Classroom tests to screen children for sexually transmitted diseases should be
introduced across the country if they reduce infection rates, public health
leaders have said.
Speaking after parents criticised the introduction of such tests in Sussex,
the Royal Society for Public Health said the initiative was a good way to
raise awareness of sexual health – and should be expanded more widely if it
is shown to work.
Public Health England said around one in 12 tests for the sexually transmitted
infection chlamydia are carried out in schools, colleges and universities,
rather than in medical settings.
Yesterday parents from Brighton and Hove criticised a scheme which offers 15
and 16-year-olds swabs in the classroom, so they can test themselves in
school toilets.
Headteachers said the initiatives aimed to show children how “easy and
painless” such tests were, so they would use them in future.
But parents said they had no idea that the schemes were in operation at nine
schools in East Sussex and said teenagers had been left “humiliated” after
being asked to try the tests.
Last night the head of the Royal Society for Public Health said she would like
to see more schools introducing testing – but said efforts should be made to
contact parents and tell them about the plans before schemes were
introduced.
Shirley Cramer, the charity’s chief executive said: “By practically
demonstrating to young people what a chlamydia test entails this initiative
may help to demystify and de-stigmatise the procedure – which in turn might
help young people feel more comfortable learning about other aspects of
sexual health.”
She said such initiatives should be accompanied with a “well-rounded education
that helps young people better understand the personal and social
consequences of sexual behaviour.”
“If this initiative is demonstrated to increase awareness and testing then we
would welcome the scheme’s expansion,” she said.
Public health officials last night said it was up to local councils to decide
whether to introduce such schemes to their secondary schools.
Schools in the Wirral, in Merseyside, have introduced tests to test teens for
chlamydia in clinics run by school nurses, with similar schemes offered in
Redbridge in London.
The sessions were introduced as part of the National Chlamydia Screening
Programme, which aims to reduce rates of the infection, which can cause
infertility.
Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in
Britain, with more than 200,000 people testing positive for it in 2012.
Around two-thirds of people diagnosed with chlamydia were aged under 25.
Jules Hillier, deputy chief executive officer at young people’s sexual health
and wellbeing charity Brook said it was important that young people got
access to information about testing and treatment for STIs.
“Young people tell us they would like health services and education to link
more closely so that fear and misunderstanding can be avoided,” she said. “If
this scheme was created in consultation with young people, and their dignity
and right to confidential services were respected, it may well help to
remove some of the anxiety about testing that exists.”
