Title: Young Peoples Sexual health
1Young Peoples Sexual health
Royal College of Physicians London 29 June
2009
Robert Madelin Director General for Health and
Consumers European Commission
2 3Definitions 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
4Context
- 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
5Drivers
- 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
6Legal 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
7Chlamydia infection in selected European
countries
- Fenton, K A et al. Sex Transm Infect
200480255-263
8Chlamydia Age distribution
9Source HBSC study University of Utrecht, The
Netherlands
10Source HBSC study, University of Utrecht, The
Netherlands
11Sexual and reproductive trends in young
people (Women aged 18/9-44 Natsal 2000)
12Births per 1000 women aged under 20
13EU 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
14Sexual 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)
15Challenges
- 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 -
16Contents 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 -
17Structure and process
18EU 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
19Projects
- 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)
20Process
- 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
21Stakeholders
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
22Added 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
23Thank you!