Sexpression tackles lack of UK sex education
Editor - Medical students have responded to the problem highlighted in Kay Brennens recent report which emphasised the lack of sexual health education in schools.1 Sexpression is a student initiative which aims to approach sex education using the latest evidence to reduce both teenage pregnancy and the rates of sexually transmitted infections in the United Kingdom.
Groups of medical students,
in universities across the country, work on the basis that they can
relate to young people in schools and youth groups in an effective way:
the students create an open environment for the discussion of the
emotional aspects of relationships. This includes negotiating
contraceptive use, accessing sexual health services, and facilitating
informed decision making and autonomy regarding sexual
matters.
Other benefits are that the
schemes allow young people in inner city areas to come into contact
with, and develop good relationships with, future health professionals.
In return, the skills learnt during the Sexpression programme benefit
medical students, and in some medical schools contribute to the
curriculum as a special study
module.
Sexpression
members have extensive training from experts in sexual health and work
closely with the local community to ensure that they fit in with the
current
services.
For
more information visit www.medsin.org/sexpression or email
sexpression@medsin.org
Deborah Cohen, University of Manchester
Email: debsiecohen@hotmail.com
Grace Kawai,
David O'Connor, University of Birmingham
studentBMJ 2002;10:215-258 July ISSN 0966-6494
- Brennan
K. Increasing incidence of sexually transmitted infections in UK
[news]. studentBMJ
2002;10:95.
