Professor
Sharron
Hinchliff
PhD, BSc(Hons), PGCertHE
School of Allied Health Professions, Pharmacy, Nursing and Midwifery
Professor of Psychology and Health
+44 114 222 2045
Full contact details
Room 109
362 Mushroom Lane
- Profile
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Sharron leads an ecosystem of research, teaching, and innovation that drives meaningful change in sexual and reproductive health, with a particular focus on midlife/menopause and the sexual health and wellbeing of older adults. Her work brings together research, human rights, public engagement, and partnerships beyond academia to challenge stigma, influence practice, and develop innovative resources that make a difference to people’s lives.
She works with service providers and organisations to support them to become more age-friendly and informed about sexual rights, helping to create services and environments where people can age with dignity, respect, and choice. Example resources include:
Sexual Rights Charter for Older Adults: a set of resources designed to ensure that people are treated with dignity and respect in relation to their sexuality as they age. The Charter is currently I use across three domains: health care, social care, and the community.
Age of Love: a collaboration with Sheffield artist Pete McKee that challenges the myths and misconceptions about the intimate relationships of older adults. The Age of Love has been developed into an audio-play, in partnership with Kit Green, as well as a series of wellbeing cafés with charity partners in Sheffield and Northampton.
Agesexandyou.com: a public health website dedicated to providing accessible, evidence-based information about sexual health and wellbeing as people get older. Designed for both the public and professionals, it addresses an often-overlooked aspect of healthy ageing.
Sharron’s work has been recognised through a number of awards, including the President’s Medal from the Market Research Society, the national Girl Up Award from She Inspires, and the Public Engagement Award from the British Psychological Society’s North East England Branch.
She holds a PhD and a BSc (Hons) in Psychology. Find out more about her work via her website and LinkedIn.
- Research interests
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- Ageing, sexual health and wellbeing, women’s health, menopause, psychology of health and health/social care
- Qualitative research
- Under-represented groups
- Sensitive topics
Current/recent projects
Embedding the Sexual Rights Charter in care homes: Understanding the needs of staff who work with older adults (NIHR School for Social Care Research), PI Sharron Hinchliff
Successful Sexual Aging – A Longitudinal Mixed Method Dyadic Study (Croatian Science Foundation), PI Aleksandar Štulhofer
Co-designing and evaluating training and educational resources for care home staff to support the sexual rights of aged-care residents (ESRC IAA), PI Sharron Hinchliff
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Edited books
- Addressing the Sexual Rights of Older People: Theory, Policy and Practice. UK: Routledge.
Journal articles
- The invisible struggle in the workplace: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of Turkish women’s menopause experiences. Health & Social Care in the Community. View this article in WRRO
- “We are too young to worry”: late-midlife adults’ voices on sexual changes, distress, and help-seeking behaviors. Qualitative Health Research. View this article in WRRO
- Saudi women's experiences of sexual and relational changes during the menopause transition. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 82(5), 5082-5095. View this article in WRRO
- How to support the sexual wellbeing of older patients. BMJ, 380, e072388-e072388.
- Sex and relationships in later life: older adults’ experiences and perceptions of sexual changes. The Journal of Sex Research, 60(9), 1318-1331. View this article in WRRO
- Are dementia services and support organisations meeting the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) caregivers of LGBT people living with dementia? A scoping review of the literature. Aging and Mental Health, 26(10), 1912-1921. View this article in WRRO
- Older adults' embodied experiences of aging and their perceptions of societal stigmas toward sexuality in later life. Social Science & Medicine, 287.
