Health Matters: Advice aimed at young people

NHS Leeds is working closely with the Local Pharmaceutical Committee to develop a campaign to help people

find out more about how they can look after their sexual health and the services available to them. There is a particular focus on people aged 15 to 24.

Once young people in Leeds have accessed a sexual health service in the city they will be given a priority card by their pharmacist. This card can then be used to see what action they need to take next.

For example, they could request a free Chlamydia test, access emergency contraception or make an appointment with their GP.

All 163 community pharmacies in Leeds will be taking part in the campaign. This makes it easy for Leeds residents to access support from a location that is convenient to them.

The campaign will also be used to promote a dedicated sexual health website for people in Leeds – www.leedssexualhealth.com

Benefits of a chocolate treat

An occasional chocolate treat can help prevent heart failure in older women, research suggests.

One or two servings of good-quality chocolate a week reduced the risk of middle-aged and elderly women developing the condition by almost a third, a study found.

Scientists looked at the association between chocolate with high cocoa content and heart failure in almost 32,000 Swedish women, aged 48 to 83. Moderate chocolate consumption significantly reduced heart failure risk, but the protective effect lessened as more or less was eaten.

"You can't ignore that chocolate is a relatively calorie-dense food and large amounts of habitual consumption is going to raise your risks for weight gain," said study leader Dr Murray Mittleman. "But if you're going to have a treat, dark chocolate is probably a good choice, as long as it's in moderation."

Web address

Last week we carried a story about Rachel Shepherd and her daughter Francesca. Inadvertently the wrong website address was published. The correct address is www. somewherespecial.org.uk. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.