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Text plan to supply condoms to teens
Apr 21 2006
By Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail
SEXUALLY active schoolchildren are being encouraged to slash the region's sky-high teenage pregnancy rate by pushing all the right buttons - on their mobile phones.
Health bosses are hoping teens will latch on to the first ever condom texting service which will enable them to order packets of the contraceptives.
Bashful youngsters can text the word 'txtdomz' plus their name and address for six low cost condoms, including some flavoured, to be posted to their front door the next day.
The pack even arrives in a discreet plain white jiffy bubble wrap, avoiding any awkward questions from parents.
Organisers believe it will cut the number of unplanned teen pregnancies across Birmingham, which has some of the highest rates in Europe, by helping youngsters too embarrassed to buy condoms over the counter.
Jon Jarvis, Director of txtdomz said: "We have the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Europe and there is an increasing trend towards younger people contracting sexually related diseases.
"Teenage sex is a serious issue. This is not about encouraging underage individuals to have sex, but providing an accessible, discreet and fun way for the sexually active to be smart.
"It makes having safer sex easier than ever before, as people needn't feel that they risk being caught out buying condoms, or that others need know their business. As most young people are inseparable from their mobile phones, they can now use them to take responsibility for their own bodies."
There is no legal age limit on buying condoms but 40 per cent of teenagers having sex think they must be 16 to purchase protection. And nearly half of teenagers revealed embarrassment of buying condoms as a key reason for having unprotected sex.
The Department of Health is now using the scheme as part of its Want Respect campaign in Birmingham to prevent teenage pregnancy rates rising.
