New campaign to fight Bolton's teen pregnancy problems

Teenagers are being educated about the dangers of sex and alcohol in a new scheme being run in the borough's schools.
Play Hard Party Safe is aimed at final year high school pupils and sixth formers.
It has been launched to help address Bolton's problems with teenage pregnancy.
The borough's figures are way above the national average - in England and Wales 41.3 under 18s per 1,000 fell pregnant in 2005. In Bolton that figure was is 51.9 per 1,000.
Jayne Littler, teenage pregnancy co-ordinator, said: "This is a new scheme which we are running in a number of schools in December.
"If successful we will be rolling it out to all schools before the end of the academic year. The sessions are interactive and young people find out about sexually transmitted infections, safe sex and how to say no to sex.

"Young people take part in a series of activities including putting together a jigsaw to find out more about these issues. We also talk about how to deal with someone who is very drunk, and the safety issues surrounding having too much to drink. A condom demonstration is also given, but we do not hand these out to the pupils."
The sessions are run by trained youth workers, teachers and other professionals who work with young people. The programme is run jointly by Bolton Primary Care Trust and Bolton Council.

China launches first major safe sex TV campaign

BEIJING (Reuters) - China rolled out its first major television campaign on Thursday to promote condom use to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, now mostly being transmitted by sex in the world's most populous country.
The short public service announcements will mainly be shown on screens in buses, trains and planes, on the Internet, in entertainment venues, and on some state television channels.
They will target the young and China's huge floating population of migrant workers, using celebrities including Hong Kong action film star Jackie Chan and Chinese folk singer Peng Liyuan, wife of rising political star Xi Jinping. "It marks a new era in talking frankly and candidly about these issues, which used to be avoided," said UNDP country director Subinay Nandy.
"This initiative is very timely and is very valid for the epidemic situation in China today," he told a news conference. China will have an estimated 50,000 new HIV infections in 2007, compared with 70,000 in 2005, according to a report by the State Council (Cabinet) and the United Nations last week.
That means the country will have about 700,000 people living with HIV/AIDS this year, up from an earlier estimate of 650,000.

India-migrants make Surkhet hotbed for AIDS [ 2007-12-4 ]

Surkhet, Dec. 3: Surkhet in mid-west Nepal has become the hotbed district for HIV and AIDS. Almost 60 per cent of the people go to India for work and they come back with the virus which are transmitted to their wives and community.Dev Prasad Gautam, section secretary at the Nepal Red Cross Society, said there could be at least 500 to 600 people in Surkhet living with HIV and AIDS.Going to India is a compulsion for many. The agriculture production is barely sufficient for four to five months and to make a living for the remaining of the year. When they go to India they often come into contact of commercial sex workers (CSWs) putting them at risk of contraction.One such youths, Bal Kumar Shakya said he visited CSWs while in India. �I made the mistake of not using condom even if the woman insisted," he said. He is the first person in the district to come out openly about his situation.Almost all those infected are through sexual contacts as there are no case of injecting drug users, he said. Most of the people living with HIV/AIDS are of the productive age group of 29 to 45.Looking at the prevalence of HIV, the NRCS has started voluntary testing and Counseling (VCT) Centre, Gautam said. The centre has registered more than 100 cases of HIV and AIDS in two months it was started. Many more are yet to come for the testing.School students have been mobilised at the community level to motivate people, especially those who come from India and their families, for voluntary testing. The testing is free of cost.

Do you think schools and parents are teaching kids enough about safe sex?

No, because there's too many young tarts having babies.Simmone Hasler, 18, Rokeby
No. Sex ed is boring so no one pays attention to it.Kana Cantrell, 16, Rokeby
Yes, I think so.Whitney Garth, 19, Clifton Beach
It varies. Some families do and some don't.Ted Cooper, 58, South Arm
I don't think it's as much about safe sex as it is about responsibility - being responsible for their actions.Kara Johnston, 27, Fern Tree
The ex-federal government's baby bonus is the issue - not education. Blame the Liberal government.Jamil Mahfoud, 30, Geilston Bay
No, definitely not. More needs to be done.Ty Watson, 20, Clarendon Vale
It's not really the school's place - the parents should be teaching their kids about safe sex.Howard Thomas, 66, Geeveston
I don't think they are. Maybe they should start educating at a younger age as sex is portrayed through the media so much.Jay Smith, 18, Lindisfarne

Uganda: HIV/Aids Fight - All the Men Please Stand Up

THE United Nations Women's Fund (UNIFEM), estimates that of the 38.6 million adults living with HIV/AIDS by the end of 2002, 19.2 million (nearly 50%) were women. It adds that the rate of new infections among women is increasing faster than those among men.
This indicates a rise in incidence or prevalence among women due to biological, social and economic factors. It is not surprising when some people think that putting the HIV/AIDS prevention agenda into practice should be the women's responsibility.

The time has come for men to also take responsibility in HIV/AIDS prevention. The effect of HIV on women increases the burden of care that women carry. That burden is heavier than it should be due to lack of education, economic advantages and adequate health care for women in many societies.

Appeal on safe sex after diseases rise

People were last night urged to heed the safe sex message after a study revealed a shock increase in cases of sexually transmitted infections across Ulster.
Research released annually by the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Northern Ireland (CDSCNI) also shows that an outbreak of syphilis which began in early 2001 continues unabated.
Consultant epidemiologist Dr Neil Irvine said the figures show people are " continuing to ignore the basic advice".
The research looks at STI cases in 2006 and found startling increases in the main infections including syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and genital herpes.
The only positive news, on today's World Aids Day, was a slight drop in the number of new cases of HIV on the year before.
Among the key findings were 43 new cases of syphilis - up 13% on the 38 reported in 2005.

'We need to be more open about sex'

Better sex education in schools and condom advertising targeted at young people are key to tackling the nation’s sex disease epidemic, according to an expert.
 
A recent report by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) found that diagnoses of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Illnesses (STIs) were increasing.
 
The results for NHS South East Coast, the Strategic Health Authority covering Kent, Surrey and Sussex, reflect the national trends with an increase in HIV diagnoses, particularly among gay men.
 
The number of people being treated for HIV in 2006 had risen to 3, 246 from 2,942 in the previous year, it found.
 
A rising number of heterosexual men, particularly those from black ethnic minority communities, are being diagnosed with HIV, the HPA said.
 
The sexual health of young adults has worsened with the report showing increases in sexually transmitted herpes and warts viruses.
 
