Latest news with #NationalSexualHealthStrategy
Irish Examiner
15 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Minister expresses confidence in 'brand new executive' taking charge of children's hospital
Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has affirmed her confidence in the executive team taking charge of the new national children's hospital. When members of Children's Health Ireland (CHI) appeared before the health committee recently, a number of TDs and senators said they no longer had confidence in the team following a string of controversies including unnecessary hip surgeries at Temple Street and Cappagh hospitals. Speaking on Wednesday, Ms Carroll MacNeill said that she has confidence in what she said is "a brand new executive". The minister said her interactions with CHI concern CEO Lucy Nugent, who has been in the role since February 2025, and the board of whom just one member has been in situ since before 2024. "I'm refreshing the board," said Ms Carroll MacNeill, explaining that two new members were appointed within the last number of weeks, two were appointed when she became minister, and two more will be appointed in the coming days. "I had a meeting with Lucy Nugent yesterday, I went through a range of different issues with her, on the hospital generally, on the issues we have been dealing with collectively in CHI — which predate her — and she is managing and trying to make sure that the reforms are implemented." The pair also discussed plans for the new hospital and how it will be managed on a national basis as well as Ms Nugent's plans to interact with the HSE and the audit teams. Hospital name criticism Ms Carroll McNeill has also defended the name given to the new hospital, which will be the National Children's Hospital Ireland. The name was chosen following engagement with the youth advisory group, parents, and patients, she said. "I think it's a good name," the Fine Gael minister said, after it was met with some criticism for its simplicity. "What I'm really most concerned about is stressed-out parents coming into Heuston Station, or getting in a taxi, or maybe that parent doesn't speak English as their first language, maybe they just need to get to the children's hospital." There had been a case made to name the hospital after politician, activist, and doctor Kathleen Lynn and Ms Carroll MacNeill said she would like to see something within the hospital bear Dr Lynn's name. National Sexual Health Strategy Meanwhile, Ms Carroll MacNeill also launched the National Sexual Health Strategy on Wednesday which, among a range of other things, examined access to contraception. Currently, free contraception is available to people over the age of 17 but the report acknowledges that younger people may need access to it for contraceptive purposes or the treatment of menstrual disorders. It notes that the current legal frameworks around various forms of consent make this an extremely complex matter — the age of medical consent is 16, sexual consent is 17, and consent under GDPR is 18. Ms Carroll MacNeill said she does not believe that the age of sexual consent will be revisited but recognised the need for young people to be protected from a public health perspective. "I see a broad public health benefit in supporting girls of all ages in relation to the things that they need," she said. The report also highlights the importance of encouraging uptake rates of vaccines such as the HPV vaccine. Ms Carroll MacNeill did not have an update on the roll-out of the HPV catch-up programme saying that she is "nearly more concerned" about the take up among those aged 12-13 to avoid the need for another catch-up scheme in the future.
The Journal
15 hours ago
- Health
- The Journal
Warning over high rates of unintended pregnancies among women using apps rather than contraception
THE NEW NATIONAL Sexual Health Strategy has said that there is a 'clear need' for more information for women on the reliability of various contraception methods, particularly apps that track the menstrual cycle. The strategy, published today by the government, said that cycle-tracking apps claim to have a failure rate – which means an unintended pregnancy rate – of 7% in any given year. 'But there are international concerns following a significant proportion of related presentations to termination of pregnancy service clinicians in other jurisdictions,' the strategy says. It said that unplanned pregnancy rates for 'natural family planning methods' have been estimated at between 24-25% in any given year, higher than condoms at 10-18%, or prescription contraception at 0.05-10%. Unprotected sex will result in pregnancy for 86% of couples trying to conceive over the course of a single year, it said. Cycle-tracking apps are typically used for women to log their menstrual cycle and receive a prediction of when their next period is due to come. Many of these apps will also encourage users to log their mood, sexual activity, and any hormonal symptoms in order to improve its measurements. Based on this information, the apps will break down the user's cycle into a number of phases. Generally it will highlight when you are most and least fertile. An example of one of these apps. There has been a significant increase in the number of women using cycle-tracking apps in recent years. For those trying to conceive, the apps' highlighting of potential phases in one's cycle where they may be more fertile is not a problem. However, there are now women who use the apps' predictions of when they are least fertile as a type of 'natural contraceptive' – basically, having sex unprotected or otherwise without a form of contraceptive during this time. What else is in the National Sexual Health Strategy? Department of Health Department of Health The strategy contains both its achievements so far and its plans for the years ahead. One big part of the scheme is the expansion of the Free Contraceptive Scheme, which was initially introduced in September 2022 for girls and women aged between 