It is anonymous and confidential and is intended to help young people who have questions about Sexual and Reproductive Health. The "Online Sexuality" telephone service of the Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth (IPDJ) – 800 222 003 – is once again free, regardless of the telephone network of those who contact it, and is now open on Saturdays.
According to the IPDJ, this service is aimed at young people and “privileges information, clarification, guidance and referrals in the area of Sexual and Reproductive Health”. Questions can be asked between 11:00 and 19:00 on weekdays and between 10:00 and 17:00 on Saturdays.
“In 2016, this service responded to 4 requests for information or clarification, 190 3 of which were made by telephone and 203 by email. The main users are women and young people between the ages of 987 and 18, especially from the regions of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo and the North», according to the institute.
The most common questions asked by young people are related to “the use of contraceptive methods and general information about sexuality, related to sexual relationships and practices and medical issues related to sexuality”.
This support line essentially serves to «listen, inform, clarify doubts and help to clarify problems, always discussing alternatives for their resolution and possible ways of acting, minimizing the anxieties of young people».
«Given its specific characteristics, namely being immediate, accessible and anonymous, the telephone helpline “Sexuality Online 800 222 003”, is an important means of communication, allowing dialogue to be established and the bridge between callers and institutions,” adds the IPDJ.
On the other side of the line, the young people find “a technical team made up of psychologists, with specific training in the area of Sexual and Reproductive Health, which ensures a clear, rigorous and impartial service, without making value judgments”.
This is possible due to the collaboration protocol signed in 1998 between the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth and the Association for Family Planning, «in an attempt to minimize the existing gaps at the level of youth sexuality».
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