Department of Health seeks agency for sex health drive
The Department of Health (DoH) is aiming to appoint an agency to handle a wide-ranging sexual health campaign, including its first major Aids awareness initiative for about 15 years.
It has asked COI Communications to run a pitch through the AAR. The brief, which is still being drawn up, is understood to encompass all aspects of sexual health including information about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The campaign, which is the first to warn young people of the dangers of HIV since the controversial “iceberg” campaign of 1986, will be launched next year.
A spokesman for the DoH says it is in discussions with the Health Development Agency to decide on the exact format of the campaign, which will be aimed at 16to 40-year-olds.
The spokesman says: “There has been a big increase in the number of cases of HIV and STDs diagnosed in the last couple of years. The DoH wants to run a wide ranging information campaign to raise awareness of the issues to promote safe sex.”
Last month, a survey carried out by the School Health Education Unit revealed that 40 per cent of British 11-year-olds have never heard of Aids. In July, the DoH announced a &£47.5m national strategy on sexual health and HIV services, which aims to improve screening at family planning clinics and end inequalities in contraception services between different areas.