In Kent one in 10 young people screened through the National Chlamydia Screening Programme last year tested positive for the infection, the county’s Teenage Pregnancy Service said.
 
Ruth Herron, who is the project manager of the service, is leading the drive to halve teen pregnancy rates in the county by 2010.

Condoms 'should top Christmas list'

A packet of condoms should be at the top of everyone's Christmas wish list, according to one charity. Oxfam is offering the unusual gift as one of five "Positive Pressies" launched this year as part of a new campaign to tackle HIV and Aids.
The campaign, launched to tie in with World Aids Day, will help to directly tackle the spread of HIV by encouraging safe sex and providing condoms.
Anyone who orders one of these gifts will receive information about their present, while the gift itself will go to individuals or communities in the developing world.
The presents, which are all featured in Oxfam's Unwrapped catalogue, will help communities affected by the disease by distributing condoms and hygiene products and providing education, training and counselling.
Georgia Stokes, Oxfam Campaigner in the Midlands said: "By buying these presents from Oxfam Unwrapped people are giving the priceless gift of safe sex, and a longer, healthier life to many thousands of people in the developing world.

Condom campaign doesn't legalize free sex: AIDS council

Chairwoman of the National AIDS Council Nafsiah Mboi has clarified that an aggressive condom-use campaign does not endorse promiscuity.
Speaking at the official launch of National Condom Week in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Saturday, Nafsiah warned against a common misconception: "National Condom Week doesn't legalize free sex ... we do not approve of this. But if we already have youths who are sexually active, what we're doing now is merely giving them a means of protection," Nafsiah said, adding that the number of HIV infections had recently spiked among the 15 to 24 age group.

Brazil to Dispense Condoms in Schools

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) — Brazil's government announced plans to put condom-dispensing machines in public schools to help teenagers reduce the spread of AIDS.
The health and education ministries and the United Nations sponsored a nationwide contest for students to design the dispenser. Three potential models were selected on Friday, the government news agency Agencia Brasil said.
Condom machines are to be installed in 100 public schools in 2008, officials said.
The head of the National Program of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Mariangela Simao, said part of the project is educational and aims not to "banalize" the use of condoms. She said 100,000 schools were involved with the anti-AIDS program.

World AIDS Day raises awareness

Jakarta (1 December) - Saturday was World AIDS Day. The United Nations says 33 million people are infected with the HIV virus which can cause the disease. New figures indicate that Indonesia currently has the world's highest rate of increase in new cases. Indonesia's first ever campaign against HIV/AIDS, which will encourage the use of condoms, was launched on Saturday.China, which for many years viewed the virus as a foreign affliction, also marked World AIDS Day. Earlier this week, the Chinese government announced that it would open a centre for research into the disease.

Global leaders call for action on World AIDS Day

PARIS (AFP) — Activists and global leaders used World AIDS Day Saturday to warn against complacency in fighting the disease and called on governments to fill a multi-billion-dollar funding gap.
"We have made tangible and remarkable progress on all these fronts. But we must do more," United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a message for World AIDS Day.
The highlight of events across the globe was a concert in Johannesburg organised by Nelson Mandela's 46664 AIDS campaign group, named after his prison number from his 27 years in jail during South Africa's apartheid regime.

An estimated 50,000 people attended the concert of local and foreign artists, ranging from Peter Gabriel to Ludacris, broadcast to millions around the world.
Mandela himself put in a rare appearance, and the crowd erupted in screams before falling silent as the 89-year-old urged people to stand up and take the fight against AIDS into their own hands. "It is still alarming that for every person who receives treatment there are four others who are newly infected," said the Nobel laureate, after slowly walking to the podium with the aid of his wife and a walking stick.

'What use is one condom?'

Women are the key to battling the HIV/Aids pandemic, and improving their rights is one of the most effective ways of tackling the disease, charities such as ActionAid say.
Here, to mark World Aids Day on Saturday, Lihle Dlamini, a South African who is HIV positive, explains why it is so important that women speak up. Lihle became infected in her early twenties during a relationship with a boyfriend who had many partners.
He told her that he used condoms with the other women he slept with, but that he didn't want contraception to get in the way of the relationship he had with Lihle. "He told me I was safe," says Lihle, "and while I didn't trust him I didn't feel in the position to tell him what to do. That was the mistake."
It was several years later before the virus began to take hold. Lihle lost over a third of her bodyweight, and felt sick all the time. She decided it was time to be tested.

AIDS charity aims to get the African community involved in World AIDS Day

HIV and sexual health charity, Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is calling for people from the African community to get involved in World AIDS Day on December1, either by attending an event, making a donation to support local HIV services, or wearing a red ribbon to raise awareness.World AIDS Day, which has been running every December since 1988, is dedicated to raising awareness of the disease. In the UK alone, more than 70,000 people are living with HIV and over 7,500 are diagnosed every year. THT is inviting people of all ages to come along to a World AIDS Day event called Take a lead - HIV is Everyone's Business on Saturday December 1. The event will start with a candle-lit vigil for anyone affected by HIV and AIDS. This will be a quiet space to remember those who have died with AIDS as well as celebrating the lives of those living with HIV. This will be followed by a talk from guest speaker, Her Excellency Mrs. Jane Rwabyomere from the Ugandan High Commission.

The event will also celebrate African culture and a variety of performances including dance, music, poetry and drama will take place on the night. Richard Lanek, African Health Promotion Manager at Terrence Higgins Trust said: “HIV has been around for 25 years now and many people have lost partners, family or friends. World AIDS Day is an opportunity for the community to remember those who have died and to celebrate the lives of those with HIV today. Even if they can’t attend we hope that local people will get involved in some way, perhaps donating to the cause or just wearing a red ribbon to raise awareness.”

World AIDS Day 2007: Keep the Promise

World AIDS Day is celebrated around the globe on 1 December, highlighting the progress made in the battle against the epidemic and brings into focus remaining challenges.The theme for World AIDS Day remains ''Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise''. This is an appeal to governments, policy makers and regional health authorities to ensure that they meet the many targets that have been set in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and especially the promise of universal access to HIV treatment, care, support and prevention services by 2010. This campaign will run until 2010, with a related theme chosen for World AIDS Day each year. The 2007 theme is Leadership , which highlights the need for innovation, vision and perseverance in the face of the AIDS challenge. The campaign calls on all sectors of society such as families, communities and civil society organisations - rather than just governments - to take the initiative and provide leadership on AIDS.

