Compulsory sex education has now arrived. No opt out. Not anymore. Problem solved. By that I mean the problem of the Government’s failed strategy to tackle the teenage pregnancy and sexual health crisis, the one they’ve invested in the order of 300 million pounds in. You see, what was frustrating the success of their scheme was that sex education was not compulsory. Nought point nought four percent of parents, that’s 0.04%, refused to let their children attend classes. Another huge problem was that faith schools, which make up a third of schools, didn’t teach about contraception. But now these obstacles are no more, as even faith schools will have to teach the facts about contraception. In the words of Ed Balls, the Education Secretary, “What you can’t do is deny young people information...”
Denial of information. Really, that is intolerable, I quite agree. The question is though, what information is being denied? The information that contraception means safe sex - safe from pregnancy and safe from sexually transmitted infections? Or the information that even though a couple may use contraception, the girl still might get pregnant and either one of them might get or pass on an STI? Unfortunately, the latter is the reality of the situation.
In the interests of giving a clear message, health professionals give over simplistic information. I recall a doctor from a busy sexual health clinic in London saying to an audience at a conference that it is quite justifiable to withhold information about STI risks and modes of transmission in a bid to get more young people to use condoms. The information she’s referring to is that condoms are not 100% effective in preventing STIs, and some, such as genital warts and genital herpes, can be outside the remit of the condom. It is of no surprise, then, that I so often hear teenagers say that they’ll be fine as long as they use a condom.
What’s the result of this over simplistic message? Kids embarking upon early sexual activity because they think there are no risks. If only then knew. But we know. LIFE is at the cold front of picking up the pieces after failed sexual encounters between youngsters - the crisis of a pregnancy, the devastation of an abortion, and the emotional difficulties that can ensue even if pregnancy, abortion or infection don’t occur. That’s why we are passionate about relationships education for school children, yet we believe in education that is age appropriate, rooted in valuing and respecting oneself and which does not shy away from the facts about sex. And most important of all, a programme which gives the clearest of messages– that safe sex means saving sex.