Inequalities and tackling antimicrobial resistance in sexual health
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Inequalities and tackling antimicrobial resistance in sexual health: marginalisation and the microbe
IRAS ID
270126
Contact name
Catherine Will
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research Governance Officer, Research and Enterprise Services University of Sussex
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Health care practitioners need to think carefully about how they prescribe medicines (antibiotics) to their patients. This is because certain infections are becoming resistant to available antibiotics. Attempts to preserve the value of antibiotics could worsen health inequalities if people at risk of infection are not able to access drugs or suffer stigma when they have resistant infections.
The aim of this study is to learn how sexual health services currently respond to antibiotic resistance while maintaining relationships with patients. As researchers at the University of Sussex we have forged a collaboration with clinical staff at Guys and St Thomas' and Brighton and Sussex University NHS Trusts. We will spend 8-10 weeks collecting detailed data on clinical practice and experiences through observations and interviews with members of health care teams and patients at these two sites. The study is responding to professional interest in patient experiences in this speciality and ongoing discussions about the best way to help health care staff reduce and update antibiotic use, especially when patients may already face stigma and repeated infections. Results may be relevant to other sexual health clinics and to other specialties.
This study is part of a larger Wellcome Trust funded University of Sussex project that will take three years to complete.
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1937
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jan 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion