Young Peoples Sexual health

1
Young Peoples Sexual health
Royal College of Physicians London 29 June
2009
Robert Madelin Director General for Health and
Consumers European Commission
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• Context
• Action

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Definitions of Sexual Health

• WHO Sexual health is not only the absence of
  sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) but a state
  of physical, emotional, mental and social well-
  being related to sexuality
• Council of Europe the Right to sexual health
  implies the ability to establish a mutually
  satisfying and safe relationship free from
  coercion, violence or fear of STDs or unwanted
  pregnancies

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Context

• EU committed to achieving a high level of health
  protection ? stimulate and /or complement MS
  activities
• Increasing numbers of sexually transmitted
  infections, particularly in young people, all
  over Europe
• Mobility
• Sexual health / overall life skills

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Drivers

• Socio-economic factors
• poverty
• education
• employment
• Demographic factors
• age structures
• mobility and migration, urban/rural movement
• social disruption
• Social influence
• influence of communications
• social norms
• cultural background
• Prevention and therapy
• access to prevention services and means
• access to treatment

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Legal Framework EU Role in health policy

• Art. 152 of the EC Treaty
• A high level of human health protection shall be
  ensured in the definition and implementation of
  all Community policies and activities
• Community action, which shall complement national
  policies, shall be directed towards improving
  public health, preventing illness
• Such action shall cover the fight against major
  health scourges, by promoting research into their
  causes, their transmission and prevention as well
  as health information and education.
• Community shall encourage cooperation between
  Member States and lend, if necessary support to
  their action
• Community action shall fully respect the
  responsibilities of Member States for
  organisation and delivery of health services

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Chlamydia infection in selected European
countries

• Fenton, K A et al. Sex Transm Infect
  200480255-263

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Chlamydia Age distribution
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Source HBSC study University of Utrecht, The
Netherlands
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Source HBSC study, University of Utrecht, The
Netherlands
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Sexual and reproductive trends in young
people (Women aged 18/9-44 Natsal 2000)
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Births per 1000 women aged under 20
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EU action

• Round Table on Safer Sex for young people,
  2006-2007 with youth organisations, commercial
  advertisers, Durex, and some Member States
• Establishment of a Forum on Sexual Health 2008
  youth, communication experts, several Member
  States
• Integrate sexual health as a priority in the EU
  Research Programme and the Public Health Programme

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Sexual health policy at EU level
Target young people
Focus positive health aspects of a full sexual
life
Impact general health status of next
generation(s)
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Challenges

• Sexual Health is a sensitive issue
• Sexual health is a new theme for the Commission
• Traditional messages from the Nanny state,
  Dont do because . do not stick any more
• Address young people in correct environment,
  tone, style and appropriate communication means,
  use relevant messages e.g. relating to their
  looks, love lives and their future
• Create a message that is effective for mixed
  groups as a whole, sensitive to cultural
  differences
• Involve young people at all levels of analysis,
  design and response

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Contents of the approach

• Create sound knowledge base
• - Increased research on socio-economic settings
  sexual behaviour of youth
• - collect and analyse behavioural strategies
  ECDC, Research Programme
• - surveillance and epidemiology of STDs ECDC
• - Eurobarometer survey on young peoples
  knowledge of sexual
• and reproductive health in several Member
  States
• Create a Sexual Health Forum that provides a
  platform for different stakeholders, governments,
  civil society, youth
• Objectives
• Raise awareness of the topic
• Improve methods and means of communication with
  young people
• Develop clear, strong and positive common
  messages
• Cooperate on access to a broad sexuality
  education and improved low threshold affordable
  services of quality

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Structure and process
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EU funding

• Health programme
• SAFE, SAFF II in negotiation, ESSTI
• ECDC
• behavioural surveillance for HIV and STI
• European guidelines for Chlamydia control (June
  2009)
• STI surveillance - including all MS, data
  collection will start this summer
• RTD Call 2010
• Presently elaborated

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Projects

• Under the public Health Programme 2 big projects
• European Partnership project SAFE- to promote
  the sexual health and rights of young people. The
  project developed new and innovative ways to
  reach young people with information and services
  on sexual health and rights and inform, support
  and advance policy development. It developed
  recommendations .
• On a scientific level the Commission supported
  two projects on reproductive health indicators in
  European Union in 2001 - REPROSTAT 1 and
  REPROSTAT 2 in 2007. REPROSTAT 2 assesses the
  usefulness of a comprehensive set of reproductive
  health indicators designed for the enlarged
  European Union, with particular emphasis on the
  reproductive health of adolescents and young
  adult (Phase 2)
• In 2009 call 6 projects proposed on Youth Sexual
  violence, strategies for European sex education,
  youth communication and reaching of youth with a
  migration background
• Under the Research Programme RTD
• Focus on sexual and reproductive health in
  international co-operation (Africa, China)

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Process

• Bottom-up
• Use results of
• Health Programme projects on sexual health
• Youth forum on 9/10 July
• Policy debate
• Top down
• Continue calls for project proposals
• Expand Sexual Health Forum to exchange
  experiences and commit to a responsible way to
  address young peoples sexuality

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Stakeholders
Member States
Youth
Formal education
Non formal education
Medical profession, social worker
Advertisers, Broadcaster, Media
Business producing for young people
International Organisations, WHO,IOM
Research
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Added value of a European Strategy?

• Shared vision of young peoples health
• Higher awareness in Member States
• Blueprint for Member States to act
• Empowerment of young people resulting in
  responsible behaviour
• Decrease of STDs and early pregnancies across
  Europe
• Sustainable improvement of young peoples sexual
  health and general health status

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Thank you!