A NURSE from York who recognised men were ‘suffering in silence’ has attracted research funding.

Sara Ma, who now lectures in nursing at York St John University, was awarded a grant to deliver research that will lead to better sexual health support for men who live with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

A spokesperson for the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said she is the first from its nurse community to lead and secure an award from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and will research alongside some of the world’s leading experts in the field of men’s health.

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The spokesperson added that the project will also involve various health stakeholders from across the city, with nurses from the Trust, York St John University and the University of York now being able to deliver research that will lead to better sexual health support for men who live with IBD.

Sara, a specialist nurse with several years’ experience of working with patients with IBD, is leading the work alongside Paul Galdas, a professor of nursing and men’s health at the University of York.

'My hope is that healthcare professionals can create safe spaces for people living with this condition to discuss any aspect of living with the disease'

 

They designed the project collaboratively with patient representatives to ensure that it is relevant and acceptable to men with the condition.

Sara said: “Sexual health is an important part of adult wellbeing that is often pushed to the bottom of the list when treating complex disease.

“When I started research in this field, many people were sceptical and did not see sexual health as a priority.

“In an earlier study, I interviewed men with the disease and discovered that not only was there a significant impact on men’s sexual health, but also men were enduring their problems in silence.

“My hope is that healthcare professionals can create safe spaces for people living with this condition to discuss any aspect of living with the disease and for us to respond to this with practical and emotional support.

“This grant is a significant step towards making this a reality.”

The Trust spokesperson said: “IBD can negatively affect sexual health and impact on patients' relationships and quality of life but there is little information or support currently available for men, especially those who identify as bisexual or gay.

“The research team will work with patients, their partners, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to develop a nursing intervention that addresses this, through the provision of information, assessment, and support.”

Lydia Harris, head of research and development at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are thrilled for Sara, who has become the first nurse in the Trust to successfully secure an NIHR award.

“Sara now lectures at York St John University but will still be delivering this important study to our patients, alongside other clinical colleagues in our Trust.

“Winning this award is a real credit to Sara’s hard work and great collaborations she has built with our academic partners.

“Sara’s success will be an inspiration to our workforce who are encouraged to not just participate in research projects and trials hosted by the Trust, but to also explore areas of their own clinical practice.”