Health Education Resources

A new shop for health education resources - click on the category at the bottom of the linked page for details of individual resources.

Contraception Education's plans for Autumn 2010

We have been invited to BES Asia in Kuala Lumpur from 10-13 October 2010 - we have been specifically asked to focus on Reproductive Health and Childbirth Education, which is good news, as Barbara is a nurse, a midwife and a health visitor with 35 years of experience since qualifying.

Contraception Education's visit to China

To find out all about our recent trip to China please visit this page and to follow press coverage please click here

Protect and Respect Conference

We ran our "Protect and Respect" conference last Friday 18th July at the Salford Innovation Forum, and it went really well. Evaluations were excellent and we are now putting together a short film about the day. Keep an eye on http://www.contraceptioneducation.co.uk/news.asp for the presentations and video clips as they're completed.

Durex Network News

I was forwarded this link yesterday and find all of the reports really interesting. Please let us know what you think.... http://www.durexnetwork.org/en-GB/research/faceofglobalsex/pages/default.aspx

Julie Wray writes about Children with HIV

I read with sadness the article in The Observer on 13.7.08 ‘HIV children turned away from schools’ by Jacqui Thornton. My attention was drawn to the ignorance and controversy facing many children living with HIV and their right to be educated. According to Thornton many teachers, schools and local education authorities are practising with fear and ignorance about the consequences of allowing children with HIV to attend school. It appears that some children are being refused a school place, or upon learning that a child has HIV, are asked to leave, or breaches of confidentiality are occurring. Examples from real cases highlight that the main issues are mostly based upon fear, fear of transmission and confidentiality in relation to the child and family. I have to say I was quite shocked that such fear exists especially as such practice is contrary to the facts and knowledge that are well known and published about HIV.

A few facts:

• There are about 1,500 children living with HIV in the UK, including 1,000 under 15.
  
• On average just over 100 children are diagnosed with HIV in the UK each year.
  
• HIV cannot be passed on by spiting, biting, small cuts or grazes, sharing utensils or toilet seats.


• Resources for teachers about HIV in schools are available from http://www.nat.org.uk/
  
  The National Aids Trust is campaigning to improve things for individual families and children. If you are able to support and make comment do contact the National Aids Trust at http://www.nat.org.uk/
  
  Contraception Education works with schools and teachers provides resources and workshops to inform and educate people about all sexual health matters, including HIV, in particular "Safer Sex: An Interactive Learning Resource" on Video and DVD produced in collaboration with Brook Manchester and "Play-it-Safe" a CD game developed specifically for South Africa

PROTECT AND RESPECT Conference Invitation

An invitation for you from Barbara and the Contraception Education conference team, Meline and Remi ...

We are delighted to announce our conference this year is going to be in Salford, at the new Salford innovation Forum on Frederick Road. It promises to be a great one, with presentations from SRE consultant John Rees, of PSHE Solutions nurse academics Carol Robinson from HYPHOP, Barbara Hastings-Asatourian, from Contraception Education, Lisa Brotherton and Katy Brigg from Glossop Women's Aid on Healthy Relationships, Hazel Murphy and Jenny Gannon from Friends of Londiani, students from local colleges demonstrating their use of animation and video production skills in SRE, dancers from Manchester Diamonds, and many NHS, third sector and education professionals sharing what works and what doesn't. Lunch, exhibition, parking and networking, and the whole event is just £75 per person.

Please follow http://www.contraceptioneducation.co.uk/nitem.asp?news_id=395 to a flyer and booking form for Contraception Education's 2008 summer conference, Protect and Respect: Celebrating Excellence in Sex and Relationships Education on Friday 18th July 2008. Or call us on 07764 821521 for more information.

Are condoms not sexy enough to be news?

This past few weeks has been quite busy, with National condom week (http://www.contraceptioneducation.co.uk/nitem.asp?news_id=403) and the debates in the House of Parliament on late abortion. Of course for last weeks blog Barbara found an excellent link to her MP Tom Levitt's blog and his reasons for voting to keep the 24 week limit for late abortion.

