Award-winning “Debunking the Myths” initiative connects students with trusted medical experts, fostering open dialogue and informed choices… DUBLIN, IRELAND – 6th August 2025 – Ahead of the 2025/6 academic year, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology is celebrating a milestone through the success of its Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland funded “Debunking the Myths: The Science Behind Our Sexual Health” outreach programme. Since its inception in 2022, the initiative has now directly engaged over 17,700 students across 166 schools in 26 counties, providing vital, evidence-based sexual health education and directly confronting the alarming spread of misinformation among Irish teenagers.
The program’s critical mission is to empower young people, their parents, and teachers to navigate sexual health with confidence and clarity. By connecting students directly with trusted medical experts, “Debunking the Myths” breaks down taboos, promotes open discussion, and equips the next generation with accurate information to make informed choices.
“We are witnessing a concerning trend where teenagers are increasingly turning to social media for sexual health information, often encountering misleading or harmful content,” said Professor Fergal Malone, Head of the RCSI Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and co-lead of the program. “Our programme works alongside the RSE curriculum to directly counter misinformation by connecting young people with credible, multidisciplinary medical experts. The overwhelming engagement and positive feedback from students, teachers and parents demonstrates a clear hunger for accurate, unbiased information.”
Key achievements and impact:
- Reach: The program has delivered 30 in-person workshops to 3,720 students and 6 online workshops to 13,988 students, reaching a total of 17,708 students.
- Nationwide access: Workshops have been conducted in 166 schools across 26 counties, including 125 mixed schools, 30 all-girls schools, and 11 all-boys schools.
- Equitable access: A core focus on inclusivity has seen the program reach 33 DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) schools and 29 Youthreach centres, ensuring that vulnerable and underserved communities also benefit.
- Positive endorsement: A survey of 181 secondary school teachers who attended workshops revealed:
- 93% found the workshops beneficial.
- 98% deemed the topics suitable for their students.
- 83% intend to re-attend, and 93% would recommend the workshop to colleagues.
- Student-centric approach: Regular focus groups to ensure the program remains relevant and responsive to student needs. The 2,936 questions asked by students anonymously during workshops highlight a safe and engaging environment that fosters genuine curiosity and open dialogue.
One teacher praised the program, stating, “I was blown away… The kids knew there was no silly answer. They felt comfortable because of the anonymity… I think every school, if they got the chance, should bring every single student in senior cycle to ‘Debunking the Myths.’ It really opened kids up to have conversations that I know they wouldn’t have had without your lectures.”
From Christine Pucillo, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Sexual Assault Treatment Unit, The Rotunda Hospital, involved in the Debunking Project “Our involvement in the Debunking the Myths programme has been both professionally rewarding and impactful. Its far-reaching approach, delivered through both technology platforms and in-person sessions, makes it accessible to diverse audiences, particularly teenagers. The content is invaluable: fact-based, current, and carefully tailored to engage young people, offering clarity and confidence on subjects around sexual health, bodily autonomy, and consent that are too often left unspoken. For us in the SATU, it provides an important avenue for service awareness with a key demographic, while working within a multidisciplinary team is diverse and dynamic for us as well. This initiative is an ideal tool for making evidence-based information both meaningful and accessible.”
The success of “Debunking the Myths” has been recognised with significant accolades, including the Best Education Outreach Programme at the Education Awards 2025 in May and the Best Education Innovation Programme at the International Education Forum in June 2025.
The program benefits from the expertise of fifty-two dedicated professionals, including academics, medical professionals, and science communicators from the RCSI Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and beyond. RCSI hopes that continued awareness and education, supported by parents, teachers, peers, and the public, will further empower teenagers with accurate sexual health knowledge.
For more information on the “Debunking the Myths: The Science Behind Our Sexual Health” project, visit www.debunkingthemyths.ie
Catch more at IPN HERE
Read IPN August HERE
