Sexual Health and Responsibility Program (SHARP) of the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center

Sexual Health and Responsibility Program (SHARP) of the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center

The Sexual Health and Responsibility Program (SHARP) of the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center works to promote and protect the sexual health of Sailors and Marines to support mission readiness and accomplishment, minimize avoidable health care costs and personnel losses, prevent morbidity and mortality, and support quality of life. The SHARP vision is to achieve a cultural norm in which physical and social sexual health are encouraged, supported and expected; and a Navy and Marine Corps population in which all pregnancies are planned, and sexual violence, coercion and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, are prevented.  The SHARP Motto "Chart a Safe Course" affirms that each individual has the right and responsibility to make choices about their sexual health and behavior; and that sexual health decision-making is a lifelong and dynamic process because a person's circumstances and relationships may change over time. 

SHARP's two priority initiatives in 2015 are to (1) increase the use of long-acting reversible contraception among contraception-using, sexually active Sailors and Marines who do not want a pregnancy at this time in her life and (2) decrease the incidence of HIV among male Sailors and Marines who have sex with men.

SHARP partners with multiple military and civilian organizations to investigate, advocate, communicate and educate regarding sexual health. SHARP develops and delivers training for Navy health care professionals and for Sailors and Marines, and provides prevention products including guidelines, films, fact sheets, posters, lectures, web resources, surveillance data and program consultation services. 

Website: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmcphc/health-promotion/reproductive-sexual-health/Pages/reproductive-and-sexual-health.aspx