Call for sex lessons at age four

[Dan2nd]

Children as young as four should be given compulsory sex education, two leading sexual health charities say.

The Family Planning Association and Brook told BBC Newsbeat more should be done to cut abortion rates and sexually transmitted infections among teenagers.

They argue gradual education from such a young age would help children not to rush into sex when they were older.

The Department for Children, Schools and Family said it was reviewing the delivery of sex education in schools.


Children aged four might be taught about the names of body parts and basic ideas about different relationships.

The government is not giving young people enough information about sex and relationships, the charities add.

'High expectations'

Brook chief executive Simon Blake said: "Many young people are having sex because they want to find out what it is, because they were drunk or because their mates were.

"That's just not good enough for young people. We've got to have high expectations for them so they've got high expectations for themselves."

He added: "All the evidence shows that if you start sex and relationships education early - before children start puberty, before they feel sexual attraction - they start having sex later.

"They are much more likely to use contraception and practise safe sex."

The basic sex education that children are given in science classes does not go far enough, the charities say.

They want sex and relationship education on the curriculum across the UK alongside other compulsory subjects such as maths and English, as is the case in Northern Ireland.

The DCSF said effective sex and relationships education is essential for young people to make safe and healthy choices about their lives and prevent early pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

A spokesman added that an advisory group on the issue would be making recommendations on new policy to the government later this month.

Sixteen-year-old Bethany, from Norwich told BBC News she had not understood the consequences of having sex early on.

"I didn't know I could get pregnant," she said. "I think if they started introducing sex education a bit earlier and teaching us a bit more about it so that we were more aware it would have helped me a lot."

am I only person who thinks this is to young :S

[RedStratocas]

why not? people put sex in this forbidden place only to be talked about in extreme situations, it's stupid. if we talk about it and teach kids (even if they don't really understand) at a young age, then it wont be such a touchy subject when they're a teenager. it makes perfect sense. sex is a natural thing, i think everyone should be more open about it, it'll lead to more openness about safety.

[Moh]

4s a little too young, I think 10 is the best age really.

[Hitman]

why not? people put sex in this forbidden place only to be talked about in extreme situations, it's stupid. if we talk about it and teach kids (even if they don't really understand) at a young age, then it wont be such a touchy subject when they're a teenager. it makes perfect sense. sex is a natural thing, i think everyone should be more open about it, it'll lead to more openness about safety.
I think 4 is a bit too young. :S 7 or 8 is a bit better... 4 year olds wouldn't be interested and wouldn't listen, sure it's natural etc, but little kids don't talk about sex or anything until they're older. Sure, talk to them about certain things but not everything because they wouldn't really understand.

[Yoshimitsui]

Age 4?? Don't you evan start school until the age of 5? That seems too young.

[superfly-dan]

4 is way too young. 10 is more suitable, I got my sex education when I was 10.

[Moh]

Did any one else think this meant something different?

Where you call someone and they give you "sex" lessons?

[Dan2nd]

Did any one else think this meant something different?

Where you call someone and they give you "sex" lessons?


Lol yes I was a bit confused when I first saw the headline on the BBC website

[N-Dubz]

Abit to young.

What 4 year old is intrested in sex?

[Jordy]

Frankly I'd just rather they did educate it, in my school it seems none-existent. I learn a bit in year 6 about how we enter Puberty and prepare for sex, in Year 7 we did a bit about actual pregnancy in Science but I'm now 14 and I've never been taught about contraception or having actual sex which is pretty poor, I think most people have the grasp of how to have sex but I do have people in my form that don't know what a condom is. During the next 2 years I'm unlikely to learn about it as well according to the syllabus so it's unlikely I'll ever be taught it, and it's going to be to late for some/most if we are taught it.

They shouldn't put people off having sex though, as long as it's safe I think it's uncalled for to discourage it.

[Moh]

Frankly I'd just rather they did educate it, in my school it seems none-existent. I learn a bit in year 6 about how we enter Puberty and prepare for sex, in Year 7 we did a bit about actual pregnancy in Science but I'm now 14 and I've never been taught about contraception or having actual sex which is pretty poor, I think most people have the grasp of how to have sex but I do have people in my form that don't know what a condom is. During the next 2 years I'm unlikely to learn about it as well according to the syllabus so it's unlikely I'll ever be taught it, and it's going to be to late for some/most if we are taught it.

They shouldn't put people off having sex though, as long as it's safe I think it's uncalled for to discourage it.
I never got taught the risks or anything. The only STI I got taught about is clamidia, and how to stop it. Didn't get taught what it is.

[Dan2nd]

I'm actually quite suprised people didn't get taught any of this at all at my school we had a teacher who was really good she went into all the gory details...showed us pictures and videos about aids and STD we had to put condoms on fake plastic penis's you name it we did it lol

[Decode]

Some people lose it when they are 11/12. I think it should be taught when they are about 10.

[,Jess,]

I have a cousin who is like 4 and I know that she just wouldn't undertand or really be bothered. 4 is too young really. I do think younger children should learn about it but definitely over the age of 4.

[Fehm]

Lol My sisters in yr 3. and they have Sex and Relationships lessons. They dont talk about sex. lol xD its more about getting on with people until they get up to about year 5 apparently.

