A HEALTH visitor wants a centre to be set up where sex advice would be
available to youngsters in the Stranraer area.
Mrs Jane Gray, of Stranraer, says youngsters there have no proper
access to advice on sex and health education.
She says that the South-west corner of Scotland has the highest rate
of teenage pregnancies and teenage abortions in Dumfries and Galloway.
For decades Wigtownshire had the highest illegitimacy rate in Scotland
and Mrs Gray said yesterday: ''For 90 years there has been a problem
here and still there has been nothing done about it.
''I'm not advocating handing out condoms and pills for the youngsters
but want to promote better information and advice.
''If we find people having underage sex they would receive counselling
from the likes of myself or a doctor,'' she said and added: ''There are
no services or places for the youngsters to go to.''
Mrs Gray wants the facilities so young people at Stranraer Academy can
get the proper help and advice from health visitors and doctors.
Mrs Gray added: ''I have had two teenage girls at Stranraer Academy
and I know the problems. I have received support from parents and in my
job I was told by the health board to to identify a need -- and this is
a big one.''
Mrs Gray said the family planning clinic was held once a month during
school.
The youngest person using the clinic was 20 and she wanted to target
youngsters from about 14. But she added: ''I'm not promoting underage
sex but sexual health.''
A new poll out today shows that parents wish they knew more about sex.
Many complain that they received insufficient sex education, and admit
to knowing little about Aids, changes at puberty, or sexual enjoyment.
Today's poll of 1000 women, carried out by Good Housekeeping magazine,
shows that half believed that children should be given information
between the ages of five and 10.
Nearly one in three said teenagers were given too little information.
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