Thursday 18 December 2008
Have fun, be careful, Brook reminds young people
Young people’s sexual health charity Brook has launched a campaign, Have fun, be careful, to make young people aware of the increased risk of unplanned pregnancy during December and January and remind them to be extra careful about safer sex during these months.
Six years of data from 2000 to 2005 inclusive show that there is a peak every year in the under 18 conception rates during December and January. On average, rates for those months are some 8% higher than the average rates of other months with about 21,000 conceptions among under-18s in these months between 2000/05.
Brook has launched a poster campaign to highlight this increased risk, reminding young people to use condoms and advising them to contact the Ask Brook confidential helpline (0808 802 1234) or visit www.brook.org.uk to find details of their nearest sexual health clinic.
The A3 posters carry a festive, mistletoe theme and have been distributed to over 8,000 schools, FE colleges, sexual health clinics and other primary care locations. The posters have been produced to support the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy.
Simon Blake, Brook’s Chief Executive, said:
“December and January is a more risky time. Young people might not be aware of local clinic opening times, especially if pharmacies and clinics are closed over the festive season, or they may run out of pills and condoms so would need to think ahead. This is also a time when there will be more parties and many young people will be drinking alcohol.
“The poster reminds young people to have fun, and if they are going to have sex to be extra careful and to make sure they use contraception.”
To order a copy of the poster please contact the publications orderline 0870 750 3082.
For media enquiries please contact Brook’s press office on 020 7284 6062 or 07500 786 762.
Notes to editors
Brook is the UK’s leading provider of sexual health services and advice for young people under 25. The charity has more than 40 years’ experience of working with young people and currently has a network of more than 50 services in 18 areas of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Jersey.
Brook services provide free and confidential sexual health information, contraception, pregnancy testing, advice and counselling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and outreach and education work, reaching more than 200,000 young people every year. www.brook.org.uk
