RECENTLY, a reader raised concerns about the availability of emergency contraception in schools.

May I assure the reader that school nurses in St Helens do NOT prescribe emergency contraception and there are currently no plans for them to do so. However, contrary to the reader's beliefs, these school nurses can and do apply plasters and administer painkillers to young people, should they need to.

As the 'informed pharmacist' wrote, all our pharmacists in St Helens and Knowsley are trained and licensed to sell the 'morning after pill'' but to over-16s only. They must establish the customer is 16 or over before they sell it. Pharmacists are NOT allowed to give out emergency contraception to under-16s.

In St Helens and Knowsley we take the sexual health and well-being of our young people very seriously and it is an issue that we endeavour to deal with sensitively providing the right kind of support and information. We are very aware of the responsibility we have, not only to the young people who use our services, but also to their parents.

Across the Health Authority we run a very responsible sexual health service for young people, crucially including those under the age of 16. We also work closely with the local authority and education boards on the St Helens Teenage Pregnancy Working Group. A major part of providing a robust sexual health service is education, and each school in St Helens has a sound sex education policy, which all parents have the right to see and play a part in shaping.

We must provide services that educate young people so that they can make an informed choice about whether or not they become sexually active.

All our sexual health services adhere to the Fraser Guidelines that were issued following the Victoria Gillick case some years ago. We do offer a contraceptive service to young people who prove to be sexually active, however before issuing any contraception to young people we must:

Be concerned they are sexually active, and encourage the involvement of their partner in any sexual health advice.

Urge the young person to share that information with their parents.

Consider the well-being of the young person if we decided not to advise them.

We all play a vital role in helping our young people make informed decisions about sex. Surely the biggest threat to their health and well-being would be NOT to provide information and advice, failing the young person, their family and ultimately the community in which they live.

Dr P. J. Tunstall, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, St Helens and Knowsley NHS, Cowley Hill Lane, St Helens.