The Facts... without the Lecture
B4uDecide.ie is closing down at the end of May 2024.
Alternative sources of relationships and sexuality information and resources:
- For 16-25 year olds: SpunOut.ie is an information provision website, including relationships and sexuality issues.
- For 17+ year olds: Sexualwellbeing.ie is the HSE website that provides information and resources on a wide range of information such as consent, contraception, sexual transmitted infections, vaccinations and unplanned pregnancy
- For parents: The HSE’s ‘Making the ‘Big Talk’ many small talks’ series of booklets to help parents and children talk about relationships and sexuality is available online, and to order free of charge from healthpromotion.ie. HSE funded RSE workshops are available at npc.ie and ifpa.ie
- For teachers: Junior Cycle SPHE Resources are available to support the new 2023 SPHE specification , including the Relationship and Sexuality strand.
- For youthworkers: HSE funded training on relationship and sexuality issues is available at REAL U | Foroige and Tailored Training Courses – National Youth Council of Ireland
Keith’s Story
I went to the clinic because my girlfriend asked me to get checked out before we have sex. She got checked too. I didn’t have anything, but I was scared before I got the results.
Going to the clinic was all right. I was a bit scared people were going to judge me – a 17 year old coming in but it was really comfortable and they were nice to me; they went out of their way to make me feel comfortable.
I know that 17 is the legal age, but I think 18 is a better age to start having sex. I think you have the sense at 18 to protect yourself, you know, use a condom every time. But it’s better not to have sex with just anyone too. There’s STIs that you can get even if you do use a condom. I didn’t know that until I went to the clinic.