by Mary Graham

mgraham@thekmgroup.co.uk

Free condoms are being given to children as young as 13 in schools and youth clubs.

And now a map showing where they are available will display at the touch of an iPhone app.

The app has been created by health professionals who say it is the best way of reducing sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancies.

Cornwallis School in Linton and Swadelands School in Lenham are handing out free condoms to pupils as part of the scheme.

School clinics alongside youth clubs, community centres, pharmacies and family planning clinics are listed on the Kent C Card scheme, which has given teenagers aged 13-19 information on where to get free contraception since 2007.

Health bosses stress before teenagers are registered, they must have a face-to-face meeting with a trained advisor. If someone uses the card 20 times, they will need to re-register.

If there were any concerns over the way someone was using their C Card, or their sexual health, they would be referred to another health service advisor.

Before the iPhone app, clinics offering free condoms were listed on the C Card’s website.

However, the Kent Community Health Trust which is responsible for school nurses would not say how many condoms had been handed over to children under 16, saying "it is information we wouldn’t want to release."

They did say that 45,852 teenagers had registered with the C Card since it began, though that doesn’t necessarily mean every one of those youngsters has been given contraception.

Across Kent, there are 36 schools or colleges that work with the trust. A spokesman added: "We work with governors of the schools to decide what service will be provided, ranging from condom provision and advice, Chlamydia screening to a full sexual health clinic.

Ruth Herron, head of sexual health at the trust, said: "This app not only gives people information about the C Card, it can also point them immediately in the direction of the nearest outlet to get free condoms, or advice about their sexual health."