World AIDS Day event aims to decrease embarrassment of condoms

Paris has long been known as the city of love, but a submission at Colorado State University's condom concoction competition put a different slant on the idea.
A 3-foot tall replica of the Eiffel Tower, built entirely out of condoms, was one of about a dozen creations featured at the event, held as part of World AIDS Day activities at CSU this week.
The event, held for the first time this year, was designed to raise awareness about condom use and decrease embarrassment that might be associated with using them. "People need to stop and think when it comes to intercourse," freshman Laura KinCannon said. "They also need to stop and think about what's going on in the world with HIV/AIDS."

KinCannon and her friend, Carrie Reilly, designed a dress made of condoms, which Reilly modeled at the event. The dress, made of red, yellow and green condoms, resembled a traffic light, which the women said should serve as a reminder to stop and think before “doing anything.”
“We’re hoping to de-stigmatize condoms, to use them and to handle them,” said Shauna Deluca, coordinator for international education with CSU’s Office of International Programs. The office heads up World AIDS Day events on campus.
The event was a different way to teach students about condoms and encourage their use, Deluca said. “Sometimes you don’t want to be lectured at,” she said. Freshman Alicia Berry-Chaney struggled to put a condom on a banana while wearing goggles to simulate being drunk and in the dark. “It totally does something to bridge the gap of the awkwardness and weirdness (of using condoms),” she said. Freshman Austin Huber, who followed some friends to the event, called the art a way to “make it fun,” but said the educational component was valuable.

China to stop arresting women for carrying condoms

BEIJING -- Chinese police are to stop arresting women who carry condoms, traditionally seen as evidence of prostitution, in an effort to help curb the spread of AIDS, state press said Friday.
Despite efforts to stop the practice, women in China are still being sent to labor camps for prostitution offences merely because they were carrying condoms when detained by police, the report said, quoting an expert.
"We have investigated many education-through-labor camps and we have found that for those sentenced for prostitution, the sole evidence was that they possessed condoms," Xinhua quoted the unnamed expert as telling an AIDS conference here.

Grab your free condoms on World Aids Day

Officials of the Msunduzi Municipality will do their bit to mark World Aids Day on Saturday by handing out condoms at intersections in Pietermaritzburg.Mayor Zanele Hlatshwayo, her deputy, Mervin Dirks, Municipal Manager Rob Haswell, Speaker Alpha Shelembe and Chief Whip Sehla Ngubane would hand the condoms and snack bars with the slogan "Each of us matters, HIV and Aids can be prevented" on their wrappers to motorists and passers-by.Hlatshwayo said the manager of mayoral special projects and programmes, Sanelisiwe Ndlovu, came up with the idea of involving the council's leadership in the fight against HIV and Aids.

A cyber passport to safer sex

The world's first "safe sex passport" will be launched in the United States tomorrow to coincide with World Aids Day. Aimed at those who find love over the internet, the passport is a way of letting the users of dating and social networking sites find out whether the person they have their eye on has a clean sexual bill of health.
The passport's creator, Gonzalo Paternoster, said he was inspired to develop the product after meeting a man who contracted HIV after having intercourse with someone he met on the internet.
"I think the sexual relationship that two people can share is very powerful, and now it's become such a dangerous thing," says Paternoster.
"Unfortunately there are a lot of people with sexually transmitted diseases who don't even know it. In some cases they do know and they withhold that information. It's only fair to both parties that there is full disclosure of each person's health status."
The credit-card sized passport was developed by the company Paternoster founded, SSP BioAnalytics Inc.

Sexual health shock: Three in four young women do not have safe sex in casual relationships

Three in four young women do not have safe sex in casual relationships, a survey shows. This puts them at risk of infections which could affect their fertility, experts have warned. The poll found that three-quarters of women between 16 and 30 did not insist on a condom. But only 64 per cent of men in this age group admit to not always using one.
Meanwhile, one in four men and women polled wrongly believed that contraceptives such
as the Pill can protect them from sexually transmitted infections. They were often too
embarrassed or unconcerned to protect themselves against infections, including HIV, which can cause Aids. One in five admitted they were playing "fast and loose" by having unsafe sex even though they know they could contract the virus, found the poll, which was carried out by the TVcompany MTV Networks UK to mark World Aids Day tomorrow.

POPULATION: Sexing Up Safe Sex to Limit HIV Spread

Rajyashree Choudhuri, chief of the Institute of International Social Development (IISD), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), said the idea proceeded from formal surveys which showed that sex workers in Sonagachi, the largest red light area in the city, entertained more than five clients a day on average. "Many of them were married or had regular relationships too. So we encouraged them to have fewer clients or maybe a fixed number of loyal clients,’’ she told IPS. When the sex workers said they feared their earnings could drop, IISD workers advised them informally in group discussions to charge clients, but ‘’give them something extra through companionship and erotic pleasure without necessarily indulging in penetrative sex.’’ IISD fell back on techniques outlined in the ‘Kamasutra,’ India’s ancient treatise on sex, as well as the courtesan culture that flourished through the mediaeval period that made use of suggestive music and dance.

Choudhuri said IISD pilot surveys showed that the techniques actually worked in favour of fewer and more satisfied clients as well as better earnings. ‘’We found that many of them (sex workers) reported that the techniques helped them to reduce clientele and thereby the health risks from having multiple partners. IISD plans to run a comprehensive survey next year, involving a few hundred sex workers trying out the idea that ‘’many sexual postures with one partner are better than one posture with many partners,’’ before promoting their ‘Pleasure Project’ further. Other NGOs too have taken recourse to Kamasutra in promoting safer sex practices. I.S. Gilada, secretary of the People’s Health Organisation (PHO) that is based in the western metropolis of Mumbai, calls Kamasutra a ‘’prescription for HIV prevention.’’

"All over the world people only talk about condoms and about celibacy. Those who talk about monogamy are laughed away by others (because) say monogamy sounds like monotony! Sex is a pleasurable act in Indian culture but a sinful exercise in some other cultures."

Terrence Higgins Trust gives out chlamydia test kits to young people in Birmingham and Solihull

From 15 November 2007 HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) will be encouraging young people in Birmingham and Solihull to be tested for Chlamydia by handing out test kits across the region.

