Madam, – As an Irish third-level student I take exception to M Clenaghan’s letter (February 15th) which suggests that the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is acting inappropriately by providing free condoms to third-level students as part of its Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance campaign.
It would be foolish to ignore the reality that a large proportion of Irish youth are sexually active, in a bid to preserve the morals of past generations. At a time when sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in Ireland, the provision of information and contraception is crucial to prevent this trend continuing. Equally, it is imperative that we, as a society, feel comfortable discussing sexual health, and progress from the old culture of considering the topic taboo.
Irish young people have sex: let’s talk about it.
– Yours, etc,