Scotland's sexual health record 'catastrophic'

THE Catholic Church in Scotland yesterday attacked the SNP government over the country's "catastrophic" sexual health record.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of Scotland's Catholics, said he was deeply disappointed that the Scottish Government continued to support a "flawed" sexual health strategy.

And he repeated a call for ministers to consider alternative approaches to sexual health which "set sexual activity within a moral context and provide young people with skills to resist peer pressure".

The cardinal's letter to Shona Robison, the public-health minister, follows a report on the progress of the government's sexual health strategy. Figures have shown rising sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies.

Cardinal O'Brien called for "an infusion of morality" into future sexual health strategies, adding: "Scotland has one of the worst records in Europe on sexual health, yet we continue to pursue approaches which are flawed. The most glaring omission is the intentional absence of any moral framework.

"Trumpeting the increased provision of sexual health clinics and services is a measure of failure, not success."

Cardinal O'Brien said this was akin to "permanently stationing an ambulance at every accident black spot in the country rather than educating drivers to improve their driving" and ignored the "catastrophic decline" in sexual health as measured by growing abortion rates, an increase in teenage conceptions and a steady rise in sexually transmitted infections.

Ms Robison said the Catholic Church was among those groups consulted when the strategy was developed. She added: "We are carrying out a review of the strategy, the results of which will shape its future direction and focus.

"The Scottish Government believes it is important to continue the work of the strategy, which was developed as a long-term plan to improve Scotland's sexual health."

She said changing sexual behaviour would not happen overnight, but insisted: "I am confident the strategy is having and will continue to have a positive impact."