LGBT Youth Scotland wants to teach young men about the pleasure of anal sex as well as how to do it safely
A Scottish charity for young LGBT people has released a guide to anal sex to coincide with World AIDS Day.
LGBT Youth Scotland and NHS Lothian launched the ‘Good Sex Is...’ guide, in a bid to meet the needs of young men who have sex with men.
The guide not only teaches men about the facts of anal sex but also about the pleasure of the practice, which the charity says is often missing from other resources.
This is information young people should be told, instead of them trying to find out information from websites which is often wrong – and hardly ever talks about pleasure.
'Good Sex Is...’ was produced to provide men with nformation on safe sex, and can also be used to help professionals discuss the subject with young people.
Written with direct input from LGBT young people, the guide discusses sex in language young people themselves use, covering aspects of sex that are particularly relevant and vital to them.
Commenting on the initiative, a young person who helped to develop this resource said: “This is information young people should be told, instead of them trying to find out information from websites which is often wrong – and hardly ever talks about pleasure.
“I hope this makes things better for young people and that they also learn about good relationships too!”
Research into sexual health has shown that men who have sex with men are the group most at risk of acquiring HIV in the UK, resulting in a major focus on prevention initiatives targeting this group.
Dona Milne, deputy director for public health at NHS Lothian, added: "Some of the men who took part in a needs assessment survey told us that services must be willing, and be comfortable, to have conversations with men about anal sex and reduce the stigma associated with it.
“We know that younger men (aged under 26), are less likely to engage with services and have distinct HIV prevention needs; some are very sexually active with higher partner numbers and condomless anal sex episodes.
“They need to be engaged in discussion about safe, consensual sex that is pleasurable, and be supported to delay anal sex until they are ready.”
Fergus McMillan, chief executive of LGBT Youth Scotland, said: “We are using World AIDS Day to launch this excellent, accessible and plain-speaking resource about anal sex and pleasure, co-produced by young people, with youth workers and health professionals, which responds to a request from young people for this information.
“We hope that young people and adults who work with them, will use the resource to help address any concerns young people might have, in particular young men who have sex with men.”
