City and Islington College

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Want respect? Wear a condom

Students pose with campaign material

The Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health chose City and Islington as only one of three FE Colleges in England to pilot a new student-led sexual health campaign.

Fourteen students, all of whom study courses on health and social care, volunteered as peer communicators and spoke to fellow students as part of the “Want Respect? Wear a Condom” campaign, about the staggering rates of pregnancy and increasing rates of STI’s among teenagers in England.

With an inflatable bed as the centre piece stand, the peer communicators handed out leaflets and condom holders, to raise awareness among fellow students at the Centre for Health, Social and Child Care on Holloway road. The teenagers involved all received training from out reach workers at Camden and Islington Primary Care Trust in sexual health matters and from a company called Role-Plays for training in delivering messages to peers.

Danielle Callaghan (16) said: "More teenagers will listen to us than adults, we are not opinionated and they can relate to us".

Refiye Semay, also 16, said: "The role-play workshops and the information has been really useful. We are here to listen to people and let them know of the consequences of unprotected sex".

Camden and Islington Primary Health Trust staff were also on site to raise awareness of Chlamidia which affects 1 in 10 people sexually active under 25. Free tests were offered all week.

Joanne Folwell, Quality Manager for Students, said: "I’ve been very impressed with our students this week, they’ve been very mature and keen to get involved in what can be an awkward subject for some but,  by using informed and enthusiastic young people to deliver messages to their peers we believe we can make a positive impact".

The Department for Education and Skills and Department of Health will consider rolling out the project to all Further Education Colleges next year.

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please visit our Centre for Health, Social and Child Care pages.

Student profile

picture of Patrick Bitakaramire

Patrick Bitakaramire

My course was taught by magnificently qualified and experienced lecturers, says Patrick, and I feel that it provided me with the skills to confidently enter the business domain. The Centre for Business, Arts and Technology has a very innovative design and is very spacious, which creates a very pleasant atmosphere for learning. Patrick studied the Business HNC.