Overall the media has had a field day on late abortion with a range of emotive reporting, but very little has featured in newspapers and TV about National condom week. I wonder why this is the case. Clearly, the important messages about protecting ones sexual health by using a condom is simple enough to understand and yet evidence suggests that this message is not fully applied in practice. Sexually transmitted infections continue to affect many young people with rates increasing and in some parts of the UK epidemics exist ( http://www.nwph.net/nwpho/_layouts/1033/searchresults.aspx).

Young people need good information more than ever about protecting themselves, staying safe and in control. Being able to make your own decisions and choices about your sexual health requires first and foremost knowledge and confidence. One of the most powerful ways to get positive and long lasting messages to young people is through the media. I think more could have been done for during National condom week – what do you think?

Durex Press Release for National Condom Week

DON’T BE BLINDED BY LOVE, SAYS DUREX

Love is blind, or so the old saying goes, but this year, as part of National Condom, Durex is launching a safer sex pack designed to open young peoples’ eyes to the risks associated with having unprotected sex.
The pack has been designed by Samuel Michael (22) of University College Falmouth – winner of an online competition run by Durex. The condom company challenged students across the UK to design a poster that would encourage their peers to ‘play safer’. They received over 500 entries and nearly 15,000 people visited the website.

The winner produced a series of four posters entitled ‘Love is Blind’, voted by the online audience. Thousands of campaign packs have been developed and contain postcard-sized handouts of the winning poster and runner up entries, and are available free of charge during National Condom Week.

When asked about the motivation behind his idea Samuel said: "I wanted to come up with something that would resonate strongly with young people and make them realise that they don't want to catch these diseases - and how important it is to use protection all of the time."
Thousands of the posters will be displayed up and down the country throughout National Condom Week, in pubs, clubs, student unions and student accommodation, as well as NHS sexual health centres, clinics, GP surgeries and family planning centres.

The campaign, an annual initiative aimed at promoting safer sex and encouraging 16-24-year-olds to get the condom habit, has the full support of all the UK’s major sexual health charities.
Brook Advisory, National Aids Trust and the Terrence Higgins Trust will be displaying campaign material at their centres and outreach workers will be using the materials in their workshops.
Caroline Green, brand manager at Durex, said: "National Condom Week is a chance to get everyone thinking about the importance of safer sex. The Durex Global Sex Survey showed that just over 52% of people in the UK have had unprotected sex without knowing the sexual health of their partner. We want people to feel comfortable using and talking about condoms. Carrying a condom should be as normal as carrying your mobile phone or your wallet."

To order poster packs, please visit http://www.durexchange.com/
For further information please contact Vanessa Munnings or Georgina Barnes at Myriad PR on 01353 669939 or email georgina.barnes@myriadpr.com / vanessa.munnings@myriadpr.com
Photos of Samuel Michael and his winning designs are available from Myriad PR.
Ends

Quotes from our campaign partners
Deborah Jack, chief executive, National AIDS Trust:
"Durex National Condom Week is a great opportunity to get people talking about condoms and safer sex. Condoms remain the only effective way to prevent HIV transmission when having sex. Yet our recent Public Attitudes Survey showed that 24% of the British public do not use a condom with a new partner as a matter of course. Getting young people talking about condoms and safer sex is the first step towards equipping them with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and make wise choices in their life."

Julie Bentley, chief executive, fpa:
"We are pleased to support National Condom Week. The standard of entries to the poster competition is very impressive and illustrates how important sexual health is to people. Creative poster designs have been combined with powerful messaging, both essential tools in promoting good sexual health."

Simon Blake, chief executive, Brook Advisory Centres:
"Brook is really pleased to support NCW this year. It is an important initiative to raise the profile and importance of condoms among young people, in which Durex does just that. We are particularly pleased that young people have been involved in the development of this campaign."
Ama Uzowuru, vice-president (welfare), NUS:
"The current STI climate we are in highlights the importance such a week. With materials designed by young people for young people showing what they feel is the perfect way to get the message of safer sex across in a positive approach."

