Condoms to be given to 13-year-olds
FREE condoms will be handed out to people aged 13 to 25 under a new card scheme aimed at combating teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in Plymouth.
The Condom Card – or 'C-Card' – initiative will be introduced at about 100 city sites including schools, youth services, voluntary agencies, GP surgeries and pharmacies.
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It will see free contraceptives and advice given confidentially to young people who sign up and receive a card.
The joint NHS Plymouth and city council scheme is based on similar projects already launched in Somerset and Torbay.
Neil Minion, young people's sexual health team project lead for NHS Plymouth, said: "It is important that young people are given good accurate advice by a fully trained confident worker in order to be able to make informed decisions about their health.
"The C-Card registration provides a good opportunity to do this."
Mr Minion said the scheme would improve on existing condom distribution by creating consistency in sexual health services across a wide network.
He added there was a wealth of national evidence to support the provision of free condoms to young people through focused provision being an effective way to improve sexual health.
The news comes after The Herald last week reported the number of people testing positive for Chlamydia in Plymouth almost doubled from 560 in 2000 to 1,065 in 2007 – with people aged 16 to 24 most at risk.
The city has a high teenage pregnancy rate of 46.5 in every thousand girls under 18, compared to 40.9 per thousand nationally.
Any young person, male or female, up to the age of 25 will be able to attend a C-Card registration point and a trained worker will explain the scheme to them.
If they decide to sign up, they will be provided with impartial advice on sex and relationships from trained professionals.
By presenting the card at a participating site, the holder will be able to access free contraception and ongoing support.
Venues will be identified by the scheme's 'C' in a circle logo.
Advice that will be given will include how to use a condom safely and correctly, ways in which a condom can prevent sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy, how to manage pressure to have sex, and the availability of sexual health services and other distribution C-Card points.
For more information about the C-Card scheme call Neil Minion or Sue Tucker at The Young People's Sexual Health Team on 01752 434868.
55 Comments
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by b_mused, Saltash
Thursday, December 04 2008, 7:22PM
“Having kicked this lively debate off and read your contributions, may I summarise.
Although the legal age of consent is 16, a lot of younger kids do have sex. Nothing will stop this but the kids must be compulsorily fully educated on the subject i.e. not only birth control and sexually transmitted diseases but also the emotional, psycholigical and social responsibility aspects.
Unfortunately we do have an underclass who bring children into the world without the financial or intellectual capabilities of looking after their development ; and are encouraged to do so by the current benefits system.
Therefore society can not rely on parents to give the right guidance although many do. Children must therefore be given a much broader sex education in schools on a compulsory basis so that they can make informed and balanced judgements for themselves.
By all means have these 'sites' for children to obtain further advice including where to obtain condoms : but there is still an issue that giving out free condoms will encourage youngsters to think that casual sex is fine (even though there's a law against it) or to feel the odd one out if they are not getting their fair share.
Over and out - thanks for all your comments.”
by T, West Hoe
Thursday, December 04 2008, 10:33AM
“Leeroy - actually i think the numpty comments on this thread weren't too bad - i was expecting much more flawed justification for making access to sex education and contraceptives as difficult as possible.
But however - you are right - Holland has acheived amazing results with their approaches to sex education as well as drug misuse and a myriad of other social problems. But then they don't have the retarded attitude the Brits have to admitting theres a problem.”
by Annie, Plymouth
Thursday, December 04 2008, 8:24AM
“I have to say condoms aren't as safe as you may think - my friend was wearing one and he still got hit by a bus .....”
by leeroy, Plymrough
Wednesday, December 03 2008, 11:56PM
“The Evening Herald commentards always make me dispair at the low IQ and mentallity of the general populace.
How can this be a bad thing?
Education is the key, one only has to look at the model employed in the netherlands to see that education WORKS.
I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone that they have the lowest teen pregnancy rate in Europe and the age of consent there is efectively 12!
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article5208865.ece
http://www.unicef.org/pon96/inbirth.htm”
by b_mused, Saltash
Wednesday, December 03 2008, 10:21PM
“Martinet (gender unknown) -how can you possibly reason that Oggy's views on (self) discipline are responsible for the high underage pregnancy rates and that his daughter is unlikely to have a 'balanced, wholesome,happy life.'
Don't knock marriage - statistics show that children from stable marriages are more likely to develop into balanced individuals themselves than others less fortunate.
Statistics also show that people who have been serially promiscuous are less likely to form stable relationships later on - so being encouraged to be sexually active at 13 is not very sensible in a civilised society. Unfortunately with a growing underclass and over liberal thinking the aims seem to be sex with as many partners as possible, broken relationships and kids who don't know where they came from and have no aims in life other than to be disruptive.
I am obviously not opposed to sex outside of marriage but I do believe that 13 year olds should be told the age of consent and made fully aware of all the problems involved before being given condoms.”