WIGAN'S Youth Service is recruiting young people to be sex talkers.

They will help in a new health project run in association with town's Brook Advisory Centre...and can gain NVQ qualifications in the process.

Sally Carr, outreach co-ordinator, is organising the scheme which aims to teach young people about safer sex.

The Youth Service organised a successful workshop at a recent boroughwide Young People's Council, and three teenagers were so impressed with what they learned they promptly gave an informative and humourous presentation.

Sex talkers will be a peer-led project accredited by Wigan and Leigh College, where young people get to learn from each other by passing on skills and knowledge gained by taking part.

The project will begin with meetings one evening a week at Brook Advisory.

The next stage will see the group shadow professional detached workers throughout the borough, building a relationship with groups of young people they meet so they are comfortable to talk about sexual health.

The group will also give out printed information which they plan to develop through the course.

Around December 1 for World Aids Day the Sex Talkers group will contribute to a local event raising awareness about sexual health in the area.

A survey carried out by the Family Planning Association of 16-19 year-olds found knowledge of periods, pregnancy, HIV, condoms and other contraception was low among this agegroup and confirms the importance of these projects.

The programme will be evaluated in March 1999 using the data gathered and assessed once a month by the Sex Talkers and their youth workers.

By taking part in the project young people will not only expand their knowledge and communication skills but their work will be accredited by Wigan and Leigh College so that they can gain key NVQ skills.

The call to all the borough's young people is:

Do you want to help others understand about sex and sexual health?

Do you want to learn new communication and conversational skills?

Are you over 16?

If the answer is yes then get in touch with Sally Carr on 01942 510713.

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