Sexual health services in urban, suburban, and rural outpatient mental healthcare settings in New York: findings from a survey of practices and gaps.

We surveyed all licensed outpatient mental health programs in New York to examine sexual health services and training needs of providers. Gaps were found in processes for assessing whether patients were sexually active, engaging in sexual risk behaviours, and in need of HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis. Significant differences between urban, suburban, and rural settings statewide were found in how the following sexual health services were delivered: education; on-site sexually transmitted infection screenings; and condom distribution and barriers to distribution. Staff training in sexual health services delivery is critically needed for optimal sexual health and recovery of patients in community mental healthcare. Sexual healthcare is not only critical to controlling sexually transmitted infections for people with serious mental illness, it is also an equity and social justice issue. New approaches to helping people with mental health disorders recover their health and functioning have prompted clinicians and care systems to re-think how to address sexual health; we found inequitable access to sexual health services in community mental health settings. Staff training in sexual health services delivery is needed to improve health and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]