Intended for healthcare professionals

Letters

Parents are an untapped resource in sex education

BMJ 2002; 325 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.325.7364.600 (Published 14 September 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;325:600
  1. Rachel G Pryke, general practitioner (drpryke{at}inglewood.fsnet.co.uk)
  1. Winyates Health Centre, Redditch B98 0NR

    EDITOR—It is almost 20 years since Victoria Gillick tried to force doctors to obtain parental consent before treating children. Paradoxically her legacy was to remove any parental role in the provision of contraception for young people.

    Britain now has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe and the second highest in the world. Government led attempts to reduce it have focused on endless teenage initiatives, providing ready access to free contraception and advice.1 The latest announcement of free condoms available through schools is another variation on the same theme and will surely contribute insignificantly.2 In a study in Nottingham many teenagers who became pregnant had sought contraceptive services in the preceding 12 months.3 Hence, contraceptive failure is as significant a factor as simple access to contraception.

    A sea change in parental attitude has occurred in the last generation: a whole generation of parents has become tolerant about the depiction of sexual intercourse on television, hearing jokes about drugs, and the concept of teenagers experimenting with sex. They represent a huge and currently untapped resource that could help in guiding teenagers about contraception.

    Parents are informed that their child is having sex education in school, but they are not actively invited to participate in this process. Parents would benefit from knowing that talking about sexual intercourse does not encourage teenagers to experiment at an earlier age. Young people who use contraception are likely to use it more effectively if their parents are aware that they are using it. Teenagers will benefit from knowing their parents' specific view about their personal use of contraception, rather than a general discussion of the birds and the bees. Many teenagers might be relieved to find their parents open minded and sensible, underneath the British “stiff upper lip” exterior—if both parties were better able to communicate their views.

    Setting out a programme to help parents clearly convey their views and, hopefully, give their teenager parental permission to use contraception (and possibly practical help in obtaining it) may sound old fashioned, but at least it merits piloting and could be an additional strategy to those currently planned.

    References

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