Condom school call
Condom vending machines in schools and programs to combat homophobia are among the recommendations of a new ACT report into children’s health.
The report stems from an inquiry launched by the ACT Legislative Assembly’s health committee, The Canberra Times reported this week. The 48 recommendations also included the provision of safer sex information for lesbians and a review of anti-bullying programs.
The young people the committee spoke to were also tolerant of sexual diversity and wanted their schools and community to make more effort to stop gay and lesbian youth being marginalised, committee chairwoman Kerrie Tucker told The Canberra Times.
The report arrives just weeks after the results of Sex In Australia: The Australian Study of Health and Relationships, suggested a broader representation of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in health education.
Dr Andrew Grulich, one of the authors of the study, welcomed the recommendations of the Canberra report for acknowledging issues of sexuality and also of sexual risk in school students.
A substantial proportion of people start becoming sexually active in their early teenage years, Grulich told Sydney Star Observer. They really do need that information by then, so that they have the ability to protect themselves and form healthy sexual relationships.
The bipartisan committee called on the ACT government to fund the recommended reforms.