- Pathways to help-seeking for sexual difficulties in older adults: qualitative findings from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3). Age and Ageing, 50(2), 546-553. View this article in WRRO
- Relationship intimacy, sexual distress, and help-seeking for sexual problems among older European couples: a hybrid dyadic approach. International Journal of Impotence Research, 32(5), 525-534. View this article in WRRO
- Talking about sex with friends: perspectives of older adults from the Sex, Age and Me study in Australia. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 23(3), 367-382. View this article in WRRO
- Seeking-help for sexual difficulties : findings from a study with older adults in four European countries. European Journal of Ageing, 17(2), 185-195. View this article in WRRO
- Successful aging, change in sexual interest and sexual satisfaction in couples from four European countries. European Journal of Ageing, 16, 155-165. View this article in WRRO
- Understanding the interplay between cognitive changes at menopause, the workplace, and mental health: qualitative findings from the MARIE-UK (WP2a) project. Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 7.
Book chapters
- Sexuality in older age, Oxford Textbook of Old Age Psychiatry (pp. 785-802). Oxford University Press
- Menopause In Gu D & Dupre ME (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging Springer
- Ageing Sexualities Through a Critical Lens: Bringing Social Psychology, Sociology, and Intersectionality into Dialogue, Psychologies of Ageing (pp. 51-77). Springer International Publishing
All publications
Edited books
- Addressing the Sexual Rights of Older People: Theory, Policy and Practice. UK: Routledge.
Journal articles
- The invisible struggle in the workplace: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of Turkish women’s menopause experiences. Health & Social Care in the Community. View this article in WRRO
- “We are too young to worry”: late-midlife adults’ voices on sexual changes, distress, and help-seeking behaviors. Qualitative Health Research. View this article in WRRO
- Saudi women's experiences of sexual and relational changes during the menopause transition. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 82(5), 5082-5095. View this article in WRRO
- How to support the sexual wellbeing of older patients. BMJ, 380, e072388-e072388.
- Sex and relationships in later life: older adults’ experiences and perceptions of sexual changes. The Journal of Sex Research, 60(9), 1318-1331. View this article in WRRO
- Are dementia services and support organisations meeting the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) caregivers of LGBT people living with dementia? A scoping review of the literature. Aging and Mental Health, 26(10), 1912-1921. View this article in WRRO
- Older adults' embodied experiences of aging and their perceptions of societal stigmas toward sexuality in later life. Social Science & Medicine, 287.
- Pathways to help-seeking for sexual difficulties in older adults: qualitative findings from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3). Age and Ageing, 50(2), 546-553. View this article in WRRO
- Relationship intimacy, sexual distress, and help-seeking for sexual problems among older European couples: a hybrid dyadic approach. International Journal of Impotence Research, 32(5), 525-534. View this article in WRRO
- Talking about sex with friends: perspectives of older adults from the Sex, Age and Me study in Australia. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 23(3), 367-382. View this article in WRRO
- Seeking-help for sexual difficulties : findings from a study with older adults in four European countries. European Journal of Ageing, 17(2), 185-195. View this article in WRRO
- Successful aging, change in sexual interest and sexual satisfaction in couples from four European countries. European Journal of Ageing, 16, 155-165. View this article in WRRO
- Understanding the interplay between cognitive changes at menopause, the workplace, and mental health: qualitative findings from the MARIE-UK (WP2a) project. Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 7.
Book chapters
- Sexuality in older age, Oxford Textbook of Old Age Psychiatry (pp. 785-802). Oxford University Press
- Menopause In Gu D & Dupre ME (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging Springer
- Ageing Sexualities Through a Critical Lens: Bringing Social Psychology, Sociology, and Intersectionality into Dialogue, Psychologies of Ageing (pp. 51-77). Springer International Publishing
- Addressing the Sexual Rights of Older People: Theory, Policy and Practice. UK: Routledge.
- Teaching interests
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Qualitative research; health psychology; health promotion; sexual and reproductive health; sexual well-being; psychology of ageing and gender.
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Committee member of the Sheffield Sexual Health Network
- Departmental Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Lead for a large portfolio of Public Engagement and Knowledge Exchange projects on the sexual rights of older adults
- Peer reviewer for a range of funding bodies and international journals
- Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy