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When it comes to sex, do you worry more about catching an STI, or catching feelings? Using condoms is one way to practice safer sex, but if the brain is the body’s biggest erogenous zone, how do we protect it? 

For decades Brook has taken a holistic approach to sexual health, recognising that physical and emotional wellbeing are inseparable. But with mental health in decline and STIs on the rise, it’s more important than ever to talk about how the two intersect. That’s why for Sexual Health Week 2024: Are You Feeling It? we will be shining a light on the inextricable links between mental health and sexual health and demonstrating the positive impact of early intervention.  

We will amplify the voices of those whose mental and physical wellbeing have been impacted by stigma and explore the vital role RSE plays in helping young people develop healthy minds as well as healthy bodies. We will also celebrate our own experts and bring together professionals from across the mental health and sexual health sectors to share their experiences, address the challenges they face, and provide tangible solutions to improve health outcomes.  

What’s happening in #SHW24?

Big RSE Lesson Live

This broadcast will empower young people to take care of their mental health and, in turn, support healthy decision-making when it comes to their sexual health and wellbeing.

Recording coming soon!

Free Webinar: Sexual Health X Mental Health 

Tuesday 10th September, 12:30-2pm
Join us for a panel discussion exploring the links between sexual health and mental health.

Recording coming soon!

Blogs

Read our Sexual Health Week blogs to explore more around the link between sexual health and mental health

Read our blogs

Support high-quality RSHE

Over 700 individuals have signed our pledge to support high-quality RSHE that is currently threatened.

Sign our pledge

Literature review: Sexual Health X Mental Health

Brook’s literature review on the intersections of mental health and sexual health. Looking at existing evidence, Brook’s expertise, and young people’s experiences of accessing support at Brook.

Read the literature review

Partnership: Brook X Superdrug

Instagram takeover
Sexual health advice in store
Reclaim the Name campaign

Read more about our work with Superdrug

Campaign toolkit

Use our toolkit for social media resources to get involved

Access the toolkit

our supporters

Become a corporate sponsor

In our 60th year, demonstrate your commitment to being an ally for mental and sexual health by becoming a corporate sponsor of Sexual Health Week.

Explore our sponsorship opportunities (pdf)

If you are a charity and want to add your logo as a supporter of SHW, please email press@brook.org.uk

abortion talk logo
AGC logo "Advisory Group on Contraception"
All East logo
ARCH Teesside logo
Axess logo
BASHH logo: British Association for Sexual Health an dHIV
Basis Yorkshire logo
BBFC logo
Bench outreach logo
Beyond Equality logo
Blackpool and lancashire sexual health services
Blue Sky Trust logo
Broadly conceived logo black
childline logo "online, on the phone, anytime"
Childnet logo
Community Learning & Development Youth services "youth work changes lives"
Department of Health & Social Care logo
The Duchy Health Charity logo
ebo logo "Human, Conversations, Automated
Festival Republic logo
Fidelity international logo
coppafeel logo
Metro logo "embrace difference"
The Drop In Portland logo
The Eddystone Trust logo
FSRH logo
Fumble logo
Galop logo
Health and Help logo
Healthwatch Bedford Borough
Humanists UK logo
Leeds Sexual Health logo
LGBT Foundation logo
Locala Sexual Health logo
Get2gether logo
Mencap logo
MSI logo UK "Reproductive choices"
National Autistic Society logo
NHS Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust logo
Northumbria Healthcare logo
One 25 logo "For women to heal and thrive"
Outspoken Sex Ed logo
PRCCG Peterborough Rape Crisis Care Group logo
Positive health logo
the eve appeal logo
Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland logo
Renaissance logo
SARSAS logo
sash logo
School of Sexuality Education logo
Sex Education Forum "working together for quality relationships and sex education"
Sexpression:UK logo
SH:24 logo "Sexual Health 24 hours a day"
SHADA logo "sexual health and disability alliance"
Shine logo
Spectra logo
Streetwise: Leading Informal Education
Tellmi logo
tvps logo "HIV support and testing est.1985"
The Gifted logo
The mix logo
Think of Yourself logo
Terrence Higgins Trust logo
the survivors trust logo
Upfront Theatre Company logo
Wellbeing of women logo
Yada logo
Young Hounslow Sexual Health logo
YMCA logo
Yorkshire MESMAC logo
Yor Sexual Health Logo - "Free and confidential services across North Yorkshire and York
Doctors For Choice Logo
Autism Education Trust logo
BHA for equality logo
Swish logo

Superdrug logo

Brook X Superdrug

We are delighted to be teaming up with Superdrug again for Sexual Health Week. This year we are partnering on Reclaim the Name, a sexual health literacy campaign that aims to remove the stigma from talking about our bodies. By highlighting the importance of being accurate when describing our body parts, we’re aiming to normalise conversations around sexual health, pleasure and bodily autonomy.