The charity is working with the Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust on behalf of all Birmingham and Solihull NHS Trusts and hopes to get more people taking the test by targeting15-24 year olds at universities, colleges, shopping centres and workplaces.
Approximately one in ten young people have chlamydia but many don’t have any symptoms so it’s essential that the number of young people taking a test increases. If left untreated chlamydia can lead to serious health problems, including infertility.

The chlamydia test does not involve any examination and is done by the young person themselves, either by providing a urine sample or a self swab. Results are available within a week and can be texted directly to the young person’s mobile phone or emailed confidentially. For those who test positive and their sexual partners, antibiotics to treat the infection are provided free of charge. All treatment and follow up services are provided by Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust.

Terrence Higgins Trust gives out chlamydia test kits to young people in Birmingham and Solihull

From 15 November 2007 HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) will be encouraging young people in Birmingham and Solihull to be tested for Chlamydia by handing out test kits across the region.

The charity is working with the Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust on behalf of all Birmingham and Solihull NHS Trusts and hopes to get more people taking the test by targeting15-24 year olds at universities, colleges, shopping centres and workplaces.
Approximately one in ten young people have chlamydia but many don’t have any symptoms so it’s essential that the number of young people taking a test increases. If left untreated chlamydia can lead to serious health problems, including infertility.

The chlamydia test does not involve any examination and is done by the young person themselves, either by providing a urine sample or a self swab. Results are available within a week and can be texted directly to the young person’s mobile phone or emailed confidentially. For those who test positive and their sexual partners, antibiotics to treat the infection are provided free of charge. All treatment and follow up services are provided by Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust.

Namibia: Shebeens Sell Free Condoms

ABOUT half of Swakopmund's shebeens that receive a free supply of condoms from NGOs in an attempt to fight the spread of HIV are selling them to customers - sometimes for as much as N$8 per packet of four.
According to a recent survey by the Swakopmund District AIDS Committee (DAC), about 50 per cent of those who answered a questionnaire on condom supply, availability and distribution indicated that they sold the condoms to users.

Zimbabwe: Safe Sex Should Begin With the Young

Looking around and seeing the number of young girls who are falling pregnant as well as the large number of unplanned and unwanted babies that people have, at times adults, who society expects to know better, show that there is need for more work to be done around educating each other about the importance of safe practices.
Discussing reproductive health issues with friends on the sidelines of a population and development media network organised by the UNFPA in Gweru recently some journalists asked: "Should we start giving condoms to our youths in schools and colleges?"
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Of course, this drew gasps of disbelief and howls of protest from everyone in the group who agreed that this would not happen in this country in a hundred years for it meant saying to the youths "it is okay, you can go ahead and have sex, as long as you use condoms".

WALTHAM FOREST: Warning over fake condoms

COUNTERFEIT condoms which do not provide an effective barrier to pregnancy and disease may be on sale in Waltham Forest, Trading Standards officers have warned.
The alarm was raised by a member of the public in Hackney who reported that the condoms he bought were smaller than usual, not lubricated and had a dry texture.
A total of 1,500 boxes of the fakes were subsequently seized. As a result there are fears that the condoms may be on sale in Waltham Forest and other neighbouring boroughs.
The fakes that have been identified as three-packs of Durex Extra Safe, Arouser, Ribbed, Performa, Gossamer, Select and Fetherlite. Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Corporate Director for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration at Hackney Council said: "These fake boxes of Durex appear to be pretty good copies, in that the packaging is quite similar to the real product.

"Anyone who has bought these brands, especially from independent shops and supermarkets should carefully check the products.
"Obviously, this discovery is very important, as counterfeit condoms do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases properly, and nor are they an effective contraceptive".
Managing Director of Durex, Martyn Ward, said: "As an international company with a high quality brand, Durex, like many other global businesses, is targeted by counterfeiters. We take incidents like this very seriously indeed and adopt a proactive and robust approach towards combating counterfeiters anywhere in the world. We are currently investigating these issues further.

"Durex would like to stress that there are small numbers of counterfeit condoms on the market and you are unlikely to be affected.
"As a precaution, the brand is urging users to check batch numbers on the packaging of affected varieties.
"If any of the above codes appear on packaging, it is highly likely that these are not genuine Durex condoms.
He added: "We advise consumers not to use them, as we cannot be sure of their safety."
Consumers with any queries are being advised to contact the Durex Careline on 0800 338 739 or Hackney Trading Standards on 020 8356 4929 and Waltham Forest Trading Standards on 08454 04 05 06.

Council condoms for children in care

Children in care could be offered condoms under proposals due to be approved by county councillors. New guidelines, which have to be approved by Lancashire County Council, will set out "very restricted circumstances" in which carers can give young people contraception and pregnancy testing kits.County Hall bosses state that the move is designed to cut down on teenage pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections and they stress the carers will receive advance training.County Coun Marcus Johnstone, cabinet member for children and young people, said the county council acted as a "corporate parent" of young people in its care.He said: "This means we must seek for them everything that a good parent would want for their own children."

Free condoms to cut teen pregnancies

CONDOM cards are now available to young people, giving them access to free contraceptives.
Gravesham Council has been working in partnership with independent community youth charity The Beat Project to help reduce teenage pregnancy rates in the borough.
People aged under 19 can register for a card at one of two Gravesham registration points.
Youngsters can register on the second floor of Gravesend Community Hospital's west wing, in Bath Street, or the Children, Families and Education Adolescent Resource Centre, in Manor Road, Gravesend.
The anonymous registration takes 15 minutes and includes a demonstration on how to put a condom on safely.
The cardholder can then visit one of 45 access points around Kent, including Gravesend Community Hospital, to collect a pack of free condoms after showing the card. It can be used 20 times before re-registration is required.

Free condoms to cut teen pregnancies

CONDOM cards are now available to young people, giving them access to free contraceptives.
Gravesham Council has been working in partnership with independent community youth charity The Beat Project to help reduce teenage pregnancy rates in the borough.
People aged under 19 can register for a card at one of two Gravesham registration points.
Youngsters can register on the second floor of Gravesend Community Hospital's west wing, in Bath Street, or the Children, Families and Education Adolescent Resource Centre, in Manor Road, Gravesend.
The anonymous registration takes 15 minutes and includes a demonstration on how to put a condom on safely.
The cardholder can then visit one of 45 access points around Kent, including Gravesend Community Hospital, to collect a pack of free condoms after showing the card. It can be used 20 times before re-registration is required.

