Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase awareness of different forms of contraception among students in secondary schools.

The current subject of sex education and the associated sex and relationship Education guidance, published in 2000, set out that schools should provide young people with information about different types of contraception, safe sex and how they can access local sources of further advice and treatment. As part of the Key Stage 4 biology curriculum and the combined science GCSE, pupils are taught about hormones in human reproduction, and about hormonal and non-hormonal methods of contraception.

The new subject of relationships and sex education will also cover contraception. Under the topic of ‘intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health’, the draft guidance sets out that secondary pupils should know the facts about the full range of contraceptive choices, efficacy and options available. They should also know how the different sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDs, are transmitted, how risk can be reduced through safer sex (including through condom use) and the importance of and facts about testing. Pupils should also be taught how to get further advice, including how and where to access confidential sexual and reproductive health advice and treatment.

Subject to making the regulations, schools will be required to teach the new subjects of relationships education (primary), relationships and sex education (secondary) and health education (all schools) from September 2020, and they will be encouraged and supported to start teaching them from September 2019 on a voluntary basis.