Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

That is the manner in which it is provided. The women's health project provides a wide range of services including user friendly drop-in clinics, sexual health screening with contraception advice and provision, cervical smear screening, STI screening, hepatitis C, and HIV testing with pre-test counselling, vaccinations, addiction services, community welfare advice, outreach services, training and most important, education. The women's health project liaises with other agencies to identify the specialist needs of women trafficked into the country for sexual purposes to assist in developing appropriate services. The project is represented on the eastern regional committee on violence against women and on the ERHA working committee to deal with needle exchange and health promotion for the national drugs strategy. The ERHA also provides funding for Ruhama, a religious voluntary organisation that works with women involved in prostitution and trafficked women. It provides a full range of services to women involved in prostitution to ensure full utilisation of health board facilities or other services as appropriate.

It is important to recognise that it is not just women who are involved in prostitution. In this regard, the ERHA funds the Gay Men's Health Project which promotes sexual health among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. All men attending for the first time are encouraged to have a full STI screen and blood tests for HIV, and other sexually transmitted diseases. Outreach and counselling services are an important function of GMHP. The service provides one-to-one support and advice on sexual health, STIs and screenings, isolation and relationship problems. Education is a very important aspect of raising awareness of the dangers of engaging in risky sexual behaviour which could result in a sexually transmitted infection. Health boards undertake information and awareness activities at regional level and among the issues addressed is the prevention of sexually transmitted infection. The ERHA is developing a sexual health strategy which focuses on prevention and management of STIs. One of the recommendations of that strategy will be that support for services available to those working in prostitution should continue to be provided.

The health promotion unit of my Department in conjunction with the Crisis Pregnancy Agency has commissioned a national survey of sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. This survey will provide robust and comprehensive data to effectively plan sexual health policies and strategies and to inform effective approaches to promoting positive sexual health messages. This information will assist efficient allocation of resources and provide quality baseline data for future surveys to monitor change over time and allow for long-term planning. In addition the HPU continues to invest in ongoing education and awareness strategies, for example, the convenience advertising campaign which runs nationwide in pubs, clubs, colleges and places of entertainment. The HPU is also working with the CPA to deliver integrated sexual health messages, most of which specifically target the I8-35 age group. There are specific services in place to protect the health of those involved in prostitution and I am confident these services make a difference to the lives of the people concerned.

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