Has the Media and School Based Sex Education Reduced the Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases?

Mellanby et al (1993) in a study of just over a thousand 15 and 16 year olds in south-west England, reported that young teenagers are more likely to expose themselves to risk and less likely to use contraception effectively than their older counterparts. One in five HIV infections in the UK is among 15 to 24 year olds (Adler 1997) and other STDs and cervical cell abnormalities are increasing among young people. Sexual risk-taking is clearly increasing and there care serious issues for schools and teachers to address. The highest rates for notifiable STDs are usually observed in 20 to 24 year olds, followed by 15 to 19 year olds. The incidence tends to be higher in women aged 15 to 19 than in men of the same age group. …