HIV charity wants school sex health lessons

A charity is calling for compulsory sexual health lessons in schools over fears that youngsters are missing out on vital information to prevent HIV.

HIV Scotland said an average of two people between the ages of 15 and 24 are diagnosed with the virus each month north of the Border.

The charity claimed its research shows that young people do not have “consistent” access to information about HIV and that lessons on sexual health do not have parity with other areas of the curriculum.

The charity wants discussion about HIV to be a fundamental part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood lessons to help pupils increase their understanding of HIV and minimise the risk.

Its report on the issue states: “Education is the fundamental tool in equipping young people with the information they need to reduce their risk of HIV infection and a means of combating the stigmatising attitudes towards people living with HIV that continue to prevail within society.”

It notes that sexual health lessons in Scotland are not compulsory and found “inconsistencies exist across Scotland’s 32 local authorities on how lessons are taught and the level of content related to HIV”.