Media used to teach sex education

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 07 Dec 2004 - 14:00 PDT

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Teen magazines and television programmes are being used to help teach children sex education.

Teachers in some schools have been providing children between 12 and 15 with magazines such as Bliss, Sugar and Mizz, which have been criticised in the past for their overtly sexual content, in an attempt to demystify sex for youngsters.

Teenage pregnancy rates have continued to rise across the country despite efforts from the Government to improve sex education and teach children to be safe.

The MediaRelate project was devised after research found many young people preferred to gain information on sex and relationships from the media.

Pupils will also be shown programmes such as Footballers' Wives, but shadow education secretary, Tim Collins, has said he is very concerned by the potential effects of using such material to aid sex education.

Earlier this year the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said teen magazines should carry age restrictions on their front covers and warned that they "glamorise promiscuity".
http://www.hda-online.org.uk

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