Difficulty accessing services in rural areas
There are three main problems for people trying to use sexual health services, not enough services for younger people in rural areas, services being overstretched in urban areas, and coming from a community that's opposed to sex before marriage.
People from rural areas find sexual health and family planning services are limited, and could be better at dealing with younger people . Often people worry about confidentiality in small towns or rural areas where GP staff may know them or their parents.
Being known to the receptionist, or to people in the waiting room, could make it difficult for younger teenagers to ask for emergency appointments, for example for the 'morning after pill'. They may go to a nearby town for sexual health services, but some people don't know that nearby Family Planning Clinics exist. .
Services for gay people are more limited in rural areas. Some gays and lesbians may grow up thinking they're the only gay person in their area, or have a poor experience of when they try to talk about their concerns. One young man felt that his GP was letting young people down by not telling them about services in nearby towns .
Last reviewed April 2010.
Last updated April 2010.