I want to be a Sexual Health Adviser

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Sexual Health Advisers support people with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and a wide range of sexual health concerns.

They provide information, emotional support, and practical advice to help patients understand their diagnosis and maintain good sexual health. This work is confidential, person‑centred and non‑judgemental.

Overview

Modern sexual‑health services are integrated, and Sexual Health Advisers often work closely with safeguarding teams, domestic abuse services, and sexual violence pathways. Many services also support people newly diagnosed with HIV.

What you do in this role

Sexual Health Support

Sexual Health Advisers typically:

  • Give clear information about STIs, treatment and prevention
  • Support people diagnosed with Sexually Transmitted Infections including HIV 
  • Provide risk‑reduction advice and promote safer sex
  • Contact and support sexual partners who may have been exposed to infection
  • Deliver health‑promotion messages in the clinic and community
  • Maintain accurate records and contribute to local data

Depending on the clinic, Sexual Health Advisers may also provide clinical and administrative support, such as results management, health promotion helpline work, basic clinical observations, and outreach testing.

Supporting People After Sexual Assault

Many sexual health services support patients attending after sexual assault. Sexual Health Advisers:

  • Offer trauma‑informed, sensitive care
  • Work closely with Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs)
  • Ensure patients are linked to the right services for medical care, safeguarding, and specialist support
  • Help patients feel safe, believed, and respected

Trauma‑informed practice and skills are supported by national SSHA training events and professional development opportunities. [ssha.info]

Responding to Domestic Violence / Domestic Abuse

Sexual Health Advisers often support patients experiencing domestic abuse or coercive relationships. Their role includes:

  • Listening supportively and non‑judgementally
  • Identifying concerns that may require safeguarding or risk assessment
  • Following local safeguarding pathways
  • Escalating concerns to senior staff when appropriate (e.g., safeguarding issues)
  • Signposting to specialist support organisations
  • Recognising when to escalate concerns is part of Sexual Health Adviser responsibilities.

Safeguarding Under‑18s

Many services see young people under 18. Sexual Health Advisers:

  • Provide age‑appropriate sexual‑health information
  • Ensure that safeguarding concerns are identified and acted on
  • Work within local multi‑agency child‑protection procedures
  • Collaborate with youth services, schools, and social‑care teams

Level‑3 safeguarding training (or equivalent) is expected within recognised Sexual Health Adviser competency training. [stif.org.uk]

Other Responsibilities

Duties vary by clinic, but may include:

  • One‑to‑one counselling or emotional support
  • Teaching and training
  • Contributing to local research or audits
  • Participating in outreach programmes targeting higher‑risk or marginalised groups
  • Keeping updated with national guidance, treatments and research

Working Hours

Most full‑time NHS posts are 37.5 hours per week, with part‑time opportunities available.

Where You Will Work

Sexual Health Advisers may work in:

  • Genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics
  • Integrated sexual‑health services
  • Community health centres
  • Outreach programmes including youth settings, sex‑industry outreach and community venues
  • Multi‑agency settings such as SARCs and domestic‑violence partnerships (service‑dependent)

Salary (Updated Information)

Pay depends on role type, responsibility level and location.

Entry Requirements

Most Sexual Health Advisers come from backgrounds such as:

  • Nursing
  • Social work
  • Health visiting
  • Counselling
  • Youth or community work
  • Health promotion

Employers usually expect:

  • Experience in a healthcare or support setting
  • Knowledge of STIs, HIV and sexual‑health issues
  • Strong communication and counselling skills
  • Understanding of safeguarding (adults and children)
  • A trauma‑informed, non‑judgemental approach
  • Ability to work with diverse communities

Some services accept degrees in Public Health, Sociology, Psychology, Health Science or similar, combined with relevant experience.

Training & Professional Development

STI Foundation (STIF) Health Advising Competency

A recognised work‑based programme assessing essential Sexual Health Adviser skills.
It requires:

  • GUM clinical experience
  • Safeguarding Level‑3 (or equivalent) within the past 3 years
  • Structured training and supervised assessments
  • Completion within 12 months [stif.org.uk]

RCN Sexual‑Health Education Directory

Provides national guidance on education and training for sexual health, HIV and contraception professionals, updated regularly. [rcn.org.uk]

SSHA Training & Conferences

The Society of Sexual Health Advisers runs national conferences and training sessions including Partner Notification skills, Motivational Interviewing skills and vicarious trauma [ssha.info]

Skills You Need

A successful Sexual Health Adviser will have:

  • Empathy, tact and excellent communication skills
  • Confidence supporting survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse
  • Ability to work safely with under‑18s
  • Strong organisational and time‑management skills
  • Ability to work in multi‑agency environments (NHS, social care, police, voluntary sector)
  • Respect for confidentiality
  • Analytical and data‑recording skills
  • Motivation and ability to work autonomously

Career Progression

With experience, you could progress to:

  • Senior Sexual Health Adviser
  • Lead Sexual Health Adviser / Service Lead
  • Safeguarding specialist
  • HIV specialist adviser
  • Education, training, or research roles within sexual health
  • Roles in integrated sexual‑reproductive health or public health

Professional development is supported by BASHH, FSRH, RCN and SSHA networks.

