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University of Galway hosts annual Health Promotion Conference addressing progress and emerging threats in sexual health University of Galway today hosted the annual Health Promotion Conference, with the focus this year on advancing sexual health promotion. Led by the University’s Health Promotion Research Centre, in partnership with the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive Sexual Health Programme and Association for Health Promotion Ireland, the event brought together researchers, practitioners, policy leads and international experts to explore how Ireland can shape the future of sexual health and wellbeing. The conference – From Awareness to Action: Advancing Sexual Health Promotion – reflected on national policy developments, including the new National Sexual Health Strategy 2025–2035 and its accompanying Action Plan for 2025–2028, published this week by the Government and presented at the conference. It also considered the delivery of quality sexuality education, equitable access to healthcare, stigma reduction and emerging issues such as digital sexual behaviours and STI/HIV prevention. Discussions focused on how to build a more inclusive, evidence-driven and holistic approach to sexual and reproductive health. Ireland has seen substantial progress in sexual health – from declining teenage pregnancies to increased access to contraception and more open discussions of LGBTQ+ rights – but challenges continue in relation to sexual health, marked by rising HIV and STI rates internationally; the need to focus on prevention of domestic, gender based and sexual violence (DSGBV) and support for survivors; and to address stigma, which can be a barrier to accessing care.  Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, T.D. said: “The annual Health Promotion Research Conference is a great opportunity for knowledge exchange for all of us involved in protecting and promoting health. This year's theme of Sexual Health Promotion highlights the importance of normalising conversations about sexual health, to encourage people to access testing and care, and to ensure no one is left behind. We have achieved considerable progress in the development and implementation of sexual health services, and this work continues, with an additional €1.35m allocated to free home STI testing, HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and the free contraception scheme in 2025. We are grateful today for the opportunity to present our new National Sexual Health Strategy and Action Plan to a wider audience.” Professor Peter McHugh, Interim President of University of Galway, said: “As a University with a proud tradition of leading public health and social change, we are honoured to host this national conversation on sexual health. This conference is both timely and necessary, as it brings to the fore a topic that has often been under-prioritised despite its centrality to human health, dignity and equality.” The conference featured contributions from international experts from Canada, Belgium, Uganda and the UK, offering a global perspective on the challenges around sexual and reproductive health. Participants explored how sexual health promotion can be strengthened, with a particular focus on reaching people of all genders and sexual orientations, ethnicities and identities and cultural/religious backgrounds. Professor Saoirse Nic Gabhainn, Professor of Health Promotion at the University of Galway, said: “Sexual health is about far more than the absence of disease. It is about relationships, consent, pleasure, identity, and rights. With the changing public discourse in Ireland, we have an opportunity to reimagine how sexual health is promoted – not only through health services, but across education, community and policy.” Dr András Költő, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher in Health Promotion at the University of Galway, said: “We are facing a hidden sexual health crisis. Despite numerous achievements in the last decades, honest and open discussions on sexual and reproductive health are still restricted by shame, silence and taboo. This conference provides a unique platform to share knowledge, identify evidence gaps, and shape future action in Sexual Health Promotion that is inclusive, effective and sustainable.” The conference features panel discussions, interactive workshops and keynote addresses including: Professor Kaye Wellings, The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine – five decades of sexual health promotion and the challenges the field currently faces. Professor Philip Dodd, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, and Dr Fiona Mansergh, Sexual Health and Contraception Policy Lead, Department of Health – summaries of progress in the area of sexual health since the first Sexual Health Strategy was launched in 2015. Professor Fiona Lyons, St James’s Hospital and HSE Sexual Health Programme – current trends in Sexually Transmitted Infections and how to address the rise in STIs in Ireland. Full programme details are available at: www.hprcconference.ie The new National Sexual Health Strategy and first National Sexual Health Action Plan, 2025–2028 (single document), can be accessed at: https://www.gov.ie/en/healthy-ireland/policy-information/national-sexual-health-strategy-2025-2035/ Ends