Support for Wise Up!
These are the statements of support we received.
Dr Michael Wilks, Chairman of the British Medical Association’s Ethics Committee
In a BMA press release backing the campaign Dr Wilks said:
"The BMA is backing Brook’s campaign as we are extremely concerned about guidance that could threaten the trust young people have in doctors. Although confidentiality is not absolute, and can be breached where there is a risk of serious harm, mandatory reporting of non-abusive relationships threatens the trust that underpins the relationship between doctors and patients...
"If the goal of mandatory reporting is to identify potential abuse the policy is self-defeating – all young people, including those who are being abused will refuse to talk to health professionals."
Read the full press release here.
Beverley Malone, General Secretary, Royal College of Nursing
"The Royal College of Nursing welcomes and supports the launch of the Wise Up! campaign which should help clarify for young people the current position in relation to their right to access sexual health services.
"For young people to access advice and care they need to trust those providing the care and know that their confidence will be protected, otherwise some young people may delay seeking advice or conceal their condition, which in turn could lead to poor sexual health outcomes."
Jane O’Brien, Head of Standards & Ethics Section, General Medical Council
"Our guidance on confidentiality starts from the position that all patients are entitled to confidential medical advice and treatment. This is based on the principle that respect for patients’ autonomy – in this case, their right to control how information is used and disclosed – is essential to building relationships of trust between doctors and patients. Our guidance also reflects the more pragmatic concern that patients may not seek advice or care, or may not disclosed important information to their doctors, if they fear that information will be disclosed without their agreement.
"For both these reasons we believe that confidentiality is an essential part of good professional practice. And it may be particularly important when providing services for young people, who may be at risk if they feel unable to trust professionals to respect their privacy. Of course we accept that confidentiality is not an absolute, and circumstances can arise where information must be disclosed quickly in order to protect the patient, or someone else. In most cases, however, doctors can work with patients, and reach joint decisions about when and how to involve parents or other agencies.
"We therefore support the Brook campaign to raise awareness amongst teenagers about their right to receive confidential medical advice."
Barbara Rayment, Director, Youth Access
"We cannot help young people unless we respect their rights to privacy. Youth Access, the national association for young people’s advice and counselling services understands the importance of free and confidential help. We know that when young people are confused about their rights, they are more at risk from unwanted pregnancies or health problems. Young people, including those under 16 must be able to access advice and services such as Brook without fear or shame."
Tom Wylie, Chief Executive, National Youth Agency
"The National Youth Agency fully supports the Brook campaign in its efforts to secure confidential, high quality sexual health services for young people – particularly those under 16 years of age
"The success of the Government drive to reduce unwanted teenage pregnancy – and the attendant disadvantage that all too often follows – will be jeopardised if young people cannot rely on their clear and legal rights to accurate, sensitive and confidential advice at critical points in their lives."
Professor Allan Templeton, President, RCOG and Dr Meera Kishen, President, FFPHRC
"The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care welcome Brook’s campaign to raise awareness of and build support for young people’s right to free and confidential sexual health advice and services. This should help address current confusion between agencies and professionals about the interpretation of the Sexual Offences Act 2004, which leads to services being perceived as not being confidential, thus excluding young people and leaving them vulnerable to unwanted consequences of sexual activity."
Terri Dowty, Director, Action on Rights for Children
"Action on Rights for Children (ARCH) welcomes the Brook campaign to ensure that every young person has confidential access to accurate information and advice on relationships and sexual health. The fundamental human rights of young people to healthcare and to privacy have never been more important, and it’s up to all of us to make sure that everything is done to make staying safe and being healthy a reality for all young people."
Andy Hamflett, Chief Executive of the UK Youth Parliament
"Members of the Youth Parliament have repeatedly highlighted the need for clear, consistent and regular messages concerning sexual health, and indeed ensuring the standardisation of sex education lessons in schools is one of their key campaign priorities this year. The uneven delivery of sex education in schools underlines still further the need for confidential sexual health advice being made available elsewhere. We wish you every success with your important campaign."
Anne Weyman, Chief Executive, fpa
"Fears about the confidentiality of sexual health services are one of the main reasons young people fail to seek professional advice. All professionals who work with this group must make their confidentiality policy clear, so that young people know exactly what to expect when contacting them for advice. We welcome Brook’s Wise Up campaign in raising awareness of this important issue."
ChildLine Director of Policy and Communications, Natasha Finlayson
"Last year ChildLine spoke to nearly 4,000 12-15 year olds about fears relating to pregnancy, who felt unable to seek support or advice from another service because they did not trust that what they said would be dealt with sensitively and not discussed without their knowledge or consent. The confidentiality ChildLine offers is one of the main reasons children choose to self-refer to the helpline; counsellors are commonly asked at the beginning of calls whether they have to tell anyone about what they are told, or for reassurance that conversations are private.
"ChildLine counsellors work hard to help children build trust in others and confidence in themselves, and to think through the implications and possible outcomes of involving others - such as parents and trusted adults, or statutory agencies when appropriate.
"ChildLine recognises that confidentiality is a crucial element of sexual health advice and services for young people, and warmly welcomes Brook's Wise Up! campaign."
