Spermcatcher campaign
Spermcatcher is all about using a condom when you have sex. For more information on condoms, click here
National Condom Week
The Brook Spermcatcher campaign coincides with National Condom Week
which takes place from 12-18 May 2008. For more info about National Condom
Week please log onto www.durexchange.co.uk.
What is Brook doing to coincide with the week?
Research: Brook has launched a piece of research, Through the
eyes of young men – a new vision for sexual health services, which
looks at the reasons why young men do not make full and effective use of
sexual health services.
Brook has produced a summary of the research which provides guidance to professionals working with young people to help them make their services more ‘young man friendly’.
Spermcatcher campaign: To complement the research, Brook launched the Spermcatcher poster campaign to encourage condom use. The poster campaign is intended to be a humourous way to encourage young people to think about safer sex.
A3 posters and postcards have been distributed to all centres. The postcards
come in four colours and have information on the back about condom use. There
are also outdoor poster sites in Manchester and Liverpool.
The Brook website has links to the Spermcatcher game and the Ask Brook
part of the site.
The research
The research was supported by an educational grant from Durex and was carried
out by Simon Forrest of ‘Working with Men’.
Face to face interviews were conducted with 33 current service users. Survey questionnaires were completed by 215 service and non-service users.
Key findings of the research
Boys and young men make up just 20% of Brook’s clients with lack of information
and mistaken expectations stopping them from using services. Many are unaware
of what sexual health services are and who provides them, a common perception
being that sexual health clinics are just for girls or will involve embarrassing,
invasive and painful physical examinations. Young men find it embarrassing
having to talk about their sex lives and are worried about judgemental attitudes
or being ‘told off’ for taking risks.
Boys and young men are less interested in health than young women partly because of the perceived need to have a ‘macho’ image, or that asking for help or using sexual health services would be seen as a sign of weakness.
Contraception is the most common reason for young men visiting (54% use the Brook service to obtain free condoms) and the second most common reason was to support a girlfriend who was getting contraception.
Only a small minority (18%) use services for the first time on their own – more than half come in with a male friend or group of friends (54%). Although young men are generally positive about using services to protect their sexual health, they prefer to go to friends or family for the emotional aspects of relationships.
For a summary of the research please click here.