Safe sex could save world, professor says

The stability of the world depends on safe sex, according to a Boston University demographer who addressed the future of human population last night at the School of Management.The world's population affects and is affected by culture, economy and environment, said Joel Cohen, a visiting professor at the Boston University Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future.Cohen said there are many things people can do now to reduce future overpopulation, including being aware of fertility and giving others access to contraception, such as condoms.

I'd like a car loan and 20 condoms, please

BANGKOK (Reuters Life!) - A Thai bank is pitching into the battle against HIV/AIDS and handing out condoms to customers too shy to get them at the shop.
Despite Bangkok's reputation as one of the world's sex industry centers, Thailand is a generally conservative country.
Kasikorn Bank launched the "Condoms for Confidence" campaign at 600 branches nationwide and said it would start giving out the sheaths, branded K-Condom and K-Excellence, later this month.
"HIV/AIDS is returning to Thailand since the government awareness campaign started 20 years ago has fizzled out," said a bank spokesman who declined to be identified.
"We want the teenagers to be aware of the problem."
Despite a tenfold plunge of overall new HIV/AIDS cases from 15 years ago, the health ministry has said it was concerned about the numbers of teenagers and homosexuals still being infected.
Disease Control Department chief Thawat Suntrajarn said embarrassment about buying condoms and ignorance in using them were the main causes of the new cases.

Africa: UNAIDS Head Puts the Spotlight on Children and Teens

The executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is urging action as concerns the transmission of HIV to children through sexual abuse, incest and early teenage sex.
Many outreach programmes target HIV-positive pregnant women and young children, and progress is being made in this arena, Peter Piot told IPS during a recent conference at Harvard Medical School in the eastern U.S. city of Boston.
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But, "There is more than mother-to-child transmission, much more. This is neglected and is even a cover up."
"We should not put our heads in the sand We must prevent new HIV infections."
Lack of attention to these difficulties especially affects girls and women, who now account for nearly half of those infected with HIV, about 48 percent. In 2006, an estimated 17.7 million women worldwide had HIV, according to the 2006 World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS annual AIDS Epidemic Update.
Females are more likely to be abused and engage in unwanted sex due to gender inequality in education, property rights and sexual relationships, Piot said. "Girls are so much more vulnerable to HIV."
More and more women are being infected with HIV worldwide, causing a "feminisation" of the pandemic, he added, noting that this was especially true in Africa, where nearly 60 percent of those with HIV are women, compared to about 50 percent worldwide.
In sub-Saharan Africa, about 75 percent of people 15-24 years old with HIV are female, according to a 2007 WHO report.

Bollywood packs safe sex lesson in new film

MUMBA (Reuters Life!) - After handling mature themes like marital blues and surrogate motherhood, Bollywood is making a film on teenage pregnancy, a sign that more serious scripts are becoming popular with viewers.
"Tere Sang" (With You), to be directed by Satish Kaushik, aims to inform viewers about unsafe sex and raise the issue of providing sex education, especially to Indian youth.
Sex education in largely conservative India is a moral flashpoint, with educators saying such knowledge will reduce HIV rates and critics fearing it will corrupt young minds.
"It tells the viewers how a romance between a 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl takes a dramatic turn when the girl accidentally becomes pregnant," said Kaushik.

Terrence Higgins Trust Young Leaders project launches sex & relationship education campaign for young people

Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) Young Leaders Project is launching the ‘You Know You’ campaign today. The campaign is calling for young people across England to get involved in a new sex and relationship education project.
THT is looking for 13-19 year olds in London, Eastern England, the South East, the South West, the West Midlands, the North West and Yorkshire and Humberside to get involved. Each area needs a board of twelve young people working on a grant giving scheme which funds sex and relationship education (SRE) projects. The aim is for young people to educate their peers so all the projects funded will be created and run by other teenagers.
As well as increasing knowledge on sexual health, the project will help young people develop the skills to make informed and healthy decisions around relationships and sex. It will also build their vocational and project management skills.

Gareth Davies, Young Leaders Project Manager at Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) said “The UK has the worst sexual health in Western Europe so we wanted to take a fresh approach to sex and relationships education. The Young Leaders project will be run by young people, for young people, and we aim to make a real difference. If you’re interested in getting involved, please come along to one of our events and find out what it’s all about! " THT is particularly keen to involve people who are disproportionately affected by sexual ill-health in the project, including those from minority ethnic groups as well as gay and bisexual young men.
Those who are interested in joining should sign up to attend one of the events being held across the country. For further information about this please visit www.tht.org.uk/youknowyou

Dramatic advice on safe sex

GETTING the message of safer sex to pupils is the aim of a new production organised by Ware based charity Herts Aid.The HIV and Aids support group is using a £5,000 grant from pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline to educate teenagers about the dangers of unprotected sex.Outreach worker Steve Adair: "There are three main objectives we want the production to get across... how taking drugs or alcohol lead to a loss of inhibition and increase the dangers of unprotected sex, how sexually transmitted infections can easily be spread and the importance of always wearing a condom for safer sex."

Safe-sex drive gets results as disease rate falls

THE Lothians has bucked the national trend with a fall in the number of sexually-transmitted infections recorded this year. Cases of chlamydia and gonorrhoea in the region dropped by nearly ten per cent, despite a rise across Scotland generally.
The fall follows a series of controversial initiatives in the Lothians, including giving condoms to children as young as 13 and providing free home-test kits for chlamydia. Last year, more people were diagnosed with genital herpes and chlamydia in the region than at any time since 1997.

Rise in STDs hits teens hard

The number of sexually transmitted diseases is rising across the St. Louis area, most notably among teenagers and young adults.In the city of St. Louis, for example, the number of chlamydia cases climbed from 3,206 in 2002 to 4,581 last year. Of those, 41 percent were people 15 to 19 years old.In St. Louis County, 7,100 residents were diagnosed last year with either chlamydia or gonorrhea, up from 4,821 in 2002. About 70 percent of them were 15 to 24 years old. The two diseases account for nearly two-thirds of all communicable diseases that were reported in the county, exceeding even common ailments such as influenza and chicken pox.

Sex disease screening tests urged for college students

Students at an East Yorkshire college were today being offered free tests for chlamydia in a bid to combat the spread of England's most prevalent sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Staff from the Chlamydia Awareness Screening Programme for Hull and East Riding (Caspher) were on the Bridlington campus of East Riding College to speak to students about the dangers of the disease and carry out on-site screening.Students providing a urine sample to take part in the test were entered in a draw to win an iPod Shuffle.Participants could provide a sample on site or take it away and post it for analysis.The sexual health promotion team organising the programme is due to carry out the same procedure at the college's Beverley campus from 10am to 4pm tomorrow.The move into the East Riding follows a successful screening programme in Hull. Of the 1,600 people tested in the city, one in six men and one in eight women tested positive.

