Sexual Health Conference Monday 26 th November 2007 UKYP Recommendations Presented by Emily Davidson and Emma Klieve (Member and Deputy member of Youth Parliament)

Most common STI amongst young people in Halton. a) Gonorrhoea b) Chlamydia c) Syphilis

Sex should be something we enjoy, is healthy and totally natural.

Recommendation 1 SRE (sex and relationship education) should be an entitlement for all children and young people and taught as a statuary provision of PSHE. Parents would not take their child out of subjects such as history or maths so why should have a decision in whether their child should be taken out of something so important and so relevant.

Recommendation 2 No school should be able to opt out of delivering good SRE to their pupils this includes primary schools, faith schools and academies. Societal acceptance sexual activity among young people, combined with comprehensive and balanced information about sexuality and clear expectations about commitment and prevention, child bearing and STD’s with teenage relationships, are hallmarks of countries with low levels of adolescent pregnancy, childbearing and STD’s.

Recommendation 3 SRE needs to be taught throughout a pupils time in education Pupils should be taught about sexual health as soon as they reach maturity of year 7. Sexual health should be taught within secondary schools. However the roots of sexual health should start in primary school with such topics as relationships and families.

Recommendation 4 Schools should employ more trained staff and specialist personnel to teach SRE and not rely on history, geography or science teachers etc More trained and qualified staff are needed to educate young people about SRE to ensure that young people are receiving a satisfactory quality of education rather than the pressure being put on teachers of other subjects who may feel embarrassed about the subject.

Recommendation 5 Relationships should be taught as part of SRE “ also LGBT relationships are not accepted which leaves lots of homophobes within our school” Society wonders why young people are growing up with heterosexual ideology about relationships but education is needed to teach that there are more relationships, which should be equally embraced within society. The stereotypes and discrimination against LGBT are formed within teenage years, lack of knowledge and understanding causes the construction of ideals and ideas within society and mainly amongst young people who have not been taught anything than a typical nuclear family and now is the time to teach!

Recommendation 7 OFSTED should inspect PSHE more effectively and take into account what pupils’ experiences has been “ school’s should improve the assessment of pupils progress in PSHE by evaluating changes in attitudes and the extent to which pupils are developing the relevant skills.”

Recommendation 6 The implications of teenage pregnancy should be taught to all students Both sexes have an equal obligation to avoid unwanted pregnancies

Recommendation 8 All young people should be able to access a confidential Sexual Health Service which should be clearly advertised through PSHE lessons, and be open at times convenient to young people Young people should be informed of the location of their local sexual health clinic and their right to confidentiality. Better links with sexual health and GUM clinics including planned visits to local services, should be considered.