Fall in Pregnancies for under 18's - Surely We Must Be Doing Something Right!?

Majority of health news reports this week have published a decline in the number of teenage pregnancy over the recent years.  Whether this information is to be applauded or looked at critically, (namely because the reduction is relatively small) remains to be discussed.  However, what the statistics do reveal is that this change is a step in the right direction and should therefore encourage Government and Policy Makers that more should be done.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed a 5.9% decline in rates among under-18s between 2008 and 2009, to 38.3 per 1,000 teenagers aged 15 to 17. Overall, there were 38,259 pregnancies in this age group in 2009 compared with 41,361 in 2008, a decline of 7.5%.  Among under 16s, there were 7,158 in 2009, compared with 7,586 in 2008, a 5.6% drop. Some 60% of these pregnancies led to an abortion.

It has long been recognised that the UK has some of the highest levels of teen pregnancy and STIs in Western Europe, and it cannot simply be put down to a lack of sex education - because sex education has and continues to be taught in schools.  The problem stems from a whole array of complex issues, which may include low expectations of education and employment opportunities for young people (many teenage pregnancies are from predominately low socio-economic backgrounds) and an overall misconception and ignorance about sex from the adult world.  Other reasons may include a general break down in family values, less emphasis on marriage and greater acceptance of single parents in society. 

Nonetheless, the recent decline in conception rates amongst young people may be viewed as encouraging for policy makers and health workers who have worked hard at trying to bring down pregnancy rates in young people since they hit a high level in the early 1990's.  Simon Blake, National Director of the Brook Advisory Centres which are the biggest providers of sexual health services and advice to under 25s, says the fall in the figures reflect a lot of good work over the last 10 years.

However, the figures fell significantly short of the previous Government's target to reduce pregnancy in under-18s by 50% by the year of 2010.  A goal which the new Coalition Government has now abandoned.
Victoria Sheard, deputy head of policy at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "So long as the number of teenage pregnancies remains high, there is a need for young people to be given more information to protect themselves. Young people tell us it's not always easy to get the information and support they need about sex from schools and we have to listen to them. That's why we strongly welcome plans to make sex and relationships education a statutory part of the national curriculum. But information alone is not enough. There's a range of contraception out there now, so it's essential that young people are easily able to access contraceptive services and choose the method that works best for them."

The message becomes clear, that there is more still to be done to continue to push down rates of conception for young people.  Here at the RSPH we are running a training programme on an Introduction to Sexual Health and Young People, with the primary aim to help people gain the confidence to support sexual health needs of young people.  Participants will also be taught techniques for incorporating discussion about sex and relationships into their everyday working practice.  The course is for anyone in the voluntary organisation, education or the health and social care sector, with particular responsibility for young people.
For further Information please contact Nicolette Smith or on 020 3177 1625 
We are interested to hear your thoughts about this subject.  We ask why do pregnancy rates still remain high in the UK and what more can we do to support young people to be better informed about avoiding pregnancy and STIs?

Lets Talk about Sex-ual Health!

In the recent White Paper "Healthy Lives, Healthy People" the Government highlighted the need for children’s health and well-being to be put high on the public health agenda.  It stated that teenagers and young people are among the biggest lifestyle risk-takers and as a consequence the White Paper flagged up that the rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) such as Chlamydia have continued to rise since the 1990's with 15-24 year olds being the most affected group.

Facts for Thought:

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) compiled a report in 2008 called "Sexually Transmitted Infections and Young People in the United Kingdom".  It found that young people account for nearly half of all the STIs diagnosed in the UK despite representing only 12% of the population.  The statistics showed that they account for 65% of all Chlamydia, 50% of genital warts and 50% of gonorrhoea infections diagnosed in genitourinary medicine clinics across the UK in 2007.
The most common STI is genital Chlamydia with 79,557 diagnoses made in 2007 (1,102 per 100,000 population aged 16-24), a rise of 7% since 2006.  High rates were also reported for genital warts (682 per 100,000), a rise of 8% since 2006.  In addition in 2007, 702 young people were diagnosed with HIV, representing 11% of all new HIV diagnoses.