What should be done to stem the rise in STIs

The government has done much to raise the profile of sexual health but more can be done, says David Evans Figures published by the HPA over the summer showed a rise in new diagnoses of almost all sexual infections, with the exception of gonorrhoea. This is to be expected. Advertising about the availability and need for testing is increasing and testing venues, especially for chlamydia and HIV, have extended outside of the usual GU services. More testing means increased diagnoses.
However, are the UK governments doing enough to stem the rise in STIs? There is a lot in favour of answering this question positively. Much has been done to raise the profile and status of sexual health, provide money for service provision, and even acknowledge when things go wrong (House of Commons Health Committee Report on Sexual Health, 2003).

Young People Deserve Facts of Life – From Parents

Young People Deserve the Facts of Life – From Their Parents
Family First is welcoming the ERO report on sex education reports and says it should be a wake-up call to parents to get involved in the process.
“The current curriculum is flawed because it doesn’t tell the truth, and doesn’t involve parents in the process,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
The first flaw with the current Sex Education curriculum is the assumption that everyone is doing it or about to do it, and therefore they just need to know how to do it ‘safely’.

Must try harder, schools told over sex education

Most schools are failing to meet students' needs in sex education lessons, casting doubt on classroom efforts to cut the number of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
The Education Review Office assessed the quality of sexuality education programmes in Years 7 to 13 in 100 primary and secondary schools and found many were adopting a "one size fits all" approach.

Passing on a safe sex message

NO condom, no way' was the message of Sexual Health Week as advisers hit the streets of Redbridge to talk to teenagers. As many as ten per cent of young people in the borough are estimated to have a sexually transmitted infection and officers from the Children's Trust spent the week in Ilford's Exchange Mall offering information on the use of condoms and the morning after pill. Youngsters wrote their thoughts on the positives and negatives of sex on a blow-up bed and the week culminated with the launch of 100 balloons, each carrying a safe-sex message.

Can She Get Pregnant If We Take a Hot Steamy Bath Together?

Can she get pregnant while taking a hot, steamy bath together, even if we have swimsuits on?
The short answer to this question is "NO". There are many myths out there about what will and will not cause a woman to get pregnant. These myths are even more prominent in some of the more conservative religious family cultures because sex is simply not talked about in the home, so the kids grow up believing all kinds of myths and and tall tales about sex. It's such a mystery to them...

The Aids audit: A mixed picture

Imagine being the health minister of Papua New Guinea, a poor country confronting one of the fastest growing Aids epidemics but which can call on the services of fewer than 300 doctors.
Or of Ethiopia, which has one doctor for every 100,000 people.

In many sub-Saharan countries, the public health infrastructure is so inadequate and incomplete that they do not have anywhere near enough refrigerated storage facilities.
This means vital drugs can expire even before they are administered.

Global Challenges | Children Living With HIV/AIDS Need Access to Specialized Antiretrovirals, Treatment, Conference Delegate Says

Children living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries need access to specialized antiretroviral drugs and other treatments, Annette Sohn, an assistant professor at the University of California-San Francisco's pediatric infectious disease division, said on Wednesday at the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Sydney, Australia, AFP/iafrica.com reports (Sands, AFP/iafrica.com, 7/25).Delegates attending the conference, which ends on Wednesday, presented studies and discussed advances in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. The conference aims to improve understanding of HIV/AIDS, treatments for the disease and methods to prevent it from spreading worldwide (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/24).

According to Sohn, about 780,000 HIV-positive children worldwide need antiretroviral drugs but only 15% have access to them. Sohn urged pharmaceutical companies to focus on designing specialized antiretrovirals for children after a study -- which was conducted by NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and found that HIV-positive infants have a greater chance of survival if they are given immediate treatment -- was presented at the conference on Wednesday (AFP/iafrica.com, 7/25).

Leaflet Promotes Pharmacy's Role In Sexual Health, UK

Pharmacists and Primary Care Organisations planning for Sexual Health Week 2007 (6 - 12 August) can now order Ask about sexual health, a leaflet from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) which promotes the specialist services available from community pharmacies.

Sexual health: Most common STIs are still on the rise

Chlamydia and genital warts, the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers, are on the rise, the latest Health Protection Agency figures reveal.

The figures show chlamydia infections among under-16s rose from 61.6 per 100,000 in 2005 to 65.6 per 100,000 in 2006, and among 16- to 19-year-olds infections rose from 914 per 100,000 in 2005 to 929.4 per 100,000 in 2006.

Similarly, new cases of genital warts rose from 25.5 per 100,000 in 2005 to 30.9 per 100,000 in 2006 among under-16s and from 496 per 100,000 in 2005 to 525.5 per 100,000 in 2006 among 16- to 19-year-olds.

Sexual health: Young fathers key to revised teenage pregnancy strategy

Young fathers are to be targeted by the Government's new teenage parenting strategy and teenage mums are to be encouraged to stay at home with their parents wherever possible.

The Teenage Parents Next Steps strategy, published last week by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, offers guidance to local authorities and primary care trusts on what is expected of local services in terms of support and help for teenage parents.

According to the strategy, a fifth of young fathers have never lived with their child and are more likely to live in deprived areas and be on benefits. Research done to inform the strategy also revealed many young fathers reported negative experiences of health and midwifery services.
Under the plans, the Government wants primary care trusts to look at the possibility of dedicated services for young mothers, and also to raise awareness among maternity staff of the importance of involving fathers as much as possible with the pregnancy and birth.

Sexual health clinics lack data on high-risk groups

Clinics for people with sexually transmitted infections are unable to treat patients properly because they don't have the right information, according to health watchdogs.
Gaps in data make it difficult for health workers to find and provide services for high-risk groups or to monitor levels of sexual health in England, said the Healthcare Commission. As a result, government moves to tackle a huge increase in sexually transmitted diseases may be failing to reach the right people.
Data is collected by local sources, such as Primary Care Trusts and genito-urinary clinics, and not centrally. This makes it difficult to monitor services nationally or to ascertain where the money is most needed.

