centre for HIV and Sexual Health and tandem recruited and trained refugee community researchers who carried out interviews and focus groups in Yorkshire in 2004.
You can read the results in the community research report – Sexual health in exile: the sexual health concerns, issues and needs of refugees and asylum seekers in South and West Yorkshire: a community research report.
You can also dowload a copy of the ethical guidelines (27KB Word document) developed for the project.
The Asylum Seekers and Refugees Sexual Health Project
The project was a collaboration between the Centre for HIV and Sexual Health, fpa and tandem communications and research ltd. It was co-ordinated by tandem.
Our
aims:
- to raise
awareness of refugee and asylum seeker sexual health issues
- to encourage
the development of sexual health initiatives that address the needs
of refugees and asylum seekers
- to share
good practice and profile examples of initiatives and networks that
involve refugee communities, health practitioners, refugee agencies
and others in addressing refugee sexual health issues
Our objectives:
- to recruit
and train 16 refugee community researchers, and work with them to gather
information about the sexual health needs and concerns of refugees and
asylum seekers in South and West Yorkshire
- to carry
out research to identify key issues and examples of relevant sexual
health initiatives currently underway in the UK, and related networks
and resources
- to publish
this information in a practical handbook, with some pages made available
on harpweb (refugee health website)
- to develop
and deploy training, run by sexual health and refugee trainers
Our
audience:
- health
professionals (GPs, health visitors, health promotion workers etc)
- sexual
health professionals
- mental
health professionals
- refugee
caseworkers and support staff
- interpreters
and interpreting agencies
- housing
workers
- refugee
community organisations
- social
workers working with refugees/asylum seekers
- voluntary
sector projects working on sexual health and/or refugee issues
- removal
centre staff
- education
and youth workers (including Connexions, Sure Start)
- NASS,
relevant government departments
- and others
Sexual
health:
This was taken to include a wide range of issues, including: HIV, Aids,
Hepatitis B; sexually transmitted infections; the sex industry; domestic
violence; abortion; trafficking; female genital mutilation; sexual torture
and rape; contraception and fertility; safety and the law. We looked
at issues as they affect young people, men and women, heterosexual, gay,
lesbian and bi-sexual refugees. We also looked at issues relating to
culture, language and interpreting.
Who
we are:
The Asylum Seekers and Refugees Sexual Health Project was a collaboration
between the Centre for HIV and Sexual Health, fpa and tandem communications and research ltd. It was co-ordinated by tandem.
Background:
Tandem became
aware of the need for a sexual health resource in the course of researching
'dispersed' for the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. As a result, the
Trust and the Northern & Yorkshire Public Health Observatory convened
a meeting which explored the issue further.
Tandem then
raised funds for a feasibility study to look into the need for a national
resource. Funding during the feasibility stage was provided by the Northern
and Yorkshire Public Health Observatory, the Northern and Yorkshire Office
of the Health Development Agency and the Scarman Trust.
A number
of sexual health and refugee organisations have also helped with the development
of the project. Seed
funding to help set the project up was provided by four regional consortia
of local authorities receiving dispersed asylum seekers and the Department
of Health. The project is now being funded by the Department of Health.
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