Staff ought to be aware that anxieties about confidentiality are a major hurdle which discourages people fromconsulting on sexual health issues. This concern is often greater for young people who worry that that staff may disclose information to parents or carers that the young person has sought help in relation to sexual health or that they may need to get parental consent to access treatment or contraception. For adults, there are anxieties that sexual health matters will be recorded on their medical notes which might be shared with external agencies such as insurance companies or mortgage providers or that they might have to tell a receptionist in a crowded waiting area what they are there for. Practice staff should seek to make clear the nature and limits of confidentiality offered by the practice. This can be done through posters (a poster on young people's right to confidentiality in the health service is available free through Health Promotion) or signs clearly displayed in the practice or you might choose to use the practice leaflet to do so. Training on confidentiality is available for practice staff (see Training section).

NHS Scotland code of practice on protecting patient confidentiality: http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/confidentiality/publications/code of practice july03.doc

Department of Health NHS Code of Practice November 2003