An advertising campaign promoting the importance of positive relationships to young people is set to hit billboards across the Bradford district featuring a poster designed by three teenage pupils from Challenge College.

The 15-year-old girls – Yasmeen Khatoon, Ameena Yasmine and Javaria Iqbal – won a competition to have their design turned into a positive relationships campaign poster.

Teenagers from youth centres throughout Bradford, as well as pupils from schools in areas most affected by poor sexual health outcomes, were asked to submit designs, and the three Challenge College students beat tough competition from 45 other entrants.

Nicola Corrigan, from the Bradford and Airedale Sexual Health team, said: “There was a great response and the quality of entries was high.

“The aim of the competition – and the poster campaign – is to get young people thinking about positive relationships and to raise their awareness of the importance of positive relationships as the foundation for good sexual health and wellbeing for the future.

“Yasmeen, Ameena and Javaria’s design won because it encapsulates many of the important qualities of positive relationships in a striking and effective way. The poster also highlights the importance of positive relationships in all areas of life – and it’s having these that helps give a young person the self esteem to make the right choices about their intimate relationships.

“The message is that if you are going to have a relationship with someone, look after yourself and practice safe sex, but only do it when you’re ready and happy to be doing it. The most important qualities in a relationship are to be able to trust each other and feel comfortable together.

“Sex should be enjoyable; it can only be this way if both people feel completely happy with what they are doing. No one should ever feel pressure to do something sexually they do not want to do.

“It is everyone’s responsibility to protect themselves when they have sex and ensure they are having the safest sex possible by using condoms and contraception, and accessing sexual health services when needed.”

The posters are on display at Bradford Interchange bus station, Keighley rail station and Shipley rail station from the end of November to the end of January, from which time they will feature on advertising billboards in the Bradford city centre area to the end of February 2013.

For more information on sexual health services visit bash.nhs.co.uk or telephone (01274) 200024 or young people can visit sexual health clinics at the Culture Fusion Building, 125 Thornton Road, Bradford, BD1 2EP.