Julie Douglas, Marie Stopes International:
"We are delighted to support National Condom Week. We are particularly pleased that this year’s campaign is targeting young people and making them think about the need to protect themselves. These messages cannot be repeated enough, and must be heard and acted upon if we are to begin to tackle the unprecedented rates of unplanned pregnancy and infection that affects our young generation."

Lisa Power, head of policy, Terrence Higgins Trust:
"National Condom Week is a perfect opportunity to raise awareness of safer sex. Most of us have sex eventually as we grow up and we want young people to be knowledgeable and confident about protecting themselves, for when it happens. We also want them to know that they can contact THT if they need advice or support around any issue to do with sexual health."

"Down there!"

Finding the right words, Julie Wray comments....

If you have ever been involved in teaching or facilitating sex education with young people, then you will know that using the right words, the ones that make sense and relate to young people, is crucial. In fact, I would say that in all my work in health care most people or service users prefer easy to understand language and meaningful words when explaining health matters that concern them.

I find it fascinating then that so many people use alternative words, essentially codes for the naming of body parts and especially genitals, our "private parts". One example has always stuck in my mind. When I was visiting a family as part of my role as a community practitioner and I happened to say in conversation that I had a niece called Lily, the person I was talking to was absolutely horrified and said "Oh no! Not Lily. That’s our family word for vagina! I was surprised and wondered why people do this.

I have always known the vagina as vagina, penis as penis but for many people all over the world the right words are the wrong words and a more palatable coded word is used. But then later in life it’s like they have to unlearn and re-name our body parts.

Why is that?
Let us know what you think.

Julie Wray on the "Frisky Fifties"

Today I was looking for some information on sexual health and by chance came across a news item ‘Frisky fifties put sexual health at risk’. This caught my eye and I had to read on. The news story was based on a survey done for SAGA, that found one in 10 sexually active over-fifties did not use any form of contraception which would help stop them catching sexually transmitted infections, and did not know about their partner's sexual history. The piece goes on to state that there is an increase in sexually transmitted infections amongst the over-45s as a result of risky sexual behaviour among those not in stable relationships. Figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show that rates of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, herpes and warts have all risen between 2002 and 2006.

The news item offers a couple of quotes:
"Forget about the 'dirty thirties' or the 'naughty forties' - the frisky fifties are having the most fun by swapping the boardroom for the bedroom."

"However, while a healthy sex life is a good thing, the over-50s must be wise to their sexual health, as well as their overall health."

This made me think about the kind of sex education people over 50 would have had and how useful it was given the results of this survey. If ‘older’ people have had poor sex education is it little wonder that our young can flounder too!!

Contraception Education is motivated towards promoting healthy relationships and sex education especially amongst young people and in our schools. Maybe there is scope for us to engage with all age groups and work with over 50/s. What do you think?

Siam Care Conference January 2008

DAY 1

What a privilege it was to have Khunying Kobchitt Limpaphayom, from the Thai College of Obstetrics and Gynae to open the conference today and contextualise for us the specific sexual health issues of Thailand. Then Adrienne Blomberg, Siam Care's Director in Thailand did an offical welcome with a presentation which highlighted the contrasts in health, welfare and the economy of Thailand.

Angela Robinson, Member of the UK Department of Health's Chlamydia Screening Programme, who is a GUM consultant for Camden PCT, and Honorary Senior Lecturer at University College London presented next and gave a global context. The messages I took from this were firstly that there are 120 million people that we know of worldwide who do not want another child yet are not using contraception, and secondly that of the 33.2 million people infected with AIDS worldwide, 22.5 million of them are in sub-saharan Africa.

Khun Mechai Viravaidya presented next. A legend in Thai Sexual Health Care - who has had his first name, Mechai, adopted on the streets as slang for condom, gave an overview of sexual health Thai Style, including advice to get down there with the population and create events of interest and with some form of attraction for the people. He spoke of Cops and Rubbers, Vasectomy Days, Condom Nights, peer education projects, the use of the Restaurant Codoms and Cabbages, and Birds and the Bees Events, and demonstrated how all of this proactive work resulted in changes in behaviour and attitude.

