HEALTH chiefs are poised to target the Cumbrian schools with the highest teen pregnancy rates in a push to educate young people.
The county’s public health boss wants to encourage a new culture where children talk openly about sex from a very young age and parents are no longer prudish or embarrassed.
Prof John Ashton also wants to see dedicated teen health centres being set up across the county, including one at the city academy planned for Carlisle.
Although they have started to drop, teenage pregnancy rates in the city are still higher than the national average.
For example between 2004 and 2006, 48 of every 1,000 15 to 17-year-olds in Carlisle were pregnant.
Nationally the figure was 41 out of 1,000.
The picture in Barrow and west Cumbria is similar, with lower rates in parts of Eden and South Lakeland.
In the next few months Cumbria Primary Care Trust (PCT) will join with health bosses in Lancashire to launch a debate about sex and young people in a bid to address problems such as teenage pregnancy.
Prof Ashton, county public health director, believes education is the key – this being in schools from a young age, in the wider community and at home.
“We need to give young people more support. To do this I would like to see more school-based clinics, teenage health centres and school nurses.
“For example I’d like to see the new academy in Carlisle have a teenage health centre and perhaps one in the grounds of the university that’s open to teenagers.
A £3M sexual health centre opens in Manchester today aiming to provide faster, easier access to tests and treatment.The Hathersage Centre, on the corner of Hathersage Road and Upper Brook Street, will offer confidential, free care and counselling on a range of needs, including contraception, pregnancy, sexually-transmitted infections and HIV.The clinic will have a drop-in service, so most people do not need to book in advance.Health bosses in Manchester have struggled to meet targets for access to sexual health care and have come under pressure to tackle the rising number of teen pregnancies - there has been a 14 per cent increase among under-18s in the city in the last 10 years, while, nationally, it fell by 12 per cent.Neil Jenkinson, director of the Greater Manchester Sexual Health Network, said: "There has been a significant improvement in access times and facilities over the past year. "This fantastic new centre is the final piece of the jigsaw - with direct street access, just off one of the busiest bus and road routes in the city."Combines
The centre combines the Manchester Centre for Sexual Health, which had two separate bases at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, and the Palatine Contraceptive and Sexual Health Services. Staff will run regular clinics for teenagers and young people and provide a telephone advice service.Services include:The diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and genital conditions; HIV testing, diagnosis, counselling and treatment; All methods of contraception, including emergency contraception; Abortion information; Psychosexual counselling. More information: Contraception clinics on 0161 901 1555 or sexual health clinics 0161 276 5200.
How school can help
They can ensure all young people receive a comprehensive programme of sex and relationships education (SRE) – including information on where they can access specialist advice and support delivered through the framework for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).
They can help raise aspirations of young women at risk of teenage pregnancy, so that they delay parenthood until they are in a better position – emotionally, educationally and financially – to face its consequences;
They can help improve young people’s access to specialist advice and support from health professionals.
The provision of PSHE and easy access to young people friendly contraceptive services are key factors in areas with declining teenage conception rates.
Young people, half the World's population!
Young people now comprise over half of the world's population, with adolescents (age 10-19) making up 20%. These young women and men have special needs for health care and education. Many of them are already sexually active and if they lack knowledge about sex, reproductive health and relationships, they can be highly vulnerable to unwanted sex, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Meeting the sexual and reproductive health needs of young people is key to helping them fulfil their individual potential and make their contribution to the world.
Are you ready? Young people"s views of sex and relationships by fpa November 2004
The finding shows that young people are influenced by a complex range of different factors throughout their daily lives. In terms of shaping their attitudes – and their behaviour – around sex and relationships, the most important influences are their peer group, family and the media, with variations according to age, gender and socio-economic background.
http://www.fpa.org.uk/attachments/published/344/areyouready[1].pdf
Young Minds in a big World
The under-24s are the age group most likely to die from unsafe abortions, contract STIs - including HIV/AIDS - and suffer sexual violence. This is the result of a lack of information and targeted services to empower them in their early reproductive years, and before they become sexually active. Empowering young people with the basic human right of reproductive choice is now of critical importance. Decisions made at this critical time will affect the current and future life options of young people.
Keep to sex safe and protect yourself with a condom. Condoms can protect you against many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, and help prevent unintended pregnancy. Condoms are made to strict standards, with a very low failure rate when used correctly. Instructions on how to use them come inside the pack. If they break or come off it’s usually because of a mistake made when they were used. If you follow our guidelines the chances of them failing are very low.
