Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) will be at this year’s V Festival (17 -19 August) giving out 40,000 music festival goody bags to young adults in Hylands Park, Chelmsford. The goody bags will include sexual health advice and information along with special condom packs supplied by Durex.

The goody bags will also include travel pass holders, keyrings, lube, and special glow in the dark condoms that have been supplied by LTC Healthcare. THT is hoping that raising awareness of the risks of sexually transmitted infections and providing free condoms will encourage young people to have safer sex. Unlike some STIs, the THT workers will be easy to spot in their giant 7ft condom outfits.

Young people are at greater risk of being diagnosed with an STI. In 2006, people aged 16-24 made up 67% of chlamydia diagnoses, 56% of reported cases of warts, and 44% of all herpes diagnoses in the UK. 

Mishelle Looker, Young Leaders Participation Worker at THT in Essex said: "Thousands of young people will be heading off to the V Festival this summer to see their favourite bands. Some of them will inevitably be having sex. HIV and sexually transmitted infections are on the increase, so it’s important for them to be armed with more than suntan lotion as protection.  We don’t want people to come home with more than their festival wristband."
 
“V festival is a highlight for music this summer and we believe it’s a great place to promote safer sex to revellers. Durex is proud to be partnering with THT to remind people to practise safer sex at the V festival. It's important to enjoy yourself when you’re at a festival but it’s just as important to protect yourself and your partner by playing safe," said Charles Shepherd of Durex.

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Notes to Editors

• Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, providing a wide range of services across England, Wales and Scotland. The charity also campaigns and lobbies for greater political and public understanding of the personal, social and medical impact of HIV and sexual health.
  
• Figures are from the Health Protection Agency: Diagnoses and rates of selected STIs seen at GUM clinics: 2002 – 2006: National & Strategic Health Authority Level Summary tables