Passing on a safe sex message (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Passing on a safe sex message

9:50am Monday 20th August 2007 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

• Play Video

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.

Redbridge teenage pregnancy co-ordinator, Amanda Jones, said: "We've had a really positive response and we saw nearly 200 young people on the first day and we've had a really great response from parents.

"They have been coming up and saying this is great, you should do more of it, we're really glad there's someone out there who's actually talking to young people about their sexual health."

Seven years ago, for every thousand 15 to 17-year-old girls in the borough, 25.4 fell pregnant. The most recent figures show this rising to 32.4 per thousand, and health bosses are hoping that a high profile for the issue will help bring the numbers down again.

Redbridge Council cabinet member for children's services, Cllr Michael Stark, said: "Making sure you have the skills, ability, and means to protect yourself and your health is an important message for young people."