Where Jobs Are Advertised

Testimonials

Thoughts on the role from Sexual Health Advisers working in the field

“Being a Sexual Health Adviser as part of a multi-disciplinary team is so satisfying – our role fits seamlessly into the way our clinic runs and patients benefit from being seen by Doctors, nurses and Sexual Health Advisers – it’s a really holistic and patient centred service”
“A Sexual Health Adviser never has a routine day! This morning I have supported and advised people on informing their partners they may be at risk from an STI, seen a 15 yr old young woman who needed advice on contraception and condom use, supported a very distressed and tearful man just diagnosed with herpes, talked to, advised and referred a 25 yr old woman to drug services. This afternoon I am doing a teaching session to other clinic staff on how to manage safeguarding issues that arise. Wouldn’t ever change my job, despite the stresses that are there because we are short staffed!”
“I find being a Sexual Health Adviser very fulfilling – every day is different as every patient is different and they come with so many varied issues, life stories, worries and anxieties. To be able to unpack some of their worries, offer support, reassurance (and sometimes some resolution) is incredibly special."
“What words would I use to describe the SHA role? Stressful, busy, overwhelming,….. but also making a difference, helping people feel listened to and believed (perhaps for the first time), offering support and a non judgemental space, being able to read between the lines and helping people open up when they feel scared….. the good stuff far outweighs the stressful stuff!”
“Sometimes it’s as straightforward as doing a condom demonstration, and sometimes as complex as trying to help a vulnerable patient access food vouchers or helping someone experiencing domestic violence find an emergency refuge. Being a SHA encompasses so many skills and being able to use these skills to make a difference in people’s lives is hugely positive”

FAQs

The Role of the Sexual Health Adviser – Frequently Asked Questions

A Sexual Health Adviser is a specialist practitioner working within NHS-commissioned sexual health services, delivering public-health interventions, counselling, partner notification, safeguarding, and health promotion, in line with BASHH standards, UKHSA guidance, and local authority service specifications.

Sexual Health Advisers lead and coordinate partner notification in accordance with BASHH/SSHA partner notification standards, ensuring:

  • A non-judgemental, patient-centred approach
  • Use of provider, patient, or contract referral pathways
  • Documentation and outcome monitoring
  • Contribution to public-health surveillance and infection control

Safeguarding is integral to the SHA role. Advisers:

  • Conduct routine and targeted safeguarding risk assessments
  • Identify risks such as coercion, exploitation, domestic abuse, or vulnerability
  • Work within local safeguarding boards, NHS safeguarding policies, and statutory guidance
  • Escalate concerns appropriately while maintaining patient trust

In alignment with UKHSA priorities, SHAs:

  • Contribute to infection prevention and control
  • Support surveillance through accurate documentation
  • Deliver targeted interventions to higher-risk populations
  • Engage in outbreak response and health protection activity when required

Health promotion is a core function, including:

  • Education on prevention and wellbeing
  • Outreach to underserved or high-risk communities
  • Supporting behaviour change using recognised counselling approaches

This reflects NHS and local authority expectations for preventive, population-focused sexual health services.

Sexual Health Advisers work to:

  • Reduce barriers to care
  • Provide culturally competent, inclusive services
  • Address stigma and discrimination
  • Support individuals with complex social needs

This supports national priorities to reduce health inequalities across sexual health services.

Typically, SHAs have:

  • A healthcare or relevant professional background (e.g. nursing, health advising, public health, social work)
  • Specialist sexual health training
  • Ongoing competency-based professional development
  • Mandatory safeguarding, information governance, and equality training

This aligns with NHS workforce and governance standards.

Sexual Health Advisers are core members of MDTs, collaborating with:

  • Doctors and nurses
  • Psychologists and counsellors
  • Social care and safeguarding leads
  • Public health professionals

This ensures holistic, patient-centred care, consistent with NHS integrated care principles.

Sexual Health Advisers manage:

  • Increasing service demand
  • Complex safeguarding presentations
  • Psychosocial needs alongside clinical priorities
  • Public-health pressures, including outbreaks and inequalities

The SHA role underpins:

  • Effective infection control
  • Safeguarding and risk reduction
  • Patient engagement and retention
  • Public-health outcomes and prevention

Without this role, services would struggle to meet UK sexual health service standards and population-health goals.