Although increases in STIs may reflect greater ascertainment of cases through rises in testing and improved diagnostic methods, it also indicates increased unsafe sexual behaviour among young people.

The NusringTime.Net published an article at the end of last year, explaining that the worrying rises in STIs is the result of a lack of knowledge and misconceptions about sexual infection and reproductive health.  The study "The Face Of Global Sex 2010: They won’t know unless we tell them" found a high level of ignorance about STIs across Europe.  
The Study was the Fifth in the Durex Network's research series and involved more than 15,000 people aged between 15 to 20 in 15 European countries.  As well as the UK, some of the countries included Belgium, France, Italy, Slovenia and Turkey.  Britons, it was found were worryingly relaxed about their sexual health, with almost eight out of ten young Britons (79.8%) believing they are at little or no risk of contracting STIs.

It is clear, that although efforts have been made to educate young people about the negative effects of having unsafe sex, the message is still not be absorbed and policy makers, schools, local governments still have a huge part to play in reaching out to all young adults.

The 2008 report published by the HPA produced some recommendations including making access easy for young people to sexual health services that can provide screening and treatment of STIs as well as delivering high quality personal, relationship and sexual health education.  

What We Can Do
The RSPH are offering a programme on an "Introduction to Sexual Health and Young People" which is being held on the 10th March in London.  The one day event is designed to give participants the confidence to support the sexual health needs of young people and techniques for incorporating discussion about sex and relationships into their everyday working practice.  The course is for anyone in the voluntary organisation, education or the health and social care sector, with particular responsibility for young people.
For further Information please contact Nicolette Smith or on 020 3177 1625

Stress Down Day -  04 February 2011

Today, Friday 4th February, is significant for two reasons.  Firstly it is World Cancer Day and secondly it is Stress Down Day. 

Stress Down Day has been organised by the Samaritans as a campaign to raise awareness of the effects of stress in the workplace and to encourage people to take better care of their emotional well-being. 

What Is Stress?
Information from the NHS Choices, explains that stress is a feeling we experience when we are under pressure.
When we encounter a situation that makes us feel uncomfortable, our body releases hormones (chemicals) that cause the physical symptoms of stress.  
What may cause stress for one person may differ for another, however, common causes for stress maybe brought on by, job issues, financial concerns, bereavement, relationship and family problems.   
Although some stress can be viewed as having a positive impact, such as increasing productivity and motivation, too much stress can have adverse effects and be unhealthy for the body and mind.  
Statistical data from the Labour Force Survey showed that during 2008 and 2009 an estimated 415,000 people in Britain experienced work related stress at a level that was making them ill and a quarter of all adults will have a mental health problem.

Why Stress Is Detrimental For Our Well-Being:
Stress can adversely affect us mentally and physically.  Some of the mental symptoms, that affect our mind include, anger, depression, anxiety as well as difficulty in sleeping, loss of appetite, feeling tired and frequent crying.  Physical symptoms, which affect the body may include, chest pains, dizziness, nervous twitches, sweating more and feeling nervous as well as muscle aches, headaches and loss of sexual desire.  
When we experience these symptoms for long periods, it can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension) which lead to heart attacks and strokes.   

How To Handle Stress - Prevention!  
Understanding what leads to stress may help us in preventing it.  The NHS Choices website, offer some useful techniques to deal with stress.
1. Take deep breaths - This will remove the older oxygen from your lungs and replace it with fresh oxygen, improving your circulation.
2. Eat healthily - Eating good food at regular intervals provides a steady release of energy which positively affects our mood and concentration.
3. Exercise - Releases a chemical known as serotonin, which makes us feel happier and less stressed.  
4. Sleep - Seek medical advice if sleeping pattern is disturbed as a good nights sleep in vital for our well-being
5. Quit Smoking - It is a myth that smoking helps combat stress, in actual fact it adds to stress by harming our body.  
6. Relax - Stress leads to a tightening of the muscles, causing aches and pains.  Experts recommend shrugging your shoulders to loosen muscles, or imagining a peaceful place to help relax our mind.   Alternatively, doing something we enjoy, reading, writing, listening to music or talking with friends can also help.

