JYAN, a youth-led leadership and advocacy body, called the move "a positive step" towards granting students, particularly those who are sexually active, access to contraceptives. The initiative, the youth lobby said, would help to prevent unplanned pregnancies and avert the spread of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS.

"The referral system is a positive approach to providing a space for students to make informed decisions about their sexuality and sexual health.

The ministry's move is an important developmental step that requires a partnership between youth, parents, school administrators and teachers, health professionals and other service providers for us to ensure quality of life and productivity among young people so they can contribute to national development," the group said in a media release last week.

JYAN said it encouraged the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica to partner with the Ministry of Education, non-governmental organisations and civil society "to advance programmes and interventions to increase young people's knowledge of sex and related issues and foster an enabling environment for them to adopt positive behaviours."