Let's talk about sex in a more open way

Risky behaviour in the form of unsafe sex increases the prevalence of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people. It is true this concern is not limited to the sexual behaviour of teenagers: between 1995 and 1999 instances of gonorrhoea increased by 58 per cent, while cases of chlamydia rose by an astonishing 76 per cent.

However, trends in reported instances of STIs indicate that the bulk of the increase in cases of infection is among those under the age of 25. Complacency over safer sex is being blamed for a dramatic rise in cases. According to government figures, diagnoses have hit a 10-year high, with the number of people visiting sexual health clinics in the UK doubling in the past decade.

For over 40 years, the charity Brook has provided support through advisory centres staffed by trained adults able to talk frankly to young people about managing their relationships. Providing access to doctors, nurses, counsellors and outreach workers, the centres gave advice to more than 110,000 young people during 2006 through a specific focus on the sexual behaviour of teenagers. Meanwhile, nationwide outreach work across local areas spread the message about safer sex to 90,000 teenagers, while the website received 15 million hits over the course of the year.

Other organisations have sought to provide diverse ways for teenagers to access sexual health advice at the touch of a button. Following a successful pilot in a London borough, the Text Sam service run by charity Safe Haven in partnership with technology company Think Big, is to be rolled out across the country. It is aiming to get young people who are embarrassed about discussing sex to access information anonymously through a free text service. More than 42,000 young people sent requests to the service during its two-month pilot in Lambeth and Southwark - two boroughs with some of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection - in 2007.

The key to diffusing the uncertainty that many young people feel about sex and relationships is in openly encouraging them to talk about it. By stripping the topic of its taboo and encouraging teenagers to manage relationships in a responsible way, we can address the peer pressure that many young people feel to have sex early. Supporting teenagers with advice and a listening ear can ensure they are better able to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy and infection.