Key indicators
A sub set of the indicators presented in this toolkit have been identified as key indicators. These are a focussed set of key sexual health process and outcome indicators to compare and measure progress at local level. They are based on the recommended 'high-level indicator set' proposed in the 2008 review of the sexual health and HIV strategy, Department of Health interest in indicators relating to younger people and more recent advice from the Health Protection Agency. See Background for further details.
Only the most recent data are included in the key indicator display tools. These are presented at either local authority (LA) district level or primary care trust (PCT) level as indicated in the list of indicators below. The underlying LA data tables also include counties.
Note that some values may be suppressed due to small number disclosure constraints. Further details about each indicator can be found in the LA Data section or PCT Data section (and can also be accessed through the 'Indicator' button in the display tools by clicking the small image next to each indicator name).
Latest key indicators
Teenage Conceptions
Percentage change in rate age under 18 conceptions since 1998 - LA & PCT (LA partners)
Abortions
Percentage all age NHS-funded abortions <10 weeks - PCT
Percentage age under 18 abortions <10 weeks - PCT
Percentage age under 19 repeat abortions - PCT
Contraception
Rate GP prescribed long acting reversible contraception (LARC)- PCT1
Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV
Rate acute sexually transmitted infections - LA
Percentage age 15–24 screened for chlamydia outside GUM clinics - LA
Rate age 15-24 diagnoses of chlamydia in all settings - LA2
Rate diagnoses of gonorrhoea in GUM clinics - LA
Rate diagnoses of syphilis in GUM clinics - LA
Percentage uptake of HIV testing in GUM clinics - LA
Percentage HIV diagnosed late (low CD4 cell count)- LA
Prevalence of diagnosed HIV - LA 3
Percentage of GUM clinic clients offered an appointment within 2 working days - PCT 3
Percentage of GUM clinic clients seen within 2 working days - PCT
Planned key indicators
Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV
Uptake of HIV testing in all settings excluding antenatal services4
Uptake of HIV testing in antenatal services settings4
Sexual Assault
Percentage of those reporting sexual assault seen at Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs)5
The indicators will be updated and developed further on an ongoing basis.
Notes:
1. 'Rate GP prescribed long acting reversible contraception (LARC)': note that the underlying data available via the PCT Data section provides a breakdown of PCT data by type of LARC.
2. 'Rate age 15-24 diagnoses of chlamydia’: this is now the proposed key sexual health indicator in the Public Health Outcomes Framework. Chlamydia testing coverage is still low and varies geographically, therefore, the rates are likely to reflect local testing implementation and the Health Protection Agency has advised that higher rates should now be interpreted as better. This interpretation has been added to the local authority-based indicators, but not the archived PCT-based indicators where a better/worse judgement has not been made. This indicator can also be viewed in conjunction with the chlamydia testing indicators in the Scorecard. Note: Once chlamydia testing coverage is sufficient to impact on population prevalence, the better/worse interpretatiom will be swapped.
3. For most of the indicators in the main display tools a ‘traffic light’ system (red diamond or green sphere) has been used to indicate whether a local value is statistically significantly ‘worse’ or ‘better’ than the national value. However, it is felt inappropriate to make such a judgement in the case of the following 2 key indicators:
i) ‘Prevalence of diagnosed HIV’ has been included to provide important contextual information for the other HIV indicators rather than providing a measure of progress as this will be affected by a combination of rates of new infections, uptake of HIV testing and survival due to new treatments.
ii) 'Percentage of GUM clinic clients offered an appointment within 2 working days': Most local areas are now achieving the 100% target or are only within a small number of decimal places from this, for example 99.6%. To highlight local values that differ only by a small number of decimal places from the national average as 'better' or 'worse' would be misleading.
4. Monitoring 'uptake of HIV testing' in non-GUM clinic settings will depend on improvements to laboratory recording and reporting of information. Uptake of HIV testing in antenatal services is of particular importance, however at present we are unable to obtain a local level indicator and may need to rely on a region-level indicator in the meantime.
5. 'Proportion of those reporting sexual assault seen within Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs)' indicator — the development of the 'Paloma' system should enable access to relevant data to generate this indicator in future.