Today saw the release of the latest statistics on sexually transmitted infections by the Health Protection Agency.
While the headlines reported on the increasing rates, much of the rise in the overall figures will also be a result of increased awareness and testing which is good news. Quarterly data also shows that teenage pregnancy rates and abortion rates have fallen, showing that we must continue to support young people to make good decisions about their physical and emotional health.
Young people tell us their sex and relationships education (SRE) is too little, too late and too biological and it needs to address emotions and relationships more effectively. Done well, SRE provides an important antidote to the confusing sexual messages they receive in the playground and from the media day in day out.
We urge government to make sex and relationships education statutory in all schools, and to ensure that young people's sexual health is a core part of the forthcoming National Public Health Service.
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