THE DIRECTORATE of Sexual Medicine and HIV at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital are taking the initiative in order to generate sexual health awareness and have enlisted the support of leading Midlands football clubs, including The Saddlers.

Dr. Steve Taylor, a consultant specialist in Sexual Health and HIV, outlined the problems. "The UK has one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections in Europe and teenage pregnancies have reached record levels," he said. "Currently one in ten sexually active young men and women in the UK are infected with Chlamydia, an infection which can lead to infertility and chronic medical problems.

"One of the reasons it has become so common is that, for most people, in the early stages it causes no symptoms. You simply can't tell if somebody is infected just by looking at them.

"By working with football clubs around the Midlands we are aiming to raise the awareness of young people about the risks of unprotected sex. We are trying to encourage young people to get tested and treated for this and other common infections.

"Of more concern are the increasing number of cases of infectious syphilis and HIV we are seeing in our clinics."

For more information and details of how to organise a free sexual health check, please visit www.sexualhealthbirmingham.co.uk