News
Sex health advice now by text message
West Australian
October 14, 2006
For people young enough to understand them, text messages like "u need to get chkd 4 STI + unplnnd prgncy" may be the future of sex health advice.
A new messaging service targeting 16 to 25-year-olds will SMS advice on pregnancies, unprotected sex, emergency contraception and sexually transmitted infections straight to their mobile phone.
Sextxt was launched this week by Marie Stopes International, which provides sexual and reproductive healthcare services worldwide.
The service will help to combat recent figures showing Australia has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and STIs in the world, Marie Stopes International Australia chief executive Suzanne Dvorak says.
"Marie Stopes is extremely proud to launch sextxt, which will give all young Australians access to confidential, anonymous and professional sexual health information direct to their mobile phone," Ms Dvorak says.
"We want to give young people another option when sourcing important sexual health information."
Australians from 15-29 are the most at-risk group for STIs, with this group accounting for more than 60 per cent of Chlamydia infections in 2005, national data shows.
The average age for first-time sex in Australia is 16, with 45 per cent of sexually active secondary school students not consistently using condoms.
Axle Whitehead, sextxt youth ambassador and Network Ten Video Hits presenter, says the new format for the advice is designed to tap into the way this age group communicates.
"Many young people just don't feel comfortable talking to their parents, or people they know well, about sexual health and are looking for other ways to find the information," he says. "The sextxt service is a great way for young people to get answers to sexual health questions confidentially."
Users text sexinfo to 19sextxt and receive a reply within a minute with seven options for automated assistance on sexual health issues.
Advice on "emrgncy contrcptn", for example, will read "U cn gt mrng aftr pill at chmist U dnt need scrpt or 2 c a dctr Wrx up to 3 dys aftr u by sx. Lngr u wait - less likly 2 wrk."
Users will always be directed to a website or telephone helpline for further counselling.
At 55ยข per SMS message, the service may not be a viable option for all teenagers.
However, Ms Dvorak stressed the service is not about making a profit. "Sextxt is a not-for-profit service," she said.
"All call charges go towards the cost of the return messages and to pay the phone service providers. "It is a lot less expensive than it costs to download ringtones and mobile phone wallpaper."
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