HL Deb 12 February 2001 vol 622 cc14-5WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will issue guidance to health professionals advising them to commend sexual abstinence for young people under 16 for the sake of their health and personal development. [HL547]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Best practice guidance on the provision of effective contraception and advice services for young people was sent to all local teenage pregnancy co-ordinators and posted on the Department of Health's teenage pregnancy website in December. The guidance highlights the importance of services having staffed trained in counselling skills and providing sufficient time and support to allow young people to make informed choices about their relationships.

A national media campaign aimed at young people began in October. The central messages of the campaign are about encouraging young people to take control of their lives, personal responsibility and not to be pressurised into having sex. The design of the campaign was informed by a major piece of research into what media messages and advertising campaigns work best with young people.