'Saving Sex' Author Calls on Proper Sