All young people have the same basic sex education needs. They need to understand reproduction, how their bodies work, contraception, health and relationships. And young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), disabled, from Black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds or who have learning difficulties have the same basic needs.
But young people from minority groups can find it tougher to deal with psychological and biological changes if they feel isolated. They often benefit from time and space apart to address their particular issues.
But, in some cases, marginalising groups for separate sex education can be counterproductive. Youth workers should aim for integrated education, according to Anna Martinez, co-ordinator of the National Children's Bureau sex education forum. "When a school develops a policy, it's good practice to ensure the needs of all young people are considered," she says. "Some are specific, but most are general." Youth workers need to know when to be inclusive, and when to be targeted.
In this feature we asked youth workers and sex education experts what works and what doesn't when dealing with four distinct groups of young people. A number of organisations have specific resources for different groups. For example, the fpa, formerly the Family Planning Association, has a manual called Beyond Barbie, which focuses on the sexual health and behaviour of young African-Caribbean women. It also publishes Talking Together, an illustrated workbook for parents of children with learning difficulties.
It is important to meet specific needs, not just for the young people mentioned here but also for others such as young refugees. But it is also important to remember that, above all else, all young people are individuals.
BME YOUNG PEOPLE
Cultural differences among young people from ethnic minorities need to be respected while delivering sex education that challenges these beliefs.
Even if a religious doctrine forbids sex before marriage or contraception, young people need to understand the legal and health implications of both.
The Black Health Agency tries to make its information "meaningful and appropriate" to young Black people. It respects the cultural differences of those it educates - for example, that teenage pregnancy in some Black communities is acceptable as long as the support system for the young parents is in place. However, it will challenge others such as misogynistic lyrics in Black rap music and any other practices that are harmful to their sexual well-being. But its style of education can change depending on the young person: some are British born and bred, while others are recent immigrants.
Priscilla Nkwenti, deputy chief executive of the agency, says: "When we're working with young Somalians whose parents aren't very literate, we need programmes that work with these parents too, as well as general stuff like sexual health that applies to everyone."
Young people from ethnic minorities can also be frightened about using public services because of their concerns about confidentiality. Often their GP could be a family friend, according to Fatheena Mubarak, project officer at the South Asian Women group, which ran a sexual health project for South Asian young women.
"They prefer to be able to access services discreetly, and because of their culture they can feel that existing services are less accessible," she explains.
Customised leaflets
It's a good idea to customise traditional leaflets for ethnic groups because such groups don't always relate to standard images of White young people, says Mubarak.
Parents of young people from these groups are also less likely to talk to their children about sex and relationships, according to the National Children's Bureau. Their culture can mean that the children are not expected to be sexually active before they are married, although plenty of them are. These lessons are vital and particularly useful when they're segregated from other groups, says Mubarak.
"It's important for these people to be with others from their own culture as it can be difficult for them to talk about sexual issues," she says.
"They need to be in an environment where they won't be embarrassed."
DISABLED YOUNG PEOPLE
Physically disabled young people have the same basic need for sex education, but they often have specific issues - particularly about relationships.
Disabled young people have sex lives too, but it's something mainstream education and health professionals can overlook or choose to ignore.
According to Mandy Addison, project co-ordinator at the Linking Up Group at Birmingham's Shard End Youth Centre, young disabled people say no-one believes they have sex. "Some have told me that no-one has ever advised them to carry condoms, and that condom machines are too high for wheelchair users," she says.
"Professionals often talk to the carer, and not the disabled person."
The group has attempted to put this straight by running sex education and relationship courses for young people with disabilities aged 13 to 20. Their disabilities include cerebral palsy and spina bifida, but Addison reckons they are no different to able-bodied youngsters, which means she pitches information at the same level.
"Sex education for young people should be the same as for able-bodied people," she says. "There may be other issues that a quadriplegic boy needs to know, but he still wants the same basic information."
Specific issues
However, while chartered counselling psychologist Simon Parritt says it's good to discuss "the basic plumbing" in an integrated environment, he believes other subjects are better discussed separately.
"They want to know about how you manage a relationship if you're in a wheelchair, or the fact that many people don't see you as a potential partner," he says.
And some subjects are very personal: "You need to be able to talk to someone with cerebral palsy who has shaking hands and may be unable to masturbate."
LGBT YOUNG PEOPLE
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people can face prejudice and feel ill-served by mainstream services and sex education that doesn't reflect their needs.
"The main challenge is that sex education in school is too biological as well as too little, too late," explains Matt Graver, senior project officer at the NRG project in south London. "And with gay men especially, the focus can be on HIV and STDs, because the assumption is that they are hugely sexually active."
However, this often isn't the case.
And the project also recognises that accessing the gay social scene can be daunting. These young people often need reassuring that they can take a step back from this.
Positive atmosphere
The project recognises that being lesbian, bisexual or gay is OK. "We offer an alternative viewpoint to their experiences in the community, which can be negative and hostile," says Graver. "It can be difficult to be a young gay person at school."
He says the young people like the fact that their sexuality isn't an issue in the group. NRG helps them to deal with prejudice and to feel more confident by teaching them life skills as well as providing information on sexual health.
The weekly group gives them a chance to discuss issues as well as to seek support from counsellors. NRG puts an emphasis on developing relationships, and understanding when they might be in love, as well as the more biological stuff.
And although the project is trusted by many parents, it doesn't insist on talking to parents as this might cause conflict in families who either don't know their child is gay, or who have trouble accepting it.
They might also have a problem with their child being told about contraception.
NRG follows the same protocols as any other group, but Graver says he wouldn't refuse to give advice to someone under the age of consent. "If someone wants information to protect their sexual health, I would do them a disservice by refusing that," he explains.
"It can be difficult to be a young gay person at school" Matt Graver, senior project officer, NRG
LEARNING DISABILITIES
Young people with learning difficulties need to be kept safe from themselves, as well as the public.
Adults - particularly strangers - often need educating on why it's best not to engage in inappropriate behaviour, such as hugging and patting these young people beyond puberty. This can lead to confusion about boundaries.
Adults also need to understand that normal adolescent behaviour - such as having a crush on teachers - can even manifest itself in a youngster stalking someone because they don't understand subtlety.
At Shepherd School for pupils with learning difficulties in Nottingham, informal sex education is as important as the more formal lessons. The subject matter is wider, so that young people are taught not only about changes in their bodies and contraception, but also how to use public toilets.
Teachers and youth workers need to repeat information to get the message across, and sex education can start earlier for some of these young people.
Those with autism, for example, don't like change and can find it hard to get to grips with their developing bodies, which means they need to be prepared for this earlier than other young people.
It's important to get all adults singing from the same hymn sheet, says headmaster David Stewart. "We can't say that masturbation is OK in private and not in a public place like school, when someone else is saying it is OK."
Fpa, formerly the Family Planning Association, has resources for those working with young people with learning difficulties (www.fpa.org.uk). Sexuality and learning disability is based on the organisation's learning disability training.
