Staying Safe

You have the right to have your opinions listened to. But this can be difficult when tackling tricky subjects like sexual health. That's why UNICEF UK and the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) commissioned research to find out what young people really think about sex and sexual health services.

Sexual health doesn't have to be scary!
THT/2009/Annabel Vere

You can see the full results in our report Sexual Health, Rights and Staying Safe: Young people's views on sex and sexual health services. Its findings show that more needs to be done to ensure all young people receive the information and services they need to protect their sexual health. In particular, it reveals that some young people, especially young women, find it hard to access sexual health services.

Having signed up to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UK Government must ensure that children have good standards of health and good access to health services. In 2008 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child urged the Government to do more to provide young people with appropriate sexual health services.

The report makes three recommendations:

1. We call on the Government to provide young people with accessible information on sexual health
2. We call on sexual health clinics to provide more sexual health services that meet the needs of all young people
3. We call on schools to ensure that those who teach Sex and Relationship classes are properly trained

TAKE ACTION NOW .

Download a copy of the report .

Visit the campaign website.

What do you think is the best way for young people to find out more information about their sexual health? Is it up to the family, the school or the local services? Tell us what you think below.