NWCI’s The Y Factor launches “Your Health Matters” Campaign
Published: Friday, October 11, 2013
To celebrate International Day of the Girl, today, The Y Factor, National Women’s Council of Ireland’s youth initiative, will launch Your Health Matters, a health information campaign run by and for young women that aims to build positive attitudes to young women and their health.
Deirdre McCaughey, 26 from Monaghan and volunteer with the Y Factor said:
“Young women’s health and their bodies are often being discussed in public debates. However, the actual experiences of young women are usually completely absent from these discussions. Your Health Matters gives a voice to young women to talk about their experiences with health services in this country and promote a discussion about it.”
An online Y Factor survey of 350 young people revealed a number of significant barriers for young people to access healthcare and a lack of knowledge about their rights when it comes to doctors and dealing with healthcare staff.
Terry Levine, 23 from the U.S., who volunteers with the Y Factor project said:
“The Y Factor survey uncovered some quite unsettling information about young people’s experience of health services. 3 out of 4 identified cost as a reason they would be reluctant to go to a doctor, hospital or other clinic; while one third are reluctant to go due to fear that they will not be treated well. A third also say they cannot discuss embarrassing or sensitive topics with their doctor, and only half know what is and isn’t confidential between them and their doctor.”
Rebecca Smyth, a 22 year old student from Kilkenny and volunteer with the Y Factor project said:
“Your Health Matters provides easily accessible information for young women to have a better understanding of what they should expect in terms of health information and health service provision. We want to encourage young people to get involved in the campaign, to take and discuss our information leaflets and to visit our website and our Facebook page, where we have put up lots of useful information.”
Your Health Matters is envisaged as a long term campaign which will also seek to engage with health care professionals to build positive relationships between young women and healthcare providers and improve health service delivery.
Elva O’Callaghan, Co-Ordinator of NWCI’s Y Factor project said,
“We’re delighted to be launching this campaign today. National Women’s Council of Ireland established The Y Factor in order to give young people a voice in seeking equality for women, and Your Health Matters is a great example of how it does that. Young people have identified physical, mental and sexual health as an issue of importance to young women and girls and are taking a really proactive and positive approach to do something about it.”
Ends/
For more information, the full details of the online survey and to interview the spokespeople of the campaign, contact:
Silke Paasche, Communications Officer, NWCI, Tel. 085 858 9104 or
Elva O’Callaghan, Y Factor Project Co-Ordinator, Tel. 085 861 9087.
Notes to Editors:
Get full details about Your Health Matters on our website www.yfactor.ie .
FB page: www.facebook/com/yourhealthmatters.yfactor or on Twitter @the_yfactor #ourhealth
The Y Factor is National Women’s Council of Ireland’s youth initiative which aims to support and empower young women and men as leaders and advocates for women’s equality
National Women’s Council of Ireland is the leading women’s membership organisation in Ireland. NWCI seeks full equality between men and women. NWCI represents and derives its mandate from its membership of about 170 organisations from diverse communities, sectors and locations.
International Day of the Girl
On 19th December 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. For its second observance, this year’s Day will focus on “Innovating for Girls’ Education”.