What proportion of young people have chlamydia?
Recent surveys of young women attending GP clinics have found a chlamydia prevalence of 8.1% among those under 20 years old, and 5.2% among those 20-24 years old. However, rates vary widely according to the setting in which surveys take place. Between April 2005 and March 2006, the NCSP found a chlamydia prevalence of 10.2% among women under 25 years old, and 10.1% among men in the same age group.
Safe Sex
Condoms are still the safest and easiest way to safeguard your sexual health. Practicing safer sex means protecting yourself and your partner from sexually transmitted infections and HIV infection by taking the necessary precautions during sex and foreplay.
What are STIs?
Anyone who has sex can be infected with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). STIs can be passed on during any intimate physical contact as well as full sexual intercourse, including sexual foreplay and anal and oral sex.
Chlamydia - what is it?
Chlamydia is a common infection that can cause serious problems such as infertility. It now affects around 1 in 10 people – women and men. It often has no symptoms at all – many people have no idea that they are infected . It is not true that only people who sleep around are at risk of sexually transmitted infections – anyone can be unlucky and chlamydia is easy to pass on. Most people will not have any symptoms.
Having different partners increases the risk Using condoms reduces the risk.
Genital Warts - What is it?
Genital warts are the most common STI seen at genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in the UK, although many people who carry the virus that causes them have no physical symptoms.
Genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and can appear anywhere on the genital or anal area.
Genital warts are passed on by direct skin-to-skin genital contact with an infected person. This includes:
Contraceptive
Department of Health is working to modernise sexual health services, halt the spread of sexually transmitted infections and reduce the numbers of unintended pregnancies.
Approximately 4 million people use contraception services each year. Roughly three-quarters see a GP and the remainder attend specialist community contraception services (family planning clinics). Contraception servies are available, free of charge, to all those in need - both for men and women.
Improving access to contraceptive services and to the full range of methods is one of the key aims of the Government's White Paper - Choosing Health: making healthy choices easier.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Sexualhealth/Sexualhealthgeneralinformation/DH_4001998
Genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics
A GUM clinic is one of the places you can go to for an HIV test. At a GUM clinic the staff will give you advice and support before and after testing, help you decide upon any treatments that may be necessary, and provide all kinds of information about sexual health. There may be aspects of your sexual health that you haven’t considered and preventative measures that they can help you with, such as vaccinating you against
Hepatitis A and B. All these services are free, confidential and anonymous (if you want them to be).
Promoting confidence and self-esteem
It is clear from the research that young people find it difficult to communicate about sex and relationships. Even within peer groups, some young people find it hard to open up about their own personal views and experiences. Research has shows that young people with lower self-esteem are more likely to start sexual activity earlier and to take more risks, it could be in order to prove themselves, to enhance their reputation, or to preserve a relationship???
Work in progress
One of the key means of HIV prevention is education – teaching people about HIV: what it is, what it does, and how people can protect themselves. Over half of the world’s population is now under 25 years old. Young people are often particularly vulnerable to sexually-transmitted HIV, and to HIV infection as a result of drug-use. Young people (15-24 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide - more than 6,000 become infected with HIV every day.
Where to get Condoms
Family planning and sexual health clinics provide condoms free of change to young people but availability can vary from one area to another. The following types of organisations may supply free condoms:
Family planning clinicsBrook CentresNHS sexual health (GUM) clinicsYoung people's clinics if you are under 25
Helpline
Sexual Health Line 0800 567 123 (24 hours)Sexual health direct, run by fpa, 0845 310 1334 (Monday to Friday 9am-6pm)Sexwise for under 19s only confidential advice line 0800 282 930 (7am-midnight) NHS Direct 0845 46 47 Open 24 hours a day, (7 days a week)
What about unwanted pregnancy
Both young men and young women speak openly about the importance of contraception, in terms of protecting against sexually transmitted infections and
unwanted pregnancy. However, it emerges that unwanted pregnancy is perceived to be more of an issue for young women, and there is therefore a sense that the responsibility for preventing pregnancy lies ultimately with them.
Campaign!!!!
The Marie Stopes International (MSI Partnership), in collaboration with Interact Worldwide, has launched a campaign to put pressure on the UK government to take the lead in ensuring that the international donor community fulfils promises made a decade ago to support global efforts to achieve sexual and reproductive health and rights for all by 2015; and to lead opposition to those political and ideological forces in the USA, Europe and elsewhere that are actively seeking to undermine and even reverse progress made in the last decade.
