What do clients of a young people’s sexual health service recall about
their sex education programme at school?
C. Black, P. McGough, A. Bigrigg, C. Thow
The Sandyford Initiative, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Scotland has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates within Europe, and a
rising incidence of sexually transmitted infection. There is evidence that good
access to quality information about sexual and reproductive health improves
clinical outcomes with regard to unwanted teenage pregnancy, without lowering
the age of first intercourse. In line with local policy and national guidelines,
Glasgow is endeavouring to improve the breadth and quality of sex education to
improve the sexual health of young people. The Place is an open- access drop-in
sexual health service for young people. Clients attending this service were
asked individually to recall whether they had received teaching on key areas of
sex education outlined in the Scottish Executive’s Sexual Health and
Relationship Strategy and Greater Glasgow NHS Board’s guidelines for sex
education in schools. These areas included: reproduction, puberty, good
relationships, safer sex and risks of sexual activity, contraception, sexually
transmitted infection, rights and responsibilities, and being good parents.
Their responses were analysed by age and gender.
34/157 respondents (21.6%) were under 16 with the remainder (123/157, 78.4%)
aged 16–18. 86% were female, reflecting the client group. Although all schools
in the area offer a sex education programme, only 132/157 (84.1%) could recall
any sex health education being offered. Although most could remember teaching
about risks of sexual activity (unwanted pregnancy 60.5%, safer sex 76%), there
was little recall of teaching in areas such as having good relationships
(44.6%), rights and responsibilities (35.7%), and being good parents (25.5%).
Further research is needed to establish why recall of taught sex education is
low in this group of clients, and how to improve retention of important sexual
education information.