Emile Morgan, Clinical Director of Bolton PCT, then delivered an interactive session GUM live raw and uncut, in which he highlighted how straightforward it should be for G.Ps and Primary Care to take sexual histories and to manage genital herpes, genital warts, discharge and HIV. He presented a case study of a patient presenting with genital warts and asked what three GP delegates would do. The answer was for straightforward warts to prescribe self applied Warticon (least expensive) and later Aldara (more expensive) for up to 16 weeks. If warts are intra meatal however they should be referred early for cryosurgery. If there is no response after 16 weeks then refer to GUM for either diathermy or liquid nitrogen treatment. Keratotic warts should always bereferred to GUM. Differential diagnoses - moluscum contagiosum need not be treated, although it is up to the patient, as they will go on their own. Skin tags are sometimes confused with warts, and can be removed in minor surgery - sometimes tags do have warty changes.
The point was made that warts can have a long incubation period of 12 months, and this can be difficult to explain in relationships, and threatens trust about faithfulness if not fully explained.

Next came Dr Will Ford - Young, GP in Macclesfield who presented an overview of where primary care can work well, where it has to be autious and where mistakes can be made and rectified.

Anne Greenwood,Clinical Director for Sexual Health and Family Planning in Lancashire ave an overview of the effects different contraceptives have on HIV acquisition, transmission and progression, plus interactions between hormonal contraception and anti-retroviral therapy. She presented facts, charts and evidence for each method of contraception (UKMEC1,2 AND 3)

The WHO has identified that male circumcision may reduce the acquisition and spread of HIV. In this session Christine Evans controversially presented a number of papers, some contradicting the WHO, some concurring, and raised the issue of whether it is ethical to violate a child too young to consent.

During the afternoon we heard from Dr Sris Allan on the key issues related to HIV and Vertical Transmission - the key mesaages were around childbirth and breastfeeding, and the necessity for Caesarean delivery, as tranmission rates are 30-40% if breastfeeding, 15-20 for non breast feeding, 8% during pregnancy and 15% during labour.

Kathy French spoke about the extended role of the nurse within the specialist field of sexual health and how these skills can be best utilised to provide quality services.

Paddy Horner presented on Urethritis, its aetiology, cause and management.

Nuntawun Yuntadolik, a Social Scientist who is deputy director of the AIDS division of the Thai Ministry of Public Health presented her research on the sexual health issues surrounding Thai Seafarers.

Anthony Pryce's first session was entitled Theorising the Pox, drawing on recent research on the social construction of male sexualities in the field of GM, the notion of the active patient providing the basis for identifying how a systematic sociology of sexual health and disease might be constructed.

DAY 2

Tuesday 15th January’s morning session had the theme Sexual Health and Uro-Gynaecology and was chaired by Paddy Horner and Anne Greenwood .

The session covered Genital Dermatology with Jyoti Dhar, who gave an excellent and comprehensive overview on genital dermatoses, pitfalls and advice on how to pragmatically manage these conditions.


Sex and the Heart by Walter Rhoden, a consultant cardiologist examined the effect of sex on the heart, especially the weakened heart, with a particular focus on managed erectile dysfunction. He showed how although Testosterone was once thought to be responsible for cardiac conditions, it is now known not to be the case. Another misconception is that having sex is responsible for many cardiac deaths, whereas in reality coital death accounts for only 0.6% of all sudden deaths , and sexual activity is a likely contributor in 0.9% of Myocadial Infarctions’s. Although sex can trigger MI the increased relative risk is 2.5
And regular exercise greatly reduces risk of triggering MI. Walter also spoke of some misconceptions about the dangers of Viagra, and showed which people would be at risk, and the drugs it adversely reacted with.


Sex Management in Elderly Men with the media Dr Love Pansak Sugkraroek, who discussed the fact that men also have hormones, as they approach maturity may need help with maintaining these, and learning about a different kind of intimacy which comes with maturing . He focussed on the importance of staying well and good communication between couples.


HPV and Cervical Cancer prevention with Nikki Seddon, gave a very comprehensive view of cervical cancer and looked positively at the new vaccine, with debate about its introduction and reach.


