Trust awards £2m for national survey of sexual attitudes
3 October 2008
The Trust has awarded £2 million to the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (NATSAL III), which will be carried out in 2010. The survey will capture the views and experiences of some 15 000 men and women aged between 16 and 74, randomly selected from across England, Wales and Scotland.
This survey follows two carried out in 1990 and 2000, the first of which was funded by the Trust. Results from both surveys have been used extensively in Department of Health strategic documents and policymaking. For example, the original Trust-funded survey allowed projections of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (including AIDS), and linked the prevalence of diseases to high-risk practices.
The 2010 survey will be based on methods used in the previous two surveys but will also include new elements. For 2010, the upper age limit has been raised to 74, and will also include anonymised biological data on sexually transmitted infections and sex hormones.
Professor Anne Johnson, Director of the UCL Division of Population Health at University College London, says: “The 1990 and 2000 NATSAL surveys provided a wealth of information on sexual lifestyles, the risk of sexually transmitted infections, as well as the use and preferences for sexual health services.
“The data have been widely used to guide policy for sexual health education and services in Britain. We are delighted at the award of the funding and hope the 2010 survey will help improve sexual health promotion and treatment services.”
In total, the 2010 survey has been awarded £7.3m by the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Department of Health.
As for the previous two surveys, the study team will comprise researchers from University College London, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Researchers from the Health Protection Agency and University of Manchester are joining the team to study new areas.
Image: A 16-century iron chastity belt with padlock; Wellcome Images.