YOUNG people in Somerset can get sexual health advice from a new .The eye-catching design and easy-to-navigate pages aim to provide a one-stop point of information on sexual health services across the county.

The initiative, from NHS Somerset and Somerset County Council, comes as rates of teenage pregnancies in the UK are the highest in Europe and sexually transmitted diseases continue to rise.

Michelle Hawkes, Public Health Advisor with NHS Somerset, said it is estimated that one in ten young people in Somerset have chlamydia.She said that the number of teenage conceptions in the county highlighted the need for young people to be well-informed about sexual health services.

The  offers information and advice on being ready for sex and resisting peer pressure; contraceptive and sexual health services; free pregnancy testing; emergency contraception; chlamydia screening; and the Somerset C Card (condom scheme).

Ms Hawkes said: “We need to make sure that all young people know why they should protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections by using contraception, including condoms and where they can get the right contraception that suits them.

“The new  and the brightly coloured promotional materials we will be distributing, aim to remind young people of the importance of good sexual health and signpost them to the right service for them.We want young people to remember that love and respect go hand in hand with safe sexual behaviour.”