Following a comprehensive sexual health needs assessment in the county, East Sussex County Council (ESCC) required detailed sexual health insight gathering into three targeted communities: men and women over 45 years old; young women who conceived under the age of 18; and men who have sex with men (MSM).
We conducted research to explore these audiences’ experiences, attitudes, and behaviours in relation to sexual health, to determine what they need from services, messaging, and communications, to lead to better health outcomes. Our approach involved quantitative and qualitative elements. We engaged with a total of 1,707 people across East Sussex.
Our work highlighted where there was already good work being done locally and where improvements could be made, exploring the specific challenges relevant for each group. We drew on behaviour change models and behavioural science during our analysis and produced actionable recommendations for how to develop interventions to address each audience’s specific needs.