Last year, 24.6 million working days were lost due to work-related illness, therefore, keeping our workforce healthy and in good mental health, is imperative for any organization.   

The RSPH Training Solutions offers a course on Mental Health First Aid in the workplace. The course focuses on the personal impact of poor mental health, and on the importance of appreciating good mental health, for both ourselves and others.  For further information on this, please click here or contact Nicolette Smith nsmith@rsph.org.uk

World Cancer Day - 4 February 2011

Recommendations to help reduce the risk of cancer

This year World Cancer Day falls on Friday 4th February.  The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the disease and to help people take the right steps to prevent them from getting Cancer. 

The most up to date statistics on Cancer rates and deaths are available from GLOBOCAN 2008  published in June 2010.  According to GLOBOCAN around 12.7 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year and 7.6 million people die from the disease.  It has been estimated that if people do not take the necessary precautions to limit the risk of getting cancer, 26 million people could be diagnosed with the disease by 2030.  

However, figures taken from the official World Cancer Day website also shows that 20 to 30 percent of all cancers can be prevented and one third can be cured by early diagnosis and treatment.  Thus the aim of the one day event is to help people understand that by changing ones lifestyle they can prevent cancer and live a healthier and longer life.

Below are some of the recommended steps to help prevent cancer:

1. Drink less Alcohol
It is widely acknowledged that alcohol abuse has a major impact on public health. It is ranked as the fifth leading risk factor for premature death and disability in the world. 
Although the link between alcohol and cancer is still not completely understood, there is an association found between alcohol and mouth, oesophageal, laryngeal, pharyngeal, breast and liver cancers.  Therefore the more alcohol one consumes the higher risk of getting cancer.  
By drinking moderately and keeping within the Governments recommended guidelines can be key in preventing cancer.

2. Maintain a Healthy Diet
Eating healthily and doing regular exercise can be crucial in preventing cancer.
A report published by The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) called Food, Nutrition Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: is the most extensive and comprehensive literature on diet, physical activity and cancer currently available. 

The report which was developed by 21 leading scientists from around the world, put forward 10 recommendations for the prevention of cancer.  Some of these measures included the following:
- To be lean, but not underweight
- Limit consumption of energy dense foods (processed food, high in added sugar, and high in fat)
- Eat more fruit and vegetables
- Limit consumption of red meats (pork, lamb, beef)

3. Do More Exercise
Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveal that globally there are approximately 1.6 billion adults who are overweight and around 400 million who are clinically obese . It is expected that by 2015 these figures will have risen to 2.3 billion and > 700 million respectively. 
Undeniably, obesity has many health implications such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and it may account for 20-30 percent of several cancers.  As such, experts state that by preventing excessive weight gain by being more active physically, can reduce the risk of many cancers. 
It is recommended that people partake in at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.

4. Avoid Smoking
Statistics from the WHO shows that tobacco is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world.  It is responsible for killing 5 million a year - an average of one person every six seconds.  Smoking is responsible for a quarter of all cancer deaths, including, lung, mouth, throat cancers as well as, liver, pancreas, stomach, breast, bowel, kidney and bladder.
As such, studies continually demonstrate that by stopping tobacco use greatly reduces the risk of cancers and other short and long term health risks. 

Get Healthy!!

The Royal Society for Public health through Training Solutions run a Foundation Programme in Health Improvement.  This particular course offers candidates the opportunity of developing a firm foundation in health improvement while also making aware the health and lifestyle choices that affect personal and public health.  For more information click here or contact Nicolette Smith.