Healthy Sexuality Resource Available for Youth

Sex? -- A Healthy Sexuality Resource, is now available to help young Nova Scotians make informed decisions about relationships and sex. The 117-page book includes such topics as relationships, decision making, sexual assault, sexually transmitted infections and contraception.

"The intention of this resource is to provide factual, easy-to- understand information to help youth make safe, healthy choices," said Health Promotion Minister Rodney MacDonald. "The statistics clearly told us that we needed to do more to help youth make informed decisions."

Sex? -- A Healthy Sexuality Resource, was developed by a working group made up of staff of the Office of Health Promotion and departments of Health and Education, district Public Health Services and a plain language writer. Other contributing members of the working group included youth representatives, Metro Planned Parenthood and Dalhousie Family Medicine.

More than 500 youth were consulted to find out what they wanted and needed to know and to review a draft of the resource. The resource was also reviewed by parents and teachers in rural and urban areas throughout the province.

Bev Mullin is a parent and the president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Home and School Associations. She said that while parents are the first and most important resource for youth on matters of sexuality and sexual health, this resource will help.

"As parents, we must take the opportunity to read this book, learn the pressures our children encounter in their everyday lives, and teach them about healthy sexuality," she said.

The resource was also reviewed by national and provincial experts in the field of sexual health and sex education.

"What makes this document unique is the author's ability to continually emphasize the message that all individuals must care for themselves, must make choices for themselves and be supportive of individual choices," said Dr. Joan Wenning, a pediatric and adolescent gynaecologist from the IWK Health Centre. "The resource not only provides factual information, it also focuses on the importance of helping young people develop good communication and assertiveness skills which will translate into healthier relationships."

All the information in the resource is currently available through more than 30 pamphlets and other assorted print materials used by public health staff. This resource combines all that information in one place, and presents it in a way that is accessible to youth and in a format that engages them.

The resource will be available free to all Nova Scotians aged 12 to 17. Public Health Services will work with six of the seven English school boards to develop individual plans to distribute it to youth in grades 7 to 12, starting in September. Youth who aren't able to receive it through schools can get it from Public Health Services and their community partners. The Acadian school board will decide on distribution after reviewing a translated version. The resource will be available to private and First Nations schools who wish to assist local Public Health with its distribution.

Parents will have an opportunity to view the resource at their local library, public health office, their child's school or on the Office of Health Promotion's website. The resource can also be purchased through Nova Scotia Government Publications for $12.95 plus tax and shipping.

The resource can be found on the Office of Health Promotion website at www.gov.ns.ca/ohp/healthysexuality.html under reports and publications.