THE public furore over Scotland’s sexual health strategy has been reignited by a scheme to extend the provision of the morning-after pill to girls as young as 13 without their parents’ consent.

Greater Glasgow Health Board is to allow community pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives to schoolgirls on demand.

It follows a row earlier this year between the executive and the Catholic church over the availability of contraception to underage girls.

In response to an attack on the executive’s proposed sexual health strategy by Cardinal Keith O’Brien — which he likened to “state-sponsored child abuse” — Jack McConnell, the first minister, offered a guarantee that the morning-after pill would not be handed out in schools.

Greater Glasgow Health Board’s over-the-counter programme will be piloted in 30 chemists. If successful the scheme will be extended across the city.

Details of the plan are contained in a letter from the health board to community pharmacists which reveals that from January chemists will be allowed to hand out Levonelle-2 tablets free to children in conjunction with another scheme to give children free condoms.

The move has provoked an angry reaction from the Catholic church and family values campaigners, who claim that it will encourage underage sex and pre-empts the Scottish executive review of its sexual health strategy.

Earlier this month an independent opinion poll commissioned by the Catholic church showed Scots are overwhelmingly opposed to schoolgirls younger than 16 being given the morning-after pill without their parents’ knowledge.

Peter Kearney, a spokesman for the Catholic church in Scotland, said the Glasgow project was “reckless and dangerous”.

“This completely pre-empts the executive’s long-awaited sexual health strategy and effectively gives the green light to sexual promiscuity on the part of young children, leaving aside the question of the illegality of underage sex,” he said.

Eileen McCloy, founder of the parents’ group Not With My Child, added: “It is bizarre and disrespectful to parents for the health board to ride roughshod over their concerns. Parents will be wild with anger.”

Critics of the Glasgow scheme point to similar initiatives that have led to higher rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Lothian is the only other Scottish health board area to offer underage girls free morning-after pills and condoms. The region is a test ground for the Healthy Respect project which was launched three years ago with £3m backing from the Scottish executive.

Teenage pregnancy rates there have soared above the national average since the project’s start. Girls aged 13-15 are 14% more likely to get pregnant than their counterparts elsewhere in Scotland. Before the scheme was introduced, pregnancy rates were only 3% above the national average.

An executive spokesman said: “It is desirable that young women should confide in their parents but the statutory framework does not allow us to force them to do this. Community pharmacists are highly trained responsible professionals. We are confident they will do this work to a very high standard.”

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