17 and 25. It was then expanded to include those up to age 35 for whom prescription contraception is deemed clinically suitable. Now, it has committed to steadily increasing the age at which women can avail of free contraception until they reach 55 years old. Advertisement It is also considering potentially including 16-year-olds in the scheme, who may require access to contraceptives for treatment of menstrual disorders. Sixteen year olds can medically consent to access contraceptives, but not legally consent to sexual activity, it noted, making this a slightly tricky area. It said that it would scope and develop necessary legislative frameworks to provide for this. Speaking on the matter, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she did not think that changing the legal age of consent for sexual activity would happen, but that she would take a health-led approach when it came to contraception. 'There is a difficulty there, because the the age of consent is 17. But I recognise that young people need to be protected from a public health perspective. 'I would take a public health approach to that first and foremost, but I recognise that those ages are there for very important reasons from the Department of Justice perspective,' said the minister. 'I still think the justice approach about making sure that there is an age of consent to protect vulnerable girls, and you know, we have those those ages for very good reasons around predatory behavior, there's a lot of different very good reasons for that,' she said. When pushed on whether the legal age of consent set down in legislation might be lowered, the minister said she did not believe that would be reopened. Separately, it would scope out the potential of improving access to the minority of people who opt for sterilisation. The strategy also committed to expanding the remit of the MyOptions helpline service that currently deals with women who have unplanned pregnancies to also be available to people struggling with recurrent miscarriage, unsuccessful fertility treatment, and complex menopause. It also wants to expand its unit currently responsible for the surveillance of HIV and STIs to include outbreak and case management. The Social Democrats' Health spokesperson, Padraig Rice, said that while the 'long overdue' publication of the strategy is welcome, it contains gaps that must be addressed. He criticised that commitments within the strategy were not matched by funding commitments and had no timelines for delivery. 'Instead, we got vague commitments to 'strive towards', 'explore' and 'widen access',' he said. 'In 2025, we still have 10 counties with no public sexual health clinics – Cavan, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Longford, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon and Wicklow. And this strategy is the best the Minister could do?' He noted that the strategy contained only 'passing mentions' to transgender people, saying that a new healthcare model for transgender people is 'desperately needed'. The full strategy is available to view here . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Age of consent will not be lowered to roll out free contraception to teens
There is no consideration being given to lowering the legal age of consent despite issues rolling out free contraception to teenage girls. Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill published the 10-year National Sexual Health Strategy on Wednesday. It noted that in 2024, there were 20,626 STIs were notified in Ireland to the national Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting (CIDR) system. This was down on the 2022 and 2023 figures, which jumped substantially following the lifting of public health restrictions. Heterosexuals accounted for 50 per cent of first-time HIV diagnoses in 2023, with the report expressing concern about late diagnoses, particularly in straight men. The plan commits to expanding capacity for STI testing, including at-home testing, and to build the capacity to meet demand for HIV prevention and treatment. It also vows to improve access to vaccines that support sexual health, such as the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, Hepatitis A and B vaccines. The plan also vows to expand eligibility for free contraception, adding additional age cohorts until all women aged 17-55 are eligible. Currently women aged between 17 and 35 can get their contraceptive, such as the pill or implant, medical appointment and prescription free. Former Health minister Stephen Donnelly previously sought to have free contraception for women aged 16. The plan noted that 'some of those aged under 17 may need access to prescription contraception for treatment of menstrual disorders as well as for contraceptive purposes'. At 16, children have reached the age of medical consent but not the age of consent for sex. It stated: 'Recommendations suggest that the legal frameworks underpinning consent for under 18s under civil law should be strengthened and the issues raised may be wider than that of access to contraception alone.' The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week However, Minister Carroll MacNeill said she cannot envisage the age of consent for sexual activity being lowered. She said: 'Young people need to be protected from a public health perspective, so I think we need to reflect. 'I would take a public health approach to that first and foremost, but I recognise that those ages are there for very important reasons from the Department of Justice perspective. 'Just because we have a broad health approach to supporting and protecting young girls, which is necessary, I still think the justice approach about making sure that there is an age of consent that's protected to protect vulnerable girls, we have those ages for very good reasons around, predatory behaviour. 'I don't believe that that will be reopened, but nevertheless, I see a broad public health benefit in supporting girls of all ages in relation to the things that they need.'
