The Scottish Government

NHS Borders piloted the effectiveness of targeting young men in rural areas using postal testing kits for Chlamydia. The project was introduced in one village, Eyemouth, in May 2005 and proved so popular that it had been rolled out to 34 sites by August 2006.

The programme is supported by a package of training for local staff and remote support for treatment and contact tracing is provided by a specialist sexual health adviser.

By August, 700 kits had been distributed and more than 130 returned. Results are given by telephone and treatment, where required, is arranged by Borders Sexual Health Service staff.

Distribution points include health centres, community pharmacies, gyms, schools, family planning and drop-in clinics.

So far the programme is accessing the target age group with 75 per cent of kits returned by under 25s. But the return rate from young men remains low at 10-15 per cent.

An important part of treating people for sexually-transmitted infections is making sure that patients' partners, who may have been at risk of contracting an STI, are traced and invited for testing.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway has used some of its share of sexual health strategy funding to set up a region-wide partner notification service.

The programme has involved employing a partner notification co-ordinator/nurse and an administrator.

The plan is to provide partner notification in all family planning and sexual health and genitourinary medicine clinics and also to support GP practices.

All the GP practices in the area have been contacted and, by August 2006, 18 had expressed an interest. Two study days were held in September to help the practices set up partner notification systems, attended by a GP and practice nurse from each and this was followed up in October 2006.

In the past year, NHS Grampian's workplace team delivered Travel Health Workshops to around 20 workplaces, reaching around 400 people, many of them regular business travellers.

The travel health presentation has a focus on sexual health and on the worldwide prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B&C and STIs.

NHS Grampian sees using the workplace as a good way to promote health and is actively involved in the Scotland's Health at Work award scheme ( SHAW).

Other measures throughout the year included:

Mailing HIV campaign materials targeting business travellers to around 200 oil-related companies

Sending an HIV presentation designed specifically for delivery by medical staff to 110 offshore installations

Promoting participation in national campaigns such as World Aids Day through bi-monthly drop-in advisory sessions for companies.

By August 2006, 31 companies covering thousands of employees had achieved the Gold level of the SHAW awards, which requires employers to demonstrate activities to promote sexual health.

Primary school children in Falkirk were consulted to find out more about what they knew about key aspects of relationships.

The 'Love Makes them Happy' project was commissioned by a joint working group from the NHS Forth Valley Health Promotion Department and Falkirk Council Education Services.

It came about because ongoing work with parents and teachers showed that there were concerns about responding to questions from children. Also parents and professionals were worried that information that children pick up from the wider world was either overtly sexualised or gave children the wrong messages about respecting and valuing other people.

The consultation was intended to find out where children would like to know more, as well as finding out about their levels and accuracy of knowledge and understanding.

More than 200 pupils in four anonymised schools in Falkirk took part, divided into groups of Primary 4/5 and Primary 6/7. Parents had the option to withdraw their children from the project and five did so.

The consultation looked at physical and emotional changes that happen to boys and girls as they grow up, some aspects of relationships and pregnancy and childbirth.

Children were asked to identify questions they would like answered.

'From the questions they asked, it is clear that they want to talk about these things, but that they have absorbed a lot of information which is often confused, bitty and misinformed,' said Dr Chris Kelt, lead clinician in sexual health with NHS Forth Valley.

The next stage will involve comparing the information gained from the project to what is currently taught and considering whether it does what children need it to do.

Secondary schoolchildren in West Dunbartonshire are getting the opportunity to hear what it's like to be a young mum or dad from the horse's mouth.

The Young Parents Group has created a DVD called 9 Months After which aims to show the realities of having and looking after a baby.

The project is a collaboration between West Dunbartonshire Council, the Health Promoting Schools Programme, YSortIt Youth Information and Support Network and the Gender and Inequalities Team at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The DVD is an educational tool which is due to be shown in schools and informal education settings from the end of 2006 as part of workshops and discussion around young parenting.

It is hoped that young people who take part in the programme will have an increased knowledge of the positive and negative aspects of being a young parent, for example childcare, managing finances and roles and responsibilities.

It also details the impact of being a young parent on health, wellbeing and life choices, including career choices and explores the myths, stereotypes and realities around the roles and responsibilities of young mothers and fathers.

The project is supporting delivery of West Dunbartonshire Council's Sexual Health and Relationships Education Programme and will be thoroughly evaluated.

NHS Lothian's Family Planning and Well Women service is improving access and shortening waiting times for men who want to have vasectomies.

Instead of waiting longer for an individual appointment, up to 10 men at a time are being offered group appointments on Friday afternoons at Edinburgh's Dean Terrace clinic.

The men are given a short presentation which explains the procedure and are also given information to take away with them. In advance of the appointment, the men are sent information so that they are prepared to ask questions and clear up any misunderstanding.

Then each man has a short consultation with a member of the family planning team, where he is registered and can ask any specific questions. Appointments for the actual procedure are made on the way out of the clinic, usually within six weeks.

Professor Anna Glasier, lead clinician for sexual health in Lothian, says it's proving a popular and successful way of improving access. 'It's convenient for the men because the clinic takes place last thing on Friday afternoon and it means they can have an appointment much quicker than previously.

'It also saves doctor time because I'm giving one presentation to 10 men, rather than spending up to 40 minutes going through the same information with different individuals.

'It's slick and efficient and informal feedback shows that the men like it.'