For Sexual Health Week (30 July to 7 August) Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) and Solihull Primary Care Trust have joined forces to hand out sexual health packs to young holiday makers at Birmingham International Airport.

Young people from the West Midlands came out top in a recent Foreign & Commonwealth Office survey1 of the risks taken by young holiday makers, with 64% of people surveyed from the West Midlands reporting "having casual sex" as a favored holiday activity, compared to the national average of 28%.

The campaign stand at Terminal One, Birmingham International Airport (BIA), will be manned by THT staff and volunteers who will target 18-30 year olds with sexual health packs containing condoms, lubricants, safe sex materials, alcohol unit calculator wheels and bottle tops to protect holiday drinkers from having their drink spiked.

Solihull Primary Care Trust has provided £1,500 towards the cost of running the campaign and will be advertising it with posters in local GP surgeries and pharmacies. Durex has kindly donated 15,000 condoms and 5,000 lubricants for the campaign packs, and Coventry Community Safety Partnership has supplied 6,000 bottle tops for the campaign.

Paul Sheehan, Sexual Health and HIV Coordinator for Solihull Primary Care Trust said, “Our aim is not to tell people what to do, but to encourage them to be as aware and safe as possible whilst on holiday.

“This campaign plays a key part in the Primary Care Trust’s Sexual Health action plan and our joint Teenage Pregnancy Action Plan, developed with Solihull Council, to ensure that we work together to reduce the amount of sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies across the borough.”

Caroline Mason, Senior Development Coordinator for Terrence Higgins Trust (Midlands) said: “We’re making it easier for people to take care of their sexual health on holiday. Our stand at Birmingham Airport has loads of information and advice, as well as free condoms and other travel information. We’ll be there every day, so make sure you drop by and see us before you fly.”

Ruth Gresty, Durex UK brand manager, said: “With the growing concerns about increasing numbers of sexually transmitted infections, it is so important that holiday makers protect themselves against more than a bit of sun stroke! We want holiday makers to have fun and enjoy themselves, but we don’t want them to wake up with more than just a hangover!”

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Notes to Editors

Photocall for Sexual Health Week

For Sexual Health Week (30 July to 7 August),  Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) and Solihull Primary Care Trust will be handing out sexual health packs to young holiday makers at Birmingham International Airport.

• Date: 2pm, Monday 1st August
• Where: Terminal 1, Birmingham International Airport

Foreign & Commonwealth Office survey

Stats from The Foreign & Commonwealth Office survey of 16-30 year old holiday makers, June 2005:

• 15% of young tourists said having sex was a priority, this rose to 29% among those from the West Midlands
• 64% of people surveyed from the West Midlands reported 'having casual sex' as a favored holiday activity compared to the national average of 28%
• 14% of people surveyed from the West Midlands reported having 'unprotected sex' compared to the national average of 5%
• A third of those interviewed agreed with the statement: "I usually end up doing stupid things, but it doesn't matter because it's all part of enjoying myself."

Terrence Higgins Trust

Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, providing a wide range of services to over 50,000 people a year. The charity also campaigns and lobbies for greater political and public understanding of the personal, social and medical impact of HIV and sexual health.