LoveTank: improving access to sexual health information and services

London is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, attracting people from all around the world to live and work. However, five in every 1,000 London residents aged 15-59 years have diagnosed HIV, which is more than double the rate for England. Men who have sex with men (MSM) and black Africans are key risk groups.

In 2020, more than 105,000 new Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) were diagnosed in London, and 19 of the 20 upper tier local authorities in England with the highest rates of STIs were in our city. Of all STIs diagnosed in 2020, 44 per cent of those diagnosed were born outside of the UK.

The London Health and Care Partnership is working with LoveTank, a not-for-profit community interest company (CIC) that promotes health and wellbeing of underserved communities. Through our project, we’re conducting community-based research to better understand the HIV and sexual health services of key groups of migrant MSM and minority ethnic group MSM and co-produce community-based health promotion to improve awareness of and access to health and care services.