Edition 44 - 19th May 2008
Testing, Testing
Lynda Shentall examines why it's more important than ever to encourage undiagnosed people to test, and to keep on testing regularly
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Treatment Justice at last for migrants
The long-running complaint that HIV treatment is not free for all migrants seems to be coming to an end.
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George House Trust is currently expanding its Positive Speakers
Programme as part of our wider campaign to challenge HIV related stigma and prejudice.
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GHT Homepage  News Free Condoms for Manchester Teenagers
4th Jan 2008 
The city's teenage pregnancy rate is rising rather than falling as national policy intends, so the city council is taking some action. The city plans a network of young people friendly centres across Manchester for young people of 15 or older.
At these centres teenagers would talk with skilled staff and normally be given a plastic card which gives the right to a first set of free condoms plus nine further batches.
The young people will only need to give their name, date of birth, and the first part of their postcode.
Teenagers under 15 will be referred to other contraceptive and sexual health services, such as Brook.
third highest teenage pregnancy rate in England
Manchester's soaring teenage conception rate is in the top four in England - which is not good. The city was expected to cut the proportion of under-18s becoming pregnant, by 55 per cent between 1998 and 2010. Instead, the rate has gone up by almost 15 per cent - while nationally it has fallen by 12 per cent.
fringe benefits
Whilst free condoms under this scheme should help reduce the number of unwanted teenage pregnancies, it will also have additional benefits - it should help cut the number of sexually transmitted infections including HIV, but especially the high rates of chlamydia among young women and men. It will put young people in touch with sexual health services early in young people's sexual lives, as habits start to be formed.
The c-card scheme will be targeted at hot spots in Manchester for teenage pregnancies - including Harpurhey, Hulme and Ardwick - where as many as one in 10 young women aged 15-17 become pregnant every year.
early days
The council is now looking for an operator to organise the scheme and vet staff. These might be schools, colleges, chemists, walk-in clinics and pupil referral units. The staff will have to have criminal records checks to be allowed to work with young people and have experience in giving sexual health information to young people.
The council's website says they want the scheme to start in February and run for between 1 and 3 years.
A spokesperson for the Family Planning Association said: "Improving young people's access to contraception will reduce teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections."
What is already available?
The leading community sexual health organisation for young people in Manchester is Brook.
Brook Manchester
Commonwealth House, Lever Street (near Great Ancoats Street), Manchester, M4 5AZ
0161 237 3001
e-mail: askbrook@brookmanchester.org.uk
Brook in Manchester see young people, up to the age of 19.
They welcome boys and young men as well as girls and young women at all sessions. They run Ladz@Brook, a special drop-in session for boys and young men, on Tuesday afternoons.
All sessions are walk-in
Monday: 12.00pm - 6.30pm
Tuesday: 12.00pm - 6.30pm
Tuesday 2.30pm - 6.30pm - Ladz@Brook - drop-in for boys and young men
Wednesday: 12.00pm - 6.30pm
Thursday: 12.00pm - 6.30pm
Friday: 12.00pm - 4.30pm
Saturday: 11.00am - 4.30pm
Brook already offer friendly free services focused on young people - these include different types of Contraception including free condoms, Emergency Contraception, Pregnancy Testing, Screening for sexual infections, Termination referrals and Counselling.
http://www.brook.org.uk has lots of information for young people about sex and relationships.
source
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1030622_free_condoms_for_15yearolds_
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