This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Action to improve sexual health
27/01/2005
A range of measures to tackle Scotland's sexual health
problems were published today.
Respect and
Responsibility - Strategy and Action Plan for Improving
Sexual Health - Scotland's first strategy for sexual
health - sets out clear challenges for Government, NHS
Boards, local authorities and other agencies to deliver
better sexual health services across the country.
It also makes clear that individuals have a
responsibility for their own health and for the safety of
others.
The Strategy clearly promotes the values of mature
loving relationships, founded on self respect and respect
for others.
Health Minister Andy Kerr said:
"This is an ambitious and wide-ranging plan but it can
and will deliver real change. It sets out a long-term
programme for achieving our vision for improving sexual
health in Scotland. The challenge now is to turn these
words into action.
"We respect the right of faith groups and others to hold
on to and promote their religious, moral and spiritual
values. But in return we also expect respect for the rights
of young people to have knowledge of, and access to, sexual
health services so that they can make informed choices.
"We will deliver on this action which will directly
improve the equity of access to services across Scotland.
It will also directly tackle the causes behind the
incidence of sexually transmitted infections across all age
groups and unintended teenage pregnancies. We must
encourage people to talk about sexual health and the
problems it can bring. We must remove the embarrassment
factor if we are to see improvements.
"We know that success will not be achieved overnight.
But if we all - statutory and voluntary organisations,
faith groups and individuals - pursue the principles of
respect and responsibility it will help us along the way to
improved sexual well-being in Scotland and help build
stronger communities.
"This strategy is firmly based on the principles of self
respect, respect for others and strong relationships.
Respect and responsibility are also key messages that are
passed on by parents and families in shaping the lives of
their children. But the right focus for us in the Scottish
Executive in the action we take to promote sexual health,
is on the quality of relationships rather than on family
form or on issues of legal status. Abstinence, or sexual
activity which is delayed until a mature, loving
relationship is established, are approaches we
support."
The action plan will deliver:
- a balance between what government should do to help
people avoid contracting or spreading sexually
transmitted disease or an unintended pregnancy and the
individual's responsibility for their own health and
the safety of others;
- a strong focus on respect and responsibility as the
cornerstones of mature and loving relationships and the
guiding principle for our action as government;
- redesigned sexual health services to ensure
improved access in all areas of the country;
- £15 million additional funding over three years to
deliver these improvements;
- national leadership through the creation of a
National Sexual Health Advisory Committee to be chaired
by the Minister for Health;
- local leadership: NHS Boards and local authorities
must identify strategic leaders for sexual health so
that there is better planning for the future;
- continued education to raise awareness of the
issues relating to good sexual health.
Education Minister Peter Peacock said:
"Schools and teachers have clear guidelines on which to
base sex and relationships education. These ensure pupils
only receive information and advice which is appropriate to
their age.
"The strategy published today does nothing to change
national policy on sex and relationships education. It
simply reinforces the principles on which the guidelines
are based, and reiterates the need to involve parents,
carers and the wider community in the development and
revision of sex and relationships education
programmes."
The £15 million additional funding will be made
available over three years from 2005-06 to 2007-08. This
will be broken down as £5 million each year. The majority
of the additional finance will be spent on improving
frontline services.
The £15 million is new money which is in additional to
the resources - £10.284 million in 2004-05 - already being
spent by NHS Boards and other agencies taking forward
sexual health initiatives on behalf of the Executive.
NHS Board also spend money from their own budgets on
sexual health services in their local areas.
Two seminars will be held shortly - the first on 16
February - with an aim of securing ownership and driving
forward implementation. The first will be aimed at those
involved in the provision of clinical services. The second
will bring together all others who will be involved with
the implementation of the action.
Here are links to the McCabe recommendation on sex
education in schools and the supporting papers that were
issued by the Executive:
McCabe report:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library2/doc16/sess-00.asp
Parents leaflet:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/a5parents.pdf
Education Authorities Consultation leaflet:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/a4consultation.pdf
Summary of National Advice:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/natadvice.pdf
The analysis of the consultation responses is available
at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent