Getting Sex-Wise

The Government’s White Paper "Health Lives, Healthy People" made clear that children’s health and well-being needed to be put high on the public health agenda.  It stated that teenagers and young people are among the biggest lifestyle risk-takers, with issues surrounding binge drinking, smoking, drugs, and poor sexual health.  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.  Some of the countries involved in the study were Belgium, France, Italy, Slovenia and Turkey and the UK.  From the research it was found, worryingly, that Britons were 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.

Although efforts have been made to educate young people about the negative effects of having unsafe sex, it is clear that 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 You Can Do?

The RSPH is offering a course called "Introduction to Sexual Health and Young People" which is being held on the  27^th July 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 Boustaoui or on 020 3177 1625

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?

Raising Awareness for World Aids Day


Yesterday, December 1st 2010 was World Aids Day.  World Aids Day, which has been running for 22 years, is about raising awareness, improving education and getting rid of prejudice.  The theme for this year is "Universal Access and Human Rights" and is essential for reminding people that HIV is still very much in existence and that there are many things still to be done.



The Facts
Currently in the UK more people than ever are living with HIV and every year new infections occur.
Figures from UNAIDS reveal that over the past ten years people living with HIV has trebled in the UK.  There are more than 90,000 people who have HIV, of which two thirds are men and one third are women.  Over a quarter of people with HIV in the UK are undiagnosed.  Globally the picture is the same, with HIV cases rising each year.  There is an estimated 33.3 million people living with HIV worldwide, including 2.5 million children.  Last year, statistics indicated that 2.6 million people became newly infected with the virus and around 1.8 million people died from AIDS.


Consequently, leaders around the world have pledged to work towards universal access to HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention and care and these are now perceived as fundamental human rights.  It is believed that by promoting individual human rights, new infections can be prevented and people who have HIV can live free of discrimination.  


In raising awareness about sexually transmitted infections, the RSPH are running a introductory course on Sexual Health and Young people.  The one day event will consider issues related to the sexual health needs of young people, as well as equipping participants with the knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and how best to incorporate talking about sex and relationships into everyday working practice.

For further information on the one day course click here  or contact Nicolette Smith

For further information on World Aids Day click here