NHS Lanarkshire’s Sexual Health team has launched a new Instagram and Facebook pages to promote sexual health and wellbeing for young people.
They were developed with young people in mind, in response to the many misconceptions faced around contraception, relationships, and sexual health. It is also an online hub where people can access support and appointments should they need it.
The aim of creating this resource is to educate young people by providing clear and factual information needed to make decisions about their sexual health, in a way that is engaging for them.
The idea stemmed from the fact that parents and educators can often feel embarrassment around the subject, and so young people tend to rely on other sources such as social media, which can include unreliable information.
Karen Stewart, Sexual Health Team Leader, NHS Lanarkshire, said: “A survey at our young person clinics found that the majority of respondents had looked at social media for sexual health advice. They also reported that they would engage with a page run by a local sexual health team as it would provide information they could trust, as many users said they felt they wouldn’t trust other information online.
“This hub enables those who need it to have a safe space to find information they can trust.
“Looking ahead, we aim to strengthen links with local schools and expand the reach of the account.”
These page are the brainchild of our sexual health nurses Chloe Freel, Chelsea Orr and Lauren Stirling with support from Dr Alyson Welsh, and they have developed a programme of weekly posts featuring relevant and accessible content which aligns with current best practice.
Lauren Stirling, Sexual Health Nurse, NHS Lanarkshire, added: “We have worked together to try and design content that speaks directly to the public, especially young people. Our aim is to keep our content clear, engaging, and relevant so that young people can easily access information about our services, from contraception and STI testing to support relationships and consent.
“We hope by doing this our clinics appear approachable and welcoming, helping to show that accessing support for sexual health doesn’t need to be scary!”
View the Instagram page which also includes links to partner organisations and sharing their content to include a variety of relevant information.
Information on sexual health can also be found at lanarkshiresexualhealth.org, or www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/sexual-health/
