A new pilot service has been launched in a bid to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in Aberdeenshire.
Aberdeenshire Libraries are working in partnership with NHS Grampian to increase access to free condoms and sexual health information in the community.
The service will run from next month at Banff and Inverurie libraries, with a trial to assess customer feedback and identify any issues.
Condoms will be available in both libraries’ customer toilets, packaged in discrete bags, along with sexual health leaflets and relevant NHS contact details.
They will sit alongside other sanitary products in each toilet’s sanitation basket.
Aberdeenshire Council hopes the new scheme will increase the number of access points for free condoms in the region, with similar initiatives commonly seen in cities, but less so in rural areas.
For further information on the pilot service, email Alastair Henderson, network librarian at alastair.henderson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or George Rutten, public health coordinator at g.rutten@nhs.net
Free condoms are available at libraries in Banff and Inverurie