Lower Genital Tract and use of Ultrasound by Ahmos Ghali looked at the advantages of this non-invasive technology in both man and women, and how it is very useful in the diagnosis of many genital tract conditions presenting in GUM. He highlighted how it can be a great reassurance of the absence of significant pathology for patients with chronic pelvic pain.

Managing Vesico-Vaginal Fistula with Dr Christine Evans finished the morning sessions with a global view of this condition and some case studies from her work in Iraq, Kurdistan and Ethiopia.

Tuesday afternoon focussed on Marginalised Groups. It was chaired by Olwen Williams and Barbara Hastings-Asatourian

The first session was presented by Sue Reed a nurse practitioner in Kent, but is also very interested in all things complementary, and is training in homeopathy. She spoke of how PMS affects 85-97% of women of reproductive age from 2-14 days before a period starts. Symptoms may be severe enough to disrupt daily life for 3-5% of women.

Physical symptoms include breast tenderness, fluid retention, appetite changes, carbohydrate cravings,weight gain, swelling or bloated sensation (swollen face, abdomen, fingers), acne or skin rashes, headaches, constipation or diarrhoea, changes in sleep patterns – often insomnia, palpitations, muscular stiffness or aches & pains, abdominal pains or cramps, pelvic heaviness, backache, exacerbation of epilepsy, migraines, asthma, rhinitis and urticaria

Psychological changes include anxiety, irritability, violence, clumsiness or poor co-ordination, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness and changes in sexual interest.

Sue went through all of the conventional treatments before discussing in depth some small but noteable trials of the following homeopathic treatments. Lachesis mutus, Natrum muriaticum, Nux vomica, Pulsatilla pratens, Sepia officinalis, Calcarea carbonica and Chamomilla

Mala Morjaria is a specialist practitioner/midwife and Nurse Practitioner specialising in Primary Care Sexual Health. She is responsible for developing and supporting practice based interventions in general practices, supporting practice nurses and primary care professionals. Mala gave a deeply painful session on Female Genital Mutilation, coving its prevalence and the impact it has on sexuality and childbirth. She showed some very disturbing but necessary video footage to demonstrate the effects of the practice on young women in many parts of Africa.


Justin Gaffney then introduced his newly launched charitable organisation Soho Boyz

Anthony Pryce,our resident Sociologist, then delivered his second session of the conference, Suede Shoes

Anne Greenwood delivered her second session on Managing Rape and Sexual Assault in GUM. She focused her excellent session on Initial presentation to the services, Screening for sexually transmitted infections, Antibiotic prophylaxis, Immunisation for hepatitis B, HIV prophylaxis Emergency contraception, Psychological support and Forensic issues

DAY 3

Wednesday 16th January was the final day of the Bangkok leg of the conference and study tour. The morning was devoted to working with adolescent sexual health. Chaired by Emile Morgan and Brian Whitehead it kicked off with an interactive session - Adolescent health overview and Ten Teasers, delivered by Kathy Phipps, who then showed example consultations from the new “HEAR” video.

Olwen Williams gave an illustrated overview of HIV in primary Care, including how adolescents with HIV are an increasing group that require care, time and management, much of which can be delivered in primary care. Members of the audience shared their experiences on HIV testing and adolescents.

On a slightly alternative note,Brian Whitehead then showed a video produced by young people in London entitled the Blueberry Condom. The video is just 10 minutes long but shows many of the issues about condoms, what condoms protect against and how, and how unsafe sex impacts on individual relationships. There are some graphics which illustrate STI’s.

Hilary Piercy then presented “Coming to do the Sex Talk” in which she described how school based education although an important aspect of children’s education, is highly politicised and controversial and a matter of concern to a wide number of stakeholders. She presented findings from a qualitative study undertaken with school nurses in a single geographical area. In particular it focused on what were deemed to be inappropriate questions, the basis upon which the label was applied and the strategies employed in the management of such questions.

