Sexual Health Week 2018, the annual campaign led by the Family Planning Association (FPA), has its focus on consent. The week’s aim is to keep people informed and give them the knowledge they need, but what actually is sexual health week and what does it mean for us?
The week is an awareness campaign that not only aims to inform the public, but to support health professionals. It’s designed to help people get the information they need, and also offers support to parents about addressing sexual health and related topics with their children. The FPA use the week to campaign for better sexual health services, and also for better sexual health education across the country.
Because this year’s theme is consent, the week is encouraging different sexual health clinics and services to help educate people on what consent is and what it means. Check out this YouTube video all about it!
They want to encourage schools to address the issue of consent and to look at how the media portrays consent and sex – with both good and bad examples.
FPA are the leading sexual health charity in Northern Ireland, campaigning for everyone’s right to sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing. Their main focus is on education, and they use their platform to provide people with information and schools with resources.
Sexual Health Week focuses on a different topic each year, addressing relevant and important sexual health issues. 2017’s Week was on pornography, and how to open a conversation about porn and view it in a healthy way.
The majority of health centres across the UK are taking part in this year’s Sexual Health Week, providing people with information and resources from their clinics, and using posters provided by the FPA.
Sexual Health Week 2018 not only aim to raise awareness about seeking consent and ensuring you have it before continuing, but on not giving consent when you are in an uncomfortable position. The week is encouraging people to say ‘no’ clearly when they don’t want to continue, and not to feel pressured into sex or guilty when they say no.
NHS National Sexual Health Hotline: 0300 123 7123
Click here for your nearest rape and sexual assault centres.
Sexual consent, as we should all know, is the agreement to a sexual experience. The focus this year is on making sure you have consent – whether it’s verbal or non-verbal – from the person you are with, and that if you aren’t sure you should always check in with your partner.
Sexual consent doesn’t just refer to sex itself, either. Any sexual act, from holding hands and hugging to sex of any kind requires consent. Often, this can be given through body language, but if you are unsure and can’t tell whether someone is okay with what you are doing, ask.
Consent has been in the spotlight for the last year, with more people realising that we need to do more to educate people in what consent is and what it means. With the recent #MeToo movement, it’s no surprise that we feel like we need more focus on consent.
The Family Planning Clinic website has more information on Sexual Health Week 2018 and consent. So be sure to check it out!
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