CPA calls for guidelines to protect youth workers

GUIDELINES for professionals working with sexually active young people must be developed and published together with any proposed legislation on the age of sexual consent, the Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) insisted yesterday.

Chairperson of the newly elected board of the CPA, Katharine Bulbulia said it was unclear as to whether or not professionals, such as crisis pregnancy counsellors, were in breach of the law if they saw young teenagers without parental consent.

Last week the Oireachtas Committee on Child Protection recommended that the age of consent be reduced from 17 to 16 for both boys and girls, as part of a number of changes to sexual offence laws that are now being considered by the Government.

Ms Bulbulia said professionals working with sexually active young people were in a very difficult position.

If professionals refused to provide services to young teenagers without parental consent, the teenager might not access services. And if they did agree to see the teenager, without parental consent, it was unclear as to whether or not they were in breach of the law.

“Professionals need clarity on this,” said Ms Bulbulia. “It is my view and the view of the board, that guidelines for professionals working with sexually active young people need to be developed and published in conjunction with the proposed new law.”

Young people aged under 16 cannot consent to medical treatment which could include prescribing contraception, sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening and some pregnancy testing.