Ethical Discussion: Young People, Sex and HIV

Twenty five practitioners from the fields of youth work and sexual health promotion gathered at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre on Tuesday 12th October to consider the topic of Young People, Sex and HIV.

Introduced by Marion Chatterley, Waverley Care’s Spiritual & Pastoral Care Co-ordinator and facilitated by Dona Milne, Specialist in Public Health, NHS Lothian, the meeting offered the opportunity to put young people at the heart of the debate, considering some of the ethical issues relating specifically to young people who are living with HIV. The discussions centred on some of the particular challenges these young people face, for example the disclosure of information about their HIV status; rights and responsibilities; stigma; relationships with parents; medication and body image.

Wider discussions also took place about ways of communicating with the broader population of young people about HIV. Many young people appear to believe that HIV is an issue that primarily affects an older generation and that they are not at risk. It was widely felt that the practice of challenging some behaviours and attitudes amongst young people is becoming more accepted amongst practitioners, taking the approach of exploring a wider range of options, raising the question of readiness for sexual activity and reflecting back the young person’s own deliberations.

The consensus of the meeting was that it is important to take and look for opportunities to engage in one-to-one discussions with young people and that as many people as possible in school, youth work, medical and home settings should be equipped to discuss issues relating to sexual health.