HEALTH chiefs have launched a new campaign to promote safe sex this Christmas.

The campaign aims to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies and improve sexual health by providing free and confidential advice on mobile phones.

North Yorkshire Teenage Pregnancy Strategy Team, backed by Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) and City of York Council, is promoting the Sexwise helpline with adverts on First York buses across York and North Yorkshire.

Anyone will be able to access the service, by calling a free phone number from a mobile or a landline, or visiting a website.

Emblazoned on the side of buses, the adverts use text message style English to ensure the advice is brought home to York youngsters.

Following a similar campaign last Christmas, calls to the helpline increased by over five times between November 2003 and February 2004.

Selby and York Primary Care Trust bosses are hoping to halve the number of teenage pregnancies in the area by 2010.

Carly Walker, the teenage pregnancy co-ordinator for the trust, said: "It is important we continue to raise awareness about sexually-transmitted infections and that you can get free and confidential advice from sexual health and family planning services whatever your age."

Murray Rose, City of York council's assistant director for access and inclusion, said: "Young men and women are more likely to take risks when they have been drinking and this applies to sexual behaviour as much as to anything else.

"The Christmas campaign is a reminder to young people that they should not take unnecessary risks and that they should put their own health and well-being first."

For confidential advice about sex and contraception, visit www.ruthinking.co.uk or phone Sexwise free on 0800 282930, seven days a week between the hours of 7am and midnight.

Updated: 10:11 Wednesday, December 22, 2004