Bolton's abortion rates are rising - expert

More cash needs to be pumped into sex education to curb rising abortion rates in Bolton, claims a leading expert. The number of women opting for a termination has increased from 960 in 2005, to 1,026 last year. Now a leading family planning group is calling for more investment into sex education.

Commonwealth event debates why AIDS wears "the face of a woman"

The issue of women continuing to be at higher risk of HIV infection than men has received considerable attention at a gathering of women's affairs ministers from Commonwealth countries underway in Uganda's capital, Kampala.

Of the 53 Commonwealth member states, 38 are represented at the '8th Triennial Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers Meeting' (8WAMM), being held under the theme 'Financing Gender Equality for Development and Democracy'. The three-day event ends Thursday.

United Nations statistics indicate that women and girls in Commonwealth countries make up a third of all HIV infections. In addition, women between the ages of 15 and 24 in sub-Saharan Africa -- the region most prominently represented in the Commonwealth -- are two and a half times more likely to be infected than men of the same age.

Sub-Saharan Africa is also the region worst affected by HIV/AIDS globally. Although this part of the world is home is to about 10 percent of the world's population, it houses over 60 percent of all people living with HIV/AIDS.

Teenagers risk sex health crisis

UK teenagers are facing a "sexual health crisis" fuelled by alcohol, drugs and risky sexual behaviour, a report warns.
They are "defining their lifestyle" by this behaviour, encouraged by celebrity culture, the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV says. The increase in sexually-transmitted infections and high teenage pregnancy rates are "disturbing", it says.
The Department of Health said sexual health was among its "top priorities".
The report said recent government campaigns had failed to recognise the link between drink, drugs and sexual health.

Africa urged to circumcise males to fight AIDS

DURBAN (Reuters) - South Africa and other African nations hard hit by AIDS should consider a mass campaign to circumcise males to help stem the spread of the epidemic, researchers at a major AIDS conference in South Africa said. The call to increase circumcisions in boys as well as some adults comes in the wake of growing evidence that the practice could offer men as well and their sexual partners more protection from HIV.

Olympic drive on condoms and HIV

The 2012 Olympics in London provide a huge opportunity to promote condom use and awareness of HIV, according to a leading charity. The Terrence Higgins Trust said the competition was a "magnet" for sexual activity and could lead to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases. The charity urged the government to use the event to promote sexual health.

University Of Portsmouth Launch England's Biggest Sex Surveys

Four of England's biggest surveys into the sexual health of the adult population have been launched today by Sigma Research, a social research group from the University of Portsmouth. For the first time, and in an attempt to reduce the spread of HIV, African people in England will be invited to take part in a survey about sexual health and HIV. Lesbian and bisexual women about whose sexual health little is known, will also be surveyed for the first time, enabling researchers to understand more about the healthcare needs of this group.

Young people encouraged to talk sex in Tower Hamlets

Young people in Tower Hamlets are being encouraged to attend a sexual health clinic in Bow to get advice on sexually transmitted infections, contraception, relationships and self esteem. The clinic, run by Terrence Higgins Trust on Mondays and Wednesdays, is aimed specifically at under 25s. As well as offering one to one and group advice, the clinic also offers chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing, pregnancy testing and emergency contraception. It also provides breast and testicular exam demonstrations, condoms and condom demonstrations.

One city teenage girl a day has abortion

MORE teenage girls in Edinburgh have had abortions carried out than ever before with an average of one a day now going through the trauma. The record level today sparked renewed calls for changes to sex education in city schools - but with competing demands as to the direction of the changes.

Sexually Transmitted Infections Increasing

In my first blog posting, I tackled the subject of the lack of comprehensive sexuality education in Canadian schools; last week a newspaper article in Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper looked at teen pregnancy and abortion. The article entitled "Teen pregnancies drop to a new low, abortions continue decline" was written by public health reporter André Picard and details how "the teenage pregnancy rate has hit an all-time low and that abortion has also fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade"

Global Challenges | Malaysia Health Ministry Cannot Promote Condom Use To Prevent Spread of HIV, Official Says

Malaysia's Ministry of Health cannot openly promote condom use to prevent the spread of HIV because it could be misinterpreted as advocating promiscuity, deputy director for the Ministry of Health Jalal Halil Khalil said Sunday in conjunction with International AIDS Memorial Day, Malaysia's New Straits Times reports. Promotion of condom use will be handed over to nongovernmental organizations, including the Malaysian AIDS Council and its 37 affiliates, Khalil said.

NZ Youth Don't Practise Safe Sex

Latest Research Shows New Zealand Youth Understand Risks But Don't Practise Safer Sex
Females have more sexual partners, have sex earlier & less likely to use condoms Fear of rejection driving unsafe sex - and regrets come later Youth positive about condoms but 'don't roll on' at crunch time. An on-line study into the sexual behaviour and attitudes of young New Zealanders has found that while the respondents understand the risks associated with unsafe sex, there is still a group prepared to compromise their sexual health.

Shock rise in sexual diseases

GPs are being given extra training to help them treat patients with sexual health problems.
The move is part of plans for more GP surgeries to deal with cases instead of hospital clinics, as health services struggle to cope with a huge rise in infections across East Lancashire. Medics in Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley have been swamped by the number of new cases, according to the health ministry.

Training in sexual health advice lacking

One practice nurse in six has not been trained in contraception and sexual health, while 40 per cent have not had updated training in the past two years. The survey of 1,000 practice nurses across England conducted by the National AIDS Trust found that practice nurses are eager to do more to help improve sexual health and are often the first port of call for patients who have sexual health concerns. However, they also felt that they did not have sufficient training or resources to help these patients. In response to the survey, Durex has announced that it will offer 10 practice nurses sexual health training bursaries worth £500 each.

Battle teen pregnancy with science, not ideology

In the United States, teen birth, teen abortion and sexually transmitted infection rates are higher than in most other industrialized countries. In 1999, 48 out of 1,000 U.S. women ages 15 to 19 gave birth -- a rate 11 times greater than in the Netherlands and four times higher than in Germany. The teen abortion rate in the United States is more than three times that of France and nearly seven times that of the Netherlands.

‘Myth of safe sex’ is harming youth, doctor says

MEDFIELD -- On April 26, Montrose School hosted a presentation by Dr. Meg Meeker, author of the book “Epidemic: How Teen Sex is Killing Our Kids.” A pediatrician with a practice in Michigan, Meeker has taken up the cause of debunking the “myth of safe sex” and makes the bold claim that this false message is actually killing kids.

