Young get sex health web warning

Young people account for more than half of all new sex infections Rise in UK sex infections Many young people worried about sexual health problems shun traditional health services for potentially untrustworthy websites, a poll suggests.

The Information Standard - a government-backed scheme to improve the reliability of health information - surveyed 1,200 18-24-year-olds.

The research showed eight in 10 relied on the internet for help without being aware of the authenticity of the sites.

Experts said it was essential the young sought help from official channels.

Nearly two-thirds of participants reported never having had a sexual health screening.

Their reluctance to use official NHS services was blamed on embarrassment and a lack of awareness about the seriousness of conditions.

Informed advice

Where young people do rely on the internet, the Information Standard said it was important to use reliable sites, such as those produced by the NHS, local authorities or leading charities.

Official and authenticated sites carry the Information Standard brand.

Ann Robinson, director of public awareness at the Information Standard, said: "We want all young people to understand how to spot a trustworthy site.

"Just because it ranks high in the search engine, for example, does not mean that it will provide informed advice."

Dominic Edwardes, of the Terrence Higgins Trust charity, said: "Sexually transmitted infection rates are worryingly high amongst young people, accounting for more than half of all new diagnoses in England in 2010.

"To reduce these figures we need to make sure that young people are equipped with trustworthy advice and understand how to have safe protected sex."

Young 'more likely to reach 100'

By 2066 it is estimated there will be at least half-a-million people aged over 100 Today's 20-year-olds are three times more likely to live to 100 than their grandparents and twice as likely as their parents, official figures show.

And a baby born in 2011 is almost eight times more likely to reach their 100th birthday than one born 80 years ago.

A girl born this year has a one-in-three chance of reaching 100 years old and boys have a one-in-four chance.

The Department for Work and Pensions has issued the figures based on Office for National Statistics predictions.

Drop in young blood donor numbers

Sophie Ellis-Bextor gave blood in support of the campaign Blood service appeals to young donorsBlood donor honour after 40 yearsPaid leave plea for blood donors Experts are worried about a generation gap in blood donors as figures show a 20% drop in the number of young people giving blood during the past decade.

There were 297,539 donors aged 17 to 34 in 2001, and now there are 237,520.

Research by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) suggests many young people are either too busy or daunted to donate.

Only 4% of eligible donors give blood, and most of these are above the age of 40. Just 14% of those who donate regularly are aged below 30.

The poll, of more 1,700 people across the country and 1,000 current NHSBT donors, suggests fear and ignorance, as well as time pressures, may be to blame.

'Too busy'

One in 10 young people aged 18 to 24 said they were too busy, even though nearly three-quarters said everyone who met blood-donation criteria should give blood.

More than a third of the 184 people falling into the "young" age bracket said they did not donate because they had a fear of needles, while about a fifth said it was because they did not know where to go.

NHSBT is also concerned many blood donors fail to give on a regular basis.