Join in safer sex conversation on Facebook

Young people are being offered the chance to win Ticketmaster vouchers by ‘liking’ a new Facebook page.

Part of the Real Information, Safe Choices (RISC) campaign, the competition has been organised by the Leicester and Leicestershire Teenage Pregnancy Partnerships.

The Facebook page is a forum for the promotion and discussion of issues linked to sexual health and young people. It hopes to encourage young people to join in the 'conversation' and subscribe to the view that information leads to safer choices.

Launched last Christmas, the RISC campaign is being taken out to a range of summer events - including Leicester Belgrave Mela this Sunday (15th) - to promote safer sex messages and local services to under 19s.

To enter the competition, young people are asked to like the ‘TakeTheRISC’ Facebook page and share a photo on the page. The winner of the vouchers worth £200 will be picked on 31st August.

Katie Phillips, Leicestershire Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator, said: ”This competition is a fantastic opportunity to promote the RISC campaign and encourage young people to join in discussions about healthy relationships and safer sex.

“By raising awareness, the Facebook page is one of a number of ways we are helping to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections among under 19s.”

The competition is open to young people aged 16-19 who live in or attend a school in Leicester or Leicestershire.

Leicestershire Teenage Pregnancy Partnership works with young people to reduce conception rates and provide support for teenage parents.

The partnership includes Leicestershire County Council, NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland and Connexions Leicestershire.

Over the past 18 months, it has:

• Reduced teenage pregnancy rates even further – rates are now down by 30 per cent when compared to 1998.

• Created a series of short online films to raise awareness of local contraceptive services.

• Launched a new toolkit for the delivery of relationships and sex education in further education colleges.

For more information on the Leicestershire Teenage Pregnancy Partnership, visit: www.letstalktp.org .