Read the latest news about Debunking the Myths, find articles, interviews and press releases.
09 February 2023 – ‘Debunking the Myths’ is featured in The Irish Times both in print and online. The article by Shelia Wayman was all about how ‘stigma is out and science is in at the Royal College of Surgeons’ workshops for transition-year students’.
The article deals with how our project aims to deal with the stigma surrounding sexual health and our goal to work against the sexual health misinformation crisis. It covers the content of the talks given by our experts and vitally, the students’ and teachers’ opinions of the workshops.
To access the full article click here.
Debunking the Myths of sexual health in Ireland | Independent.ie | The Science Week Podcast
07 November 2022 – ‘Debunking the Myths’ is featured on the Independent.ie Podcast as part of SFI Science Week. The podcast features project Co-Lead and Research Programme Manager in RCSI, Dr Zara Molphy along with Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and programme expert Dr Ronan Daly.
They talk about how the project attempts to counteract the sexual health misinformation crisis that faces young people today. To listen to the podcast in full, follow the link in the heading.
07 November 2022 – Independent.ie journalist Jamie Concannon published a piece to accompany the website’s Podcast for SFI Science Week. “From hosting Q&A sessions with subject matter experts to explaining how the copper coil actually works and dispelling the biggest myths surrounding sexual health, everything is
encompassed by the work of the Debunking The Myths programme. Such efforts are invaluable when it comes to stopping the younger generation from falling victim to unverified information.” This article features quotes and a synopsis of the podcast, to read the full piece follow the link in the heading.
06 October 2022 – Project Lead and Consultant Ob/Gyn, Professor Fergal Malone spoke about the ‘Debunking the myths’ project on RTE Radio One’s Ray D’Arcy show.
To listen to the full interview, follow the link in the heading.
On September 22 2022, Geraldine Walsh published her interview with project co-lead Dr Zara Molphy in the Irish Times newspaper. In this interview, Dr Molphy sets the record straight on some of the most common sexual health misconceptions.
Click through the link in heading to read the full article.
In September 2022 Debunking the Myths: The science behind our sexual health featured in the Irish Examiner. Niamh Griffin wrote:
“More than 4,000 secondary school students have signed up to a free sexual health education programme covering sexually transmitted infections (STIs), healthy bodies, and other topics. Titled “Debunking the myths” the programme is delivered by the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland department of obstetrics and gynaecology in collaboration with the Rotunda Hospital.
Transition year students, from 52 schools across 20 counties, will attend a mix of in-person and online workshops. They will meet and ask questions of specialists in infectious diseases, emergency medicine, midwifery, obstetrics, gynaecology and psychology as well as GPs. Topics covered include the anatomy of the vulva, the HPV vaccine, contraception, menstruation, STI prevention, and fertility.
The programme is designed to help teenagers learn through open discussion and questioning with information shared in a non-biased and non-judgemental way.
Master of the Rotunda, and programme lead, Professor Fergal Malone said they are delighted to see so many students already registered. “The ability for our experts to engage with young people virtually has revolutionised the programme and allows us to offer this programme to schools beyond Dublin,” he said.
“Young people are more online than ever, and we need to ensure that the information they receive is factual, relevant, and most of all, safe.”
Avoiding misinformation and fake news
He said social media and media sources can spread misinformation about these sensitive topics. “We aim to empower students to make evidence-based decisions for themselves, to support good health and well-being in their youth and into the future.”
The project is funded by Science Foundation Ireland under the Discover Programme and is set to run from October to March next year.
“In the current climate of ‘fake news’, it can be challenging for teenagers to find reliable sources of information about sexual and reproductive health,” a spokeswoman for the programme said. “Many teenagers are learning about their bodies from film, television and social media, which often show standardised images that help perpetuate myths and unrealistic body standards.”
The programme has run in Dublin since 2019 based around in-person workshops at the Rotunda. These six previously-held workshops covered anatomy of the vulva, periods, contraception, STIs, and the HPV vaccine.
This is the first year for the series to be offered in other counties thanks to the growing interest in virtual education.
13 September 2022: A new nationwide education programme ‘Debunking The Myths: The Science Behind Our Sexual Health’ has been launched today (date) by the RCSI Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in collaboration with The Rotunda Hospital. The project is funded by Science Foundation Ireland under the Discover Programme.
In the current climate of ‘fake news’, it can be challenging for teenagers to find reliable sources of information about sexual and reproductive health. Many teenagers are learning about their bodies from film, television and social media, which often show standardized images that help perpetuate myths and unrealistic body standards.
With this in mind, the ‘Debunking The Myths’ programme was designed to help teenagers learn more about these topics by stimulating open discussion and curiosity while providing clear and reliable information in a non-biased and non-judgemental way. Live and interactive workshops will be delivered by Obstetric and Gynaecology consultants and midwives based at the Rotunda Hospital in conjunction with Infectious Disease and Emergency Medicine specialists, GPs and psychologists. Topics include information directly in line with the government’s Women’s Health Action Plan 2022-2023 and the RSE curriculum, including the HPV vaccine, contraception, menstruation, STI prevention and fertility.
With the support of Science Foundation Ireland Discover Programme and The Rotunda Foundation, from October 2022 – March 2023 over 4,000 transition year students from 52 schools in 20 counties across Ireland will have the opportunity to attend these expert-led workshops both in-person and virtually.
Professor Fergal Malone, programme lead at ‘Debunking the Myths’ and Master of the Rotunda Hospital said: “The launch of Debunking the Myths is a very exciting time for us all at the RCSI Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and we are delighted to have over 4,000 students registered so far. The ability for our experts to engage with young people virtually has revolutionised the programme and allows us to offer this programme to schools beyond Dublin. Young people are more online than ever, and we need to ensure that the information they receive is factual, relevant, and most of all, safe.”
The first phase of the project will conclude in April 2023 with a livestream workshop. If you want to get in touch with the team of ‘Debunking The Myths’ you can check the website www.debunkingthemyths.ie or send an email to debunkingthemyths@rcsi.ie .