Lack of school sex education ‘will lead to infertile women’

MORE women will become infertile if sex education is not taught in schools, due to the “ticking time-bomb” of sexually transmitted infections, a town hall chief has warned.

The Local Government Association has called for the subject to be compulsory in all schools, arguing that it is a “major health protection” issue.

Izzi Seccombe, chair of the association’s community wellbeing board, said: “The lack of compulsory sex and relationship education in academies and free schools is storing up problems for later on in life, creating a ticking sexual health time bomb, as we are seeing in those who have recently left school. This is a major health protection issue.”

She added that there was a “shockingly high” number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed in teenagers and young people.

Official figures show there were 78,066 new STI diagnoses among 15 to 19-year-olds in England in 2015, the LGA claimed, and 141,060 among 20 to 24-year-olds. Ms Seccombe said: “We have people who will be sterile, there are really sad consequences. It is very worrying for girls. The heartache of people who can’t have children easily or at all – no one wants anyone to have to go through that.”

Council-run secondaries are encouraged to teach sex and relationships education, while academies and free schools, which are not under local authority control, do not have to follow the national curriculum and are not obliged to teach the subject. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from the lessons in all state schools.

The Local Government Association said age-appropriate sex education should be an essential part of the curriculum for young people, adding that parents should still have the choice to take their child out.

It said local authorities have responsibility for public health, budgeting around £600 million a year for sexual health, and without proper sex education classes, pupils are not being properly prepared for adulthood.

A Department for Education spokesman said: “High-quality education on sex and relationships is a vital part of preparing young people for success in adult life. It is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and, as the Education Secretary said recently, we are looking at options to ensure all children have access to high-quality teaching in these subjects.”