November 7th 2024.
The clinics in Somerset are currently facing a shortage of condoms, causing concern for the Sexual Health Services in the area. This shortage is due to supply issues in the Middle East, causing clinics to decrease the number of condoms given to patients and those who request them through the integrated Sexual Health Service website for the entire region.
The shortage has been reported in multiple clinics, including those in Bridgwater and Taunton. The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has expressed confidence that the supply issues will soon be resolved and condom distribution can return to normal levels. A spokesperson for the trust stated that there is a temporary supply chain problem, resulting in a decrease in the quantity of condoms available in safe sex packs for people to request.
The Weston Mercury has reported that this shortage is affecting clinics in various areas, such as Burnham-on-sea, Chard, Crewkerne, and Langport. To get a better understanding of which clinics are experiencing this shortage, a map has been provided for reference. It shows that clinics in towns and cities like Frome, Shepton Mallet, Glastonbury, Street, Wells, Minehead, Williton, Watchet, Taunton, Wellington, Wiveliscombe, Yeovil, and Wincanton are also affected.
Unfortunately, this shortage comes at a time when condom use in the UK has hit an all-time low. In fact, Durex has found that the UK is ranked 33rd out of 36 countries when it comes to condom usage in the past year. This survey also revealed that only 11% of respondents reported using condoms regularly. The president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, Dr. Claire Dewsnap, previously warned that sexual health services were on the brink of a crisis due to the lack of free condoms.
In a recent hearing with the Women and Equalities Committee, England's chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty and children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza shared a concerning update. Sir Chris stated that there are approximately 199,000 cases of chlamydia per year, as well as 82,000 cases of gonorrhoea, 26,000 cases of genital warts, and 8,500 cases of syphilis. Dr. Dewsnap added that many clinics have to ration free condoms due to the high demand. She stated, "People do use them if they're available for free, and people do still ask for them. But unfortunately, in many clinics, we are forced to ration the number we give out."
This shortage only adds to the already existing concerns within the sexual health services. Earlier this year, chief medical leaders warned of a crisis in these services. When asked about how clinics are managing with the increase in demand, Dr. Dewsnap stated, "I don't like to use the word crisis, but we are very close to one." She also noted that access to sexual health services is not adequate and has been hindered by reduced funding of approximately £150 million over the last decade. This decrease in funding has resulted in fewer staff being available at clinics, as the majority of the budget is allocated to salaries.
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