Joanne Wourms, Director, Education For Choice
"Young people tell us that they are more likely to seek help and advice when they trust professionals to maintain their confidentiality. Education For Choice welcomes Brook's Wise Up! Campaign. Young people and professionals need clarity about young people's right to confidentiality. Confidential services are essential in order to improve young people's emotional and sexual health and keep them safe."
The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV
"The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) gives its full support to the Brook campaign. Confidentiality is an essential component of any sexual health service and loss of it would be to the detriment of the individual and the public health."
Tina Radziszewicz, sex and relationships agony aunt for teenage girls’ magazine Bliss
"I get a great many letters from under-16s who are utterly confused about their rights to confidentiality with GPs, teachers and other professionals, particularly in the area of sexual health. I therefore welcome Brook’s new initiative to raise awareness of the rights of young people and increase the chances they will get the confidential support they so desperately need."
Dr Petra Boynton, agony aunt for www.mykindaplace.com and www.menshealth.co.uk
"I welcome and strongly support your Wise Up! Campaign. As an agony aunt I get countless letters and emails from young people confused about their sexual health rights. I hear from young men and women from all ethnic and social backgrounds, different sexualities all with different sexual health questions and needs. Myself and colleagues rely on being able to refer those teenagers to GPs, GU services, Brook or school nurses. Under the proposed guidelines we'd be unable to talk confidentially to under 16s, nor refer them with confidence to other support groups or health service professionals.
"I hope more people support this campaign to ensure young people get the sexual health advice they need - to educate and empower them, to protect from abuse, and to ensure we are able to tackle teenage pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections.
Baroness Gould of Potternewton, Chair, Independent Advisory Group for Sexual Health and HIV
"The Independent Advisory Group for Sexual Health and HIV gives its full support to the Brook campaign to raise awareness amongst teenagers to their right to receive confidential medical advice. It is of concern that many young people, particularly those under 16 are still unaware of their right to confidential sexual health treatment. Delays in seeking advice can lead to increases in unprotected sex, teenage pregnancy and STIs. Maintaining confidentiality is vital in encouraging young people to use sexual health services."
Nick Partridge, Chief Executive, Terrence Higgins Trust
"Terrence Higgins Trust welcomes Brook's Wise Up! Campaign. Young people will only seek advice on sexual health if they trust the organisation they’re approaching and the right to confidentiality is at the heart of that trust. The Wise Up! Campaign and it’s messages will play an important role in reducing the rates of unplanned teenage pregnancy and rates of sexually transmitted infections."
Dr Mayur Lakhani Chairman of Council,Royal College of General Practitioners
"We whole-heartedly endorse the campaign to raise awareness and build support for young people's right to free and confidential sexual health advice. General Practice should be at the heart of accessible, high quality confidential care to young people."
Emma Insley, Director of Get Connected Helpline
"Get Connected fully supports young people’s right to access confidential sexual health services. As a free and confidential helpline that connects young people to the available sources of help, we regularly refer our service users to Brook. One in nine calls and emails to Get Connected from young people under the age of 16 are about issues around sex or pregnancy. A further one in ten requests for help from under 16s is about rape and sexual abuse.
"Requiring automatic sharing of information regardless of a young person’s situation damages their trust in sexual health services, and would lead to an increase of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, as well as abusive relationships remaining hidden. This is demonstrated through Get Connected’s own research in May and June 2005, which revealed that one in six young people felt that concerns over confidentiality would be most likely to stop them from accessing services. Confidential sexual health services are therefore vital to improving young people’s sexual health and keeping them safe."
Dr Paul Turner, Consultant in Public Health, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust
"Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT welcomes Brook's WiseUp Campaign. While acknowledging that confidentiality can be breached where there is evidence of abuse, the mandatory reporting of non-abusive relationships will undermine the trust of vulnerable young people in the services available to them. This could lead to young people not presenting to services when they have a serious problem whether it is a sexually transmitted infection, concern about an unplanned pregnancy or, ironically, they are suffering abuse."
Dr Ben Braithwaite, London
(in a personal capacity)
"I'd like to add my support to Brook's Wise Up! campaign - as a trainee GP, I know that the promise of full confidentiality is one of the most important ways to encourage young people to seek help for their health."
Dr Meg Thomas
(in a personal capacity)
"As a GP with a special interest in sexual health I support your campaign wholeheartedly. I strongly oppose any attempt to breach the confidentiality of young people. I am sure this will be detrimental to young peoples sexual health. Where these laws have been introduced in the US approximately 25% of sexually active young people felt that their only option was to have unsafe sex. 1% actually decided to stop having sex. Obviously they weren't the ones being abused. the whole thing is a nonsense."
Name withheld
"As a Sex and Relationships Education Adviser working for a local authority I fully support the wise up campaign for maintaining young people's confidentiality wherever possible. Workers in this field have worked hard to break down barriers around the perceptions of young people's entitlement to SRE information and support. The proposed policy would completely undermine progress which has been made and we would see teenage pregnancy, 'backstreet' and late abortions and STI rates increase as a result. In addition, many schools/teachers are reluctant at the moment to deliver SRE and the proposed legislation will only compound this problem."
