[lettie]

Originally Posted by Nell

In Amsterdam and other European countries most teens dont have sex until they're 18. They have a comprehensive sexual education starting in primary school. Most British people would be shocked at the content of their education, but there are hardly any teenage pregnancies. Knowledge is power. I think its time our government stopped living in the past and cowtowing to prim parents who think sex is bad!

I agree, the difference between here and Amsterdam is that there is still some stigma and shame associated with teen pregnancies in Holland. Their sex education is far superior and contraception is properly explained and easy to obtain (there are condom machines on street corners so they don't even need to deal with a shop assistant). The Dutch are also more savvy about STI's. Dutch teenagers do have sex and they do experiment with it but because of the stigma associated with teen pregnancies, they use contraception (usually condoms) and they do it sensibly.

We need to face facts that teenagers are not going to stop having sex. They have tried this in the USA where they had an abstinance programme. The pregnancy rate did fall but the STI rate increased amongst the young people on the abstinence programme. Therefore, they were still having sex but using a non barrier form of contraception. Sex education needs to be better...... more informative and yes... more graphic (it was pretty pathetic when I was at school). It needs to be taught by someone who is qualified within the sphere of sexual health and not by a general, usually nervous teacher.

Lastly...... Parents have a lot to answer for. Can the parents on this forum honestly hold their hands up and say that they have frank, open discussions with their teens about sex, emotions, diseases, pregnancy etc. I know that my parents didn't, except to explain how pregnancies happen. Parents have to take some responsibility regarding teenage sex. My dad, being rather old fashioned has not had the wherewithall to speak to my teenage sister.. I have had many a discussion with her from the age of 13. She knows almost as much as I do about HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and pregnancy. These are my areas of expertise and I consider that I have done a decent job on her.

It's high time that we, as a nation, got over our inhibitions and started talking to our teens. A teenage pregnancy is by no means the worst thing that can happen to them. HIV is on the increase, it is a lifelong disease and it kills...