The final session of the morning was “Poke Someone Now” – a look at sex education and the web by Barbara Hastings-Asatourian. She outlined how on-line Social Networking sites have received quite a lot of bad press but not a lot of good press considering their capability of reaching vast numbers of young people in a really user friendly and attractive way. Although caution is necessary, to protect privacy and avoid abuse, Barbara Hastings-Asatourian showed examples of how sites like Myspace, You Tube and Facebook have great education potential. She also reported on a session she delivered in the on-line virtual world of Second Life, a medium with huge potential for attracting a different group of learners.

Welcome to Thailand.....

Here I am in Thailand, speaking at the 5th Siam Care International Conference on Sexual Health "East Meets West". This conference is in Bangkok, and the first 3 days are at the Pullman King Power Hotel. The second part is an adolescent conference in Mukdahan at the Ploy Palace Hotel, a study tour of local schools, a chance to see the Siam Care Team at work in Mukdahan and a visit over the border to Laos.

A short video about the AIDS work of Siam Care can be seen here

The Bangkok programme begins tomorrow 14th January and is looking excellent. I will link to any on-line papers when I can so that you can read and share what the experts have to say.

Tomorrow morning sessions are chaired by Jyoti Dhar and Kathy Phipps. The conference begins with an offical opening by Khunying Kobchitt Limpaphayom, and an overall theme of Sexual Health and HIV. We will hear UK and Thai view of Sexual Health issues, from Angela Robinson and Mechai Viravaidya.

The following session is by Bolton's consultant Emile Morgan who is looking at STI's and HIV in primary care. Will Ford Young's session is very interestingly entitled "Primary Care Cock-Ups and Dark Holes in GUM". Christine Evans is the last speaker of the morning and is presenting about the effects of male circumcision.

The first afternoon session on 14th is chaired by Angela Robinson and Will Ford Young and kicks off with Sris Allan's session on Vertical Transmission of HIV. This is followed by Anne Greenwood on Contraception and HIV, and then Kathy French who is looking at the extended role of the nursing. The final slots of the afternoon are being taken by Paddy Horner - Managing Urethritis, Nuntawun Yuntadilok - Sexual Health Care for Sea Farers and Anthony Pryce "Text us your Body Parts".

On Tuesday 15th January the morning's theme is Sexual Health Uro-Gynaecology, chaired by Paddy Horner and Anne Greenwood who will introduce Jyoti Dhar speaking about Genital Dermatology, Sue Reed Homeopathic on approaches to PMS and Pansak Sugkraroek - Sex Management in Elderly Men. Nikki Seddon will be looking at HPV and cervical cancer prevention, Ahmos Ghaly Lower Genital Tract and the Use of Ultrasound and Christine Evans vaginal fistula.

In the afternoon of 15th the overall topic is entitled Sexual Health and Marginalisation is chaired by Olwen Williams and Barbara Hastings-Asatourian. It begins with Cardiologist Walter Rhoden presenting "Sex and the Heart",then Mala Majora - Female Genital Mutilation and Justin Gaffney - the SohoBoyz and MSM innovation. Anthony Pryce is presenting about Premature Ejaculation in Bengali Men, and last on Tuesday is Anne Greenwood - Managing Rape and Sexual Assault.

The last day of the conference, chaired by Emile Morgan and Brian Whitehead, is focussing on Sexual Health and Adolescence and features Kathy Phipps, on Adolescent Health, Kathy Phipps and Richard Burack on Child Protection, confidentiality and consultations, Olwen Williams adolescent and primary care HIV, Hilary Piercy "Coming to do the Sex Talk", and Barbara Hastings-Asatourian Sex Education and the Web. There will be a panel session of all speakers at the end of the morning.

Sexual Health in Second Life

I would like to invite you to my seminar in Second Life on 13th December. The Sexual Health SIM has been up and running since August 2007 with a grant from Education UK Ireland. It is linked to Health Info Island and is a source of many unique and interesting activities. There is even an opportunty to "wear" and experience the impact of HIV / AIDS, to get virtual condoms from a machine, and teleport to a one to one advice session. Innovation indeed, and I'm very happy to belong.