[MissAlice]

Goodness me, at 4 you are still experimenting with crayons and paint, and beginning to learn to read write and draw. It's way too early!

I do remember having sex education when I was in year 5/6 and my parents were notified and were given the opportunity to see what I was being taught, and had to sign that it was okay to do so. Later on and I can't remember what age, but probably around the age of 13/14, all students were given a book to read on the subject and once a week we would spend 30 minutes with our forum tutor and we openly discussed any subject, this often included sex. Maybe more schools should educate this way.

[N-Dubz]

Barbie should make a sex education video, and so should Action Man!

Yeah that sounds as pathetic as this whole topic.
4 year olds being taught sex education.. yeah they shouldn't even be thinking about sex at that age.

[Jxames]

I have to agree with most of the previous posts, 4 is too young. At 4 you're in Nursery and from what I can remember it was all about learning the alphabet & numbers, painting, reading, playing games and getting ready to move up into reception or yr 1. A more appropriate age to teach children about sex would be around 8, the start of primary school.

[Shawnstra]

I agree with some above. Sexuality is natural, its a way of life, and no one can avoid it. If you're going to face it eventually, why not face it earlier, before you even have the chance to make any mistakes (Like you can't get babies when you're 4). I find it is just the mindset of the public. They think of it as something that is a taboo, and should not be mentioned. If we can change the mindset of people, and let them know that sexuality is as I mentioned something that is a natural process. Just like a comparison, if you want to learn Kung Fu or something you'll have to pick it up from young. So why not teach children to embrace sexuality and let sexuality be a normal process that everyone can respect and know how to use sparingly :)

[Spiffing]

I dont think alot would understand or they'd run around saying **** luls but ya know might work like 1 guy tried it on with me in P4 (nuthin happened) and i didnt know what sex was :l

[Warren]

am I only person who thinks this is to young :S

I don't think it's too young at all. I remember having my first sex education lesson in year 7 and 2 people FAINTED when watching a video about it!

The Dutch have sex education lessons very young and I'm pretty sure they have low teenage pregnant rates (especially when compared to the UK).

[Janczyk]

I'm all for this to be honest, the younger the better.

[Charly]

I'm all for this to be honest, the younger the better.

So you're saying that a 4 year old would be able to remember this in say 6 years time? I don't think so, yes their brains may be like sponges absorbing all information thrown at them but, they would get outrageously bored just listening to some guy/woman talking about sex n the dangers. If they put a video on about sex the kids will just laugh because its that sort of age that they laugh about all the "naughty" words. Plus they are still calling each other Bum head at that age :rolleyes::rolleyes:

With the rest of the people saying its too young I agree, no point teaching a 4 year old something they are probably going to do in 10 or so years lol

[luke-p]

4 is wayyy to young, they will not even listen and they don't care about the big bad world they just accept it's here and that it'll be here forever... Definitely to young to be teaching them about sex and the dangers, it's not like they'll be having sex any time soon.

[Immenseman]

I've now finished compulsary education and not once have I had sex education. Then our area wonders why it had one of the worst pregnancy rates for England :rolleyes:. I don't think four is too young providing it's not too up front. I do think you need to drum the importance of safe sex at an early age. Like Jordy said a few pages ago i'd just rather see schools do it like they're supposed to instead of the teachers being embarassed.

[N-Dubz]

Wouldn't this just infulence them more? I remember at 4 I wanted to be able to do things other people could, and be a grown up. Wouldn't this just make's things worse then better?
An what if they didn't rememeber it, hence it being completly pointless.

[Frodo13.]

I say don't do Sex Education until 16, so then nobody will know how to have sex before the age of 16 thus no more under-age pregnancies. :)

[Naythi.]

Yeah this would just teach them quicker what their things are for.
It's just the youth of today, more kids than there was when they were our age (70 years ago). Having sex is a bigger deal now-a-days.

[Everlong]

In my opinion i don't think this will work. I didn't start thinking about sex untill i had the ful sex education (year 9) if they teach kids when their younger their going to wonder what it is actually like to have sex for a longer period of time and as soon as they become sexually active they will go for it.

[Naythi.]

In my opinion i don't think this will work. I didn't start thinking about sex untill i had the ful sex education (year 9) if they teach kids when their younger their going to wonder what it is actually like to have sex for a longer period of time and as soon as they become sexually active they will go for it.

Year 9?
I was like it in year 7.. :P

[Jordy]

Yeah this would just teach them quicker what their things are for.
It's just the youth of today, more kids than there was when they were our age (70 years ago). Having sex is a bigger deal now-a-days.Sex is a much bigger deal them days, 30-40 years ago it was considered wrong to have sex before marriage, 70 years ago it was probably illegal to have sex before marriage and you were considered very dirty if you did. Religion also played a bigger part 70 years ago.


I say don't do Sex Education until 16, so then nobody will know how to have sex before the age of 16 thus no more under-age pregnancies. :)Until you had sex education are you telling me, you had no idea how to have sex? It's just one of them things older siblings or friends tell you when your about 8-10, though you don't think much of it at the time. There's nothing wrong with having sex under 16 anyway, some people aren't mature enough and some people don't have it safe, but if you are mature and it's safe, then where's the problem?

[marriott0.01]

I bet you knew about sex when u were fertilised Dan!