As the mid-February arrives, thousands of tertiary students will be gearing themselves up for a year away from home kicking off with “O” Week – and thousands of parents will be quietly thinking “oh no”.
Family Planning Director Health Promotion Frances Bird says even the imminent departure of young adults doesn’t mean it’s too late for another facts of life chat from mum or dad or another caring adult.
“It might be the first conversation of that kind for a while but it’s a great opportunity to remind them that the freedom of living away from home for the first time does come with responsibility for keeping themselves safe,” Ms Bird says.
“Talking to them about relationships and sex, reminding them about their family’s values, are important conversations to have and can help young people to act in ways they won’t later regret.”
To keep the safer sex message top of mind during “O” Week, Family Planning has joined forces with Durex to develop an “O” Week promotion. Family Planning health promoters will have a big presence on over 20 tertiary campuses across the country during the week and will have “O” Week bags with Durex products and safer sex information.
Ms Bird says the bags are a reminder to students about the free sexual health services and resources available to them, both on campus and at Family Planning Clinics.
“We’ve got information about alcohol and safe partying, information about the Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP) which can be taken up to 72 hours after sex, sexual health such as cervical smears and the HPV vaccine, and details of local services available to students,” Ms Bird says.
“Our approach is to ensure young people have information about all aspects of this new life they’re embarking on and that they know about all the services available that can provide them help and information – if and when they need it.”
Five talking tips for parents:
□ Your young people probably already know all about the mechanics of sex (although it wouldn’t hurt to check) but really, this conversation can be about values, self respect and respect for others.
□ Remind them that the decisions they make if they’ve been drinking or taking drugs, may not be the same as those they would make when sober.
□ Talk to them about consent – remind them that both parties have to agree to sex and either has the right to say no at any time.
□ Encourage them, when they’re partying, to stay with groups of friends and to keep an eye on each other. Talk to them also about the organisations or agencies that can help them – both on campus and off.
□ Practical safety tips like having credit on their cell phone or a number they can use to call home for free make it easier for young people to stay connected.