Young people voice concerns over sex and relationships education

A survey by the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) of over 20,000 young people published today highlights that more than 50% have never been taught about teenage pregnancy in school and wouldn’t know where to find their local sexual health clinic.

Findings from the survey are published in a report entitled “Sex & Relationships Education – Are You Getting It?” being launched today at the House of Commons.

Although teenage pregnancy rates in the UK are lower than they have been for 20 years, they are still the highest in Europe.  Reducing rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections are key Government targets. Yet 15-year-old Katrina Mather has calculated that the opening hours of her local sexual health clinic give each young person in the area access for under 15 seconds per month.

The UKYP survey also highlights that:

· 40% of the young people responding rate the quality of their SRE as either poor or very poor

· 55% of all 12-15 year olds, and 57% of girls between the ages of 16-17 had not been taught how to use a condom, despite the Government’s recommendation that, ‘Sex and relationship education should inform young people about condom use and safer sex in general’*

· 61% of boys and 70% of girls over the age of 17 reported not having received any information about personal relationships at school

·  73% of all respondents felt that SRE should be delivered under the age of 13, with 56% of boys under 11 wanting SRE in primary schools.

The UKYP makes eight key recommendations for change and is asking Government to implement these in all schools. Recommendations include making SRE a statutory entitlement of personal, social and health education (PSHE); delivery of SRE by trained teachers; more about relationships and teenage pregnancy; and better access to confidential sexual health services.

Gill Mullinar, Coordinator of Sex Education Forum, which is hosted by the National Children’s Bureau, comments: ‘We welcome this survey and are dismayed that thousands of young people are telling us that their SRE is inadequate.  We support UKYP’s call for compulsory sex and relationships education which starts at a young age and continues throughout their school career’.

The UK Youth Parliament will be urging Government and key decision makers to listen to them now and to act upon their report at today’s launch.

Read the report from the UK Youth Parliament [pdf 448kb]

Read the PSHE subject association's response to this report