As part of the campaign Brook will be taking over Superdrug’s Instagram on Wednesday 11 September, and publishing a series of blogs on the Superdrug website. Brook specialists will also be on hand in Superdrug’s London and Liverpool stores offering a free sexual health advice service throughout Sexual Health Week.

Blog: Fairy, fanny, foof: why can’t we just say vulva?
Blog: Why we all deserve better relationships and sex education
Five ways mental health and sexual health are linked

Previous #SHW campaigns

Text reads "Sexual Health Week: Playing it Safe. 11th-17th September"

SHW23 Playing it Safe

Our SHW23 campaign evidenced the positive impact of RSE, promoted consent and pleasure as key components of safer sex and celebrated experts across the sector working tirelessly to keep people safe from harm.   

We ran a Safeguarding Conference covering topics such as AI, RSHE and mental health and involved experts from Brook and other organisations. Watch the conference on demand.

More than 60,000 people joined our Big RSE lesson on Understanding and Challenging Gender Stereotypes. Watch the live lesson on demand.

We launched our new course How to Deliver RSE and our online tool, Spotting the Signs which both help make sure we keep young people safe.

We also launched our TikTok, our parents and carers section of our website and our pledge for high quality RSE.

Breaking Barriers #SHW22 graphic

SHW22 Breaking Barriers

Thank you to everyone who supported SHW22 Breaking Barriers. During the week, we amplified the voices of those who face access barriers and shone a light on the important work that Brook, partners and sector experts are doing to address health inequalities.

We kicked off the week with our webinar and Q&A, discussing what we mean by breaking barriers and what Brook is doing every day to overcome them.  

More than 15,660 people tuned in to our third Big RSE Lesson. Watch on demand

Our live panel event hosted by our ambassador Ruby Rare with experts from Brook, GALOP, Beyond Equality and Decolonising Contraception, explored the barriers faced by different communities and the ways that sex and sexual health intersect with all the other aspects of our identities.  

We partnered with The Survivors Trust to launch new resources to support young people who are survivors of sexual abuse, assault and trauma to overcome challenges they may face when accessing sexual health services.  

We produced a series of short videos featuring Brook experts discussing a range of topics from access to sexual health services to teaching consent.  

Pixelated image of a red chilli pepper with the text "whether irl or online, always get consent" overlaid on top

SHW21 Consent: Do you get it?

With the issue of sexual harassment and assault in schools dominating the media throughout 2021, we chose consent as the theme for SHW21. Throughout the week, we focussed on normalising conversations about consent and empowering people to talk about it positively and proactively.

As part of the activity, we launched our #StopCyberflashing campaign calling for the criminalisation of sending unsolicited nudes. The campaign was championed by Fay Jones MP during a parliamentary debate, and we are delighted that cyberflashing is to become a criminal offence as part of the Online Safety Bill.

More than 200 people attended our webinar on Consent, Young Men, and RSE with Susie McDonald, Chief Executive of Tender, and Ben Hurst, Head of Facilitation at Beyond Equality, as well as Brook staff and champions.

To support schools, we created a new downloadable consent handout for young people and a guide for teachers on how to handle disclosures of sexual assault and harassment in their schools.

 

A graphic saying "Get your RSE in gear!" with a bright background

SHW20 Get your RSE in gear

For Sexual Health Week 2020, Brook celebrated the introduction of mandatory RSE in schools.

From awards, to videos to virtual lessons, the week was jam packed with activity aimed at equipping teachers to deliver excellent relationships and sex education for all young people.

Almost 7,000 students tuned in to Brook’s virtual RSE lesson.

Brook and SH:24’s Sexual Health Awards celebrated those leading ground breaking work destigmatising sexual health.

Five free introductory trainings on some of the core topics needed to deliver excellent RSE.

Brook’s BIG Illustration Competition showcased amazing artwork from young designers and illustrators, celebrating the beauty and diversity of bodies and sexuality.

 

Brook and Mencap education session, 2018

SHW19 Continuing the conversation

Thank you so much to all our 2019 Sexual Health Week supporters. We learned so much from our campaign on the topic of relationships, sex and disability.

Following the campaign, we identified a gap in our own RSE resources for SEND young people and as part of our commitment to challenging inequality, we have developed a new accredited training package for professionals.