Ugandan reverend shares his story on life with HIV/AIDS

There have been many stories written on people living with AIDS, but this one is unusual. It centers on the experience of a reverend who, to this day, does not know how he was infected. The Rev. Canon Gideon Baguma Byamugisha of the Church of England recently spoke with The Jakarta Post's Agnes Winarti about how he manages to continue living and working despite the virus.

Modernising India shies away from sex education

Ignorance about sex is widespread in the land of the Kama Sutra, where explicit sex acts are celebrated in ancient temple architecture. But at home, mothers hesitate to talk to daughters about something as simple as menstruationMOVES to bring sex out of the closet in largely conservative India have kicked up a morality debate between educators who say sex education will reduce HIV rates, and critics who fear it will corrupt young minds. It’s an emotive issue pitting modernists against conservatives in a country with the world’s highest number of HIV cases at about 5.7 million, a figure that experts say may balloon to over 20 million by 2010. Biology teacher Thelma Seqeira infuriates conservatives in India every time she tells her students about masturbation, condoms and homosexuality.

Increase in cancer rates linked to oral sex

THE sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer also sharply increases the risk of throat cancer among people infected through oral sex, a new study says.The study, involving 300 subjects with and without throat cancer, found that those infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) were 32 times more likely to develop one form of oral cancer than those free of the virus. Although previous research had indicated that the virus caused oral cancer, the new study is the first to definitively establish the link, researchers said."It makes it absolutely clear that oral HPV infection is a risk factor," said Maura Gillison, an assistant professor of oncology and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, who led the study published yesterday in The New England Journal of Medicine.The findings could help explain why oral cancer rates have been increasing in recent years, particularly among younger people and those who are not smokers or heavy drinkers, which had long been the primary at-risk groups, experts said.

Kansas to change sex ed policies

The board will replace the abstinence-only curriculum passed last year by conservatives.
TOPEKA The Kansas Board of Education is set to reverse itself again, this time on controversial standards on the teaching of sex education. Those standards, passed last year by the board’s then conservative majority, recommended an abstinence-until-marriage curriculum and the use of parental permission slips before students could take the class.

Indian bar promotes safe sex

A bar has opened in India offering free condoms to drinkers.
The Condom Bar in the northern city of Chandigarh aims to promote HIV awareness.
It is hoped visitors will take the samples without feeling embarrassed.
India still has a very conservative outlook when it comes to topics like sex and HIV/Aids and people generally refrain from talking about these topics.

Sexual health linked to first condom use

Teens who use condoms the very first time they have sex are half as likely to test positive for sexually transmitted diseases several years later, a U.S. study has found.
The survey, released last week, involved more than 4,000 sexually active adolescents who were questioned between 1994 and 2002.
In addition to having lower rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea, the individuals who were followed were 36 per cent more likely to say they had used a condom in their most recent sexual encounter seven years later. Sixty-two per cent of the respondents reported having used a condom when they had intercourse for the first time.

Teen Pregnancies

A recent official report says that pregnancy rates for teenage girls under 16 in the UK continue to rise although the situation is getting better in some areas of the country where significant decreases have been reported.The latest country wide figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 7,917 girls under 16 became pregnant in 2005, only a slight increase from the 2004 figures. Abortions in young teenagers are also on the increase. However the UK teenage pregnancy rate still remains the highest in Western Europe and the government says that they now want to halve the conception rate in 13-17 year olds in England by 2010.

Rapid HIV testing launched in Newcastle

Terrence Higgins Trust, Newcastle Primary Care Trust and MESMAC North East are working together to launch a rapid HIV testing service in Newcastle on May the 1st. The ‘Fastest’ clinic is aimed at gay and bisexual men and will offer a one hour HIV testing service - results from sexual health clinics can take several days.
The aim of the ‘Fastest’ service is to provide an alternative testing environment for people who are not able to access services during the normal working day, or who may be put off by hospitals and traditional sexual health clinics.
Andrew Smith, Associate Director at Terrence Higgins Trust said “This is the first time that a service in Newcastle has been able to give HIV test results within an hour. The clinic is also right in the centre of the city and operates outside normal working hours so it’s quick and convenient. We hope that by making it easier to have a test, more people will come forward.”

HIV men 'having unsafe gay sex'

More than one in three gay men with HIV have unprotected sex, a survey says. The University College London poll of 2,640 men in Manchester, Brighton and London also revealed a fifth of gay men without HIV do the same. Researchers said it was worrying, and called for a renewed push to discourage risky behaviour, the Sexually Transmitted Infections journal said.

Time to talk - sex and relationships

Young people are learning about sex and relationships from soaps, magazines, adverts and their friends. The media is full of confusing messages about sex - it can seem like everyone is doing it all the time. Talking with their parents helps young people to: be safer, feel less anxious and make up their own minds. It also gives them the confidence to talk to future partners about their relationship, sex and contraception. All the facts show that if you talk openly about sex, young people delay having sex and are more likely to use contraception.

Survey shows many Primary Care Trusts fail to take sexual health seriously

Survey shows many Primary Care Trusts fail to take sexual health seriously
Government initiatives making sexual health a priority are not reaching many local services, a survey from Terrence Higgins Trust and professional associations shows today. In the annual survey, Disturbing Symptoms, two thirds of specialist clinicians reported sexual health services were not given local priority in 2006 despite it being a national health priority. Choosing Health money intended for sexual health had been diverted elsewhere by almost two thirds of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).
Said Lisa Power, Head of Policy at Terrence Higgins Trust:
“We have the worst sexual health in Western Europe, and it’s not going to improve unless we can make national policy a local reality. Ringfencing is not politically popular, but it would seem to be the only way to ensure money for sexual health services is not diverted elsewhere. Where the money does get through, improvements are being made.”

University students clueless about condoms, THT & NUS survey shows

Many students are heading off to university completely clueless about condoms. Survey results published by Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) and the National Union of Students (NUS) today show over a third of students thought latex condoms had holes in them large enough to allow HIV to pass through. More than one in ten didn’t know how to put a condom on properly and 16% thought that using two condoms at once was safer than using just one – it’s not.
The online survey, launched last autumn, asked over 2,200 university students twenty questions about condoms, from how to store them to how to put them on. Other worrying results include:• almost a quarter of students believe that other forms of contraception (other than condoms) protect from STIs (they don’t)• one in ten believed condoms should be stored in a warm place (they may perish if you do this)• and seven respondents claimed they thought condoms could be washed and re-used!