Sexual Health and Wellbeing (SHAW) Research Group
A leading hub for sexuality-related public health research.
About our group:
- We conduct high-quality research to improve public health because understanding everyday sexual experiences is essential to improving wellbeing.
- We co-develop impactful research and resources with policymakers and evidence usersbecause sexuality must be recognised as a vital component of public health policy.
- We generate robust evidence and insights for clinicians, practitioners, and educatorswho need tools and evidence to support people’s sexual health and wellbeing in ways that are sensitive to lived experience and social context.
- We collaborate with and amplify the voices of groups and communities most affected by poor sexual health and wellbeingbecause reducing inequalities requires inclusive, participatory approaches.
- We use innovative methods to document trends, explore phenomena, design and evaluate interventions.
- We teach about sexual health and wellbeing to foster critical thinkers who understand how sexuality is shaped by social, cultural, and structural factors, and who are prepared to champion change in their professional fields.
Themes
- Sexual Wellbeing - conceptualising wellbeing and applying it
- Sexual Health – developing an understanding of delivery, experiences, perceptions and behaviours.
- Gender-based violence
Key projects
Current projects
- Sexual Wellbeing in Scotland
- Equally Safe at School (ESAS)
- Good Measure
- Community Pharmacies and Scotland’s Sexual Health (COMPASS)
- National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (NATSAL)
Past projects
Staff
Kirstin Mitchell (Co-Lead)
Ruth Lewis (Co-Lead)
PhD students
Current students
Raquel Bosó Pérez - Understanding Young People’s Sexual Wellbeing.
Kirsten Kernaghan - COMPASS (COMmunity Pharmacies And Scotland’s Sexual health) – Community Pharmacies as a resource for Sexual Health in Scotland
Past students
Jennifer Littlejohn (2026) How do people conceptualise and experience sexual consent across the lifespan?
George Burrows (2025). Identifying factors influencing sexual health and wellbeing among transgender adults in Scotland.
Inyang, Elizabeth Mayen (2024) Addressing Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Scotland: A soft systems approach.
Wilson-Lowe, Rachel (2023) Talking about abortion online: A qualitative exploration of how and why women use the Internet to seek social support around abortion.
External collaborators
Ayse Deliktas
Fiona Mapp
Rape Crisis Scotland
BASHH Sexual Function and Wellbeing group
