EU Commission
The Director General SANCO (Health and Consumer Affairs), Robert Madelin initiated a roundtable on safer sex for young people in October 2006.
This roundtable acts as an informal partnership between governments, civil society and the business sector to discuss what can be done at European level to promote a commitment to safer sex among young people.
Two members of the roundtable, the Durex Network and Ogilvy Public Relations, were instrumental in identifying and collecting existing data within the European Union related to the sexual behaviour of youth, which was published in the European Safer Sex for Young People report. Putting comprehensive evidence from across Europe in one document has made it possible to highlight gaps in data collection and study scopes, and to draw recommendations for future developments in the field.
The report marks the first stage in a process to collect evidence which will serve as the foundation of a broader European co-operation in sharing good practice and adding value to ongoing work at a national level. The report represents a valuable step forward and could lead to better prevention and health promotion and stronger alliances for improving the sexual health of young people.