Do safeguarding concerns deter young people’s access to condoms? Issues about integrating sexual health services online

Condoms have been distributed freely, and regionally across England, since the ‘Teenage Pregnancy Strategy’ (Social Inclusion Unit, 1999) which highlighted England as having one of the highest rates of unplanned teenage conceptions in Western Europe. With the aim of making more accessible contraception and sex safer resources and protecting against infections, young people can obtain free condoms through selected registration and distribution points (Evans, 2005; Hadley and Evans, 2013). In 2003, England and Wales founded the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) in response to high levels of Chlamydia trachomatis found in young people aged between 15 – 24 years (DH, 2012). Key messages for young people in the prevention of Chlamydia infection are: - Consistently use condoms during vaginal, anal or oral sex - Don’t share sex toys without washing them between use or covering with a fresh condom - Consistently use latex dams for cunnilingus (oral sex on a female) and oroanal sex (rimming) (NHS, 2013