Event – September 26 2009
The Irish Family Planning Association is delighted to be associated with the 3rd annual World Contraception Day. The event, which takes place on Saturday September 26th, seeks to raise awareness of contraception among men and women aged between 18 & 25.
As part of the campaign a new booklet entitled "Sex? Talk Contraception" has been published to provide a handy guide to help men and women of all ages be informed about their contraception options. A website (www.mycontraception.ie) provides further information about contraceptive methods. Research shows that young people continue to take risks with their sexual health.
According to an EU-wide study Irish people typically look to their friends for sex education. 58 per cent of those surveyed seek advice from friends while 37 per cent turn to both magazines or their mother for sex education.
Speaking about the importance of World Contraception Day, Niall Behan, CEO of IFPA said "sex is a normal part of everybody’s life and it is about time we actively encouraged young people to talk openly about it".
"Education and awareness about contraceptive use empowers young people to make safer choices about safe sex. However, services also need to be much more responsive to the needs of young people.
“This handy guide published on World Contraception Day illustrates the different forms of contraception available. There are so many different options out there for young people today including the pill, implants, condoms, diaphragms, the ring, the contraceptive patch and injectable contraception.
“However, it is important for young people to know that condoms are the only method which reduces the risk of contracting STIs. We recommend that both condoms and an alternative method be used for optimal protection against infection and pregnancy.”
For further information or to order a contraception booklet see www.mycontraception.ie