Minister defends sex advice project

Scotland has a high rate of underage pregnancies

Health Minister Susan Deacon has hit back at campaigners who attacked her over plans to educate young people about contraception.

The £3m pilot project called Healthy Respect has been launched in the Lothians and is aimed at children as young as 12.

But it has been criticised by the Parent Truth Campaign, which plans to deliver 20,000 leaflets in Ms Deacon's Musselburgh constituency accusing her of encouraging underage sex.

For a small group of people to spread about such wild and outrageous claims as we have seen over the last couple of days, I think is very disturbing

Health Minister Susan Deacon

Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, Ms Deacon said she was disappointed by the adverse reaction.

She said it was an important issue that touched on the lives of young people and families across Scotland, which has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and sexual infection in Britain if not Europe.

"For a small group of people to spread about such wild and outrageous claims as we have seen over the last couple of days, I think is very disturbing.

"I think most people want to approach this issue with the sensitivity and maturity it deserves," she said.

Mike Willis, of the Pro Life Alliance, said: "The minister is responsible for this filth that is going into our schools and these sex clinics on the high street.

Main mover

"The fact that this is almost a personal vendetta for her to get this through - she's ratchetting up the campaign.

"I think it is only quite right that the Scottish public should know that she's the main mover and shaker for this corruption of our children."

But Ms Deacon rejected the Parent Truth Campaign's claims that she was taking matters out of the hands of parents.

"The health project I am launching in Lothian, which will run over the next three years and is designed to find new and effective ways of raising awareness in sexual health and reducing the level of teenage pregnancies, has at its heart the involvement of parents themselves," she said.

Children will be given contraceptive advice

The project will start with the opening of a sex advice clinic in the area, where teenage births have risen by 50% in the past five years.

The programme will help young people in third and fourth year of secondary school to develop a more positive attitude to their own sexuality and encourage greater respect for their partners.

"The evidence shows that more young people are having sex and are doing so at a younger age," said Ms Deacon.

"Significantly, however, the recent annual report of the chief medical officer showed that a majority of young people wished they had waited longer before having sex.

'Informed choices'

"It is important that we foster an environment in which young people can discuss these issues safely and sensitively - both at home and in the community."

She said young people should be given the best possible advice and support so they could make informed choices.

"We want to develop a culture that is not about fear, ignorance and low self-esteem but is about informed choices, based on better access to knowledge, good health education and where it is appropriate, to careful, targeted contraception," she said.

"The experience of other countries has shown this approach to be effective.

Maximum support

And she pointed to the McCabe committee report published earlier this year which found no evidence to suggest that sex education led to increased sexual activity.

Scottish National Party health spokeswoman Nicola Sturgeon said: "Nobody would disagree that teenagers in difficulty require maximum support and help at their time of need.

"But most of the issues that this group are concerned about are fundamentally issues of conscience."

The executive also had plans for four Brook advisory clinics to hand out contraceptive advice and material from the Family Planning Association.