Saturday 27 July 2013

Using SXT to teach sexual & reproductive health

Picture a Friday lunchtime after the food in warm canteen with the bench seats full of young people visiting their key workers and friends at http://www.kidsco.org.uk/

The projector is perched on a box, illuminating a screen perched on a fireplace, and the iPad is connect to this device as well as the internet via a hotspot on Jason Shonibare's [Kid's Company staff] iPhone.


Some of the young people don't want to commit to a presentation on sexual and reproductive health by a man with a tie and they strategically position themselves by the door the is open to let in some cool air.

The class outline has four parts and SXT is essential to the first three.

What is the most effective contraception?
Name the sexually transmitted infections that can give you lumps and bumps?
Where is the nearest local provider who offers these services and is open now?
How do you diagnose HIV in one minute?

Sexual health information is very easy to find in SXT and even though the internet connection was slow it was possible to use the website in real time for the Kid's company audience.
With two clicks we were on the page of the most effective contraception methods with the most effective method (the sub dermal implant) at the top of the list.  When the implant is selected then a short summary sentence is provided and a link to information from the Family Planing Association (www.fpa.org.uk).



Once the SXT client has been given the information they require the next question is where can I get this service.  The picture below is of the local providers in the SW9 postcode area of London that could provide an implant service today.  The search was made at 11am on Saturday 27th July 2013.


The presentation ended with a demonstration of a one minute (INSTI) HIV test for HIV1/2 antibodies.  In the 30 minutes there were questions from a quarter of the audience and the numbers did not change over time.  Everybody was given an SXT card at the end of the lesson so that they can use the web, mobile and SMS service in their own time.








The launch of the SXT MedStartr campaign (crowd source funding for medically related projects)



SXT is a social enterprise whose mission is to facilitate access to sexual and reproductive health care services.  This is done by providing high quality sexual health information in under a minute and then real time identification of a local service.  Available on the web, mobile and SMS the information provided by SXT is not trapped by any digital divide.

The initial funding for this project came from UnLtd & 4iP (June 2009, £5000) and this money was used to scope the idea, choose the name, build the first prototype and identify the next steps to develop the service.  This data was then used to apply for funding from Guy's & St Thomas' Charity (February 2011, £66,000) and this award has enable SXT to develop a powerful digital platform to meet our mission.  Over the last couple of years SXT has had two major changes to its design and the data provided to clients and providers.  The MedStartr campaign has been developed to coincide with the third and final change to the SXT service that is funded from the charity.  MedStartr have successfully raised funds for medically related projects in the USA and they are now bringing their expertise to Europe. 

The changes in version three of SXT are as follows:-
  • A complete re-design to support the education of clients
  • Develop an application programming interface to support partners with high quality information
  • Build a simple sharing tool to allow partners to be informed of infections and then locate a local service
  • Upload all the key UK sexual & reproductive health care services
  • Capture effectively how many clients are turned away because of closure or demand and then support these individuals to find a local open service
  • Translate SXT into Spanish for the growing community in London
  • Support the provision of online appointments
In the MedStartr campaign we also are keen to support:-
  • The development of digital public health marketing campaigns
  • Enhance peer to peer education by the medical student organisation Sexpression
  • A project manager to introduce the changes and evaluate their introduction and impact


Thank you to Alex Fair & Ben Heubl for their support to set up the MedStartr campaign.  The marketing for this $90,000 fund raising campaign will fully commence with the launch of the SXT version 3.0 next week.