MP backs Co-operative Pharmacy Valentines Day campaign - "Say it with condoms: don't be
embarrassed to show you care."

8 February 2007

Don Valley MP and Public Health Minister, Caroline Flint is backing a campaign by the Co-operative Pharmacy to promote good sexual health and condoms as essential wear.

The campaign complements the Department of Health message that condoms are essential wear.

Said Caroline: "I welcome the Co-op Pharmacy's campaign to remind young people that the best protection against STIs is to wear a condom. This is about responsible sexual health, not the encouragement of promiscuity. We are saying to those who are already sexually active: sex without a condom is seriously risky, so always use one.

"You can't tell just by looking whether someone has an STI. Some infections often have no noticeable symptoms and others cannot be cured, so taking responsibility for your own sexual health should always be your key priority."

Department of Health research shows that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia are spreading fast among 18 to 24 year olds. However, fewer than 20 per cent carry a condom which means more than 80 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds are putting themselves at risk of an STI.

The Co-operative Pharmacy campaign is mainly targeted at the 18-24 age group. In the 2006 Budget, the Chancellor reduced the VAT on condoms to 5%.