Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health of Those with Serious Mental Illness: Scoping Review

The sexual and reproductive health of those with serious mental illness is known to be significantly poorer than the general population. Appropriate and timely sexual and reproductive health care can prevent poorer health outcomes and should be standard care. This scoping review has systematically located and summarised the available literature related to adults with serious mental illness and the current access to sexual and reproductive health care available within mental health services. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria set by the authors and were included in this review. The themes generated in this review highlighted that service users were provided poor sexual health care overall; service users welcome sexual health screening and education; and that mental health clinicians did not view sexual health as part of their role however, this was improved with training in sexual and reproductive health. This scoping review indicates the need to increase the sexual and reproductive health care provided to those with serious mental illness through further training of mental health clinicians and increased access within mental health services.