Sex and Relationship Education

(asked on 1st April 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that testing, treatment and prevention will be covered thoroughly enough in Relationships and Sex Education to reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections in young people; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 4th April 2019

Pupils need to know how to protect their own mental and physical health, they need to know what activities, behaviours and circumstances can risk these and they need to know when and how to seek help both for themselves and others.

At secondary school, by introducing health education alongside relationships and sex education (RSE), the Government will ensure that pupils are taught age appropriate knowledge about sexual health. In health education, this includes the benefits of regular self-examination and screening, and the facts and science relating to immunisation and vaccination. This is complemented by content in RSE about how sexually transmitted infections are passed on and treated, how risks can be reduced, the importance of and facts about testing and prevalence and the impact sexually transmitted infections can have on those who contract them. This will be set in the context of how to get further advice, including how and where to access advice and treatment.

The Department is committed to supporting schools to deliver high quality teaching of relationships education, RSE and health education. A budget of £6 million has been allocated in 2019/20 financial year to develop a programme of support for schools. Further funding beyond the next financial year is a matter of the forthcoming Spending Review.

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