See Thursday 6th December's Guardian

Getting safer sex messages across is still of vital importance for campaigners like Contraception Education. This new medium provides an opportunity to get that message to a new audience.

A recent update from the Health Protection agency shows why it is so important...

An estimated 73,000 adults are now living with HIV in the UK , according to the Health Protection Agency's latest report on the UK 's sexual health. This figure includes both those who have been diagnosed and also around a third (21,600) who remain unaware of their HIV status.

Dr Valerie Delpech , Head of HIV surveillance at the Agency said, “Figures received so far for 2006, show 7,093 people were diagnosed with HIV in the UK . We expect this number to rise to an estimated 7,800 when all reports are received, a comparable figure to the 7,900 received in 2005.”

Dr Delpech went on to say, “We are still seeing high levels of HIV transmission in gay men in whom we anticipate that there will have been just over 2,700 new diagnoses of HIV infection in 2006. In recent years we have seen steady increases in all sexually transmitted infections (STI), including HIV, in gay men and since 2003, the number of HIV diagnoses reported annually has consistently increased and exceeded the annual number of diagnoses throughout the 1980s and 1990s.”

Increased testing will have contributed in part to these recent high numbers of HIV diagnoses, but there is no suggestion that the overall level of underlying HIV transmission in gay men has fallen. Unprotected sex continues to be a very high risk activity for HIV and STI transmission in this group.

“Sexual health of young adults has worsened in 2006 with increases in sexually transmitted herpes and warts viruses. One in ten young adults screened through the National Chlamydia Screening Programme in 2006 tested positive for the infection,” said Dr Delpech.

In 2006, there were an estimated 750 new HIV diagnoses thought to be due to heterosexual HIV transmission within the UK , many in black ethnic minority communities. This compares to an estimated 700 cases reported in 2005 and 500 in 2003 showing that heterosexual HIV transmission is steadily increasing.

The number of cases who may have acquired HIV heterosexually in Africa has remained stable. When all reports are received this number will be around 3,450 in 2006 compared to 3,700 the previous year and a peak of 3,850 in 2003.

Professor Pete Borriello, Director of the HPA's Centre for Infections, said “ Our report, Testing Times , launched ahead of World AIDS Day allows us to review the sexual health of the nation and examine progress on preventing HIV and sexually transmitted infections in the UK .

“While there have been some encouraging developments in HIV and STI prevention in the last year such as the increase in HIV testing, a marked reduction in waiting times at STI clinics and wider chlamydia testing for young adults, the total number of STI diagnoses increased 2.4% from 606,600 in 2005 to 621,300 in 2006.

“ The control of HIV and STI transmission is a major public health challenge and testing for STIs, including HIV, in the UK needs to be increased still further. We recommend that gay men should have regular HIV tests, STI clinic attendees should be tested for HIV at every visit and young sexually active adults should be screened for chlamydia annually and after a partner change.

“We need to reinforce the safe sex message for gay men, young adults and the broader community. The best way to protect yourself from contracting an STI including HIV is by practising safer sex by using a condom with all new and casual partners. Any person who believes they may be at risk or has symptoms suggestive of a sexually transmitted infection should consult their doctor or attend a clinic. The sooner HIV and other STIs are diagnosed and treated, the less likely it is they will be passed on.”

CONTRACEPTION RESOURCES TO VISIT ZAMBIA

What a surprise I had last week when I got a phone call from John Chisholm the director of Design Positive, to let me know that he would be visiting Zambia on 19th October for 3 weeks with Water for Kids. It was only a few months ago since I had met Vineet, a trustee of SHINE, who spends half the year in Zambia building schools for kids.

I was even more excited and grateful when I called Vineet to tell him about John and learned that they would be there in Lusaka at the same time. And John has very kindly agreed to fill his suitcase with Contraception Education's Resources, to share with the learners there.

If you know me you'll know that one of my most favourite books is Synchrodestiny, by Deepak Chopra, and what has happened here is just another wonderful example of how the Universe is working, and how we are all playing our part. Let's see whether the young people in Zambia are able to make great use of Contraception the board game, and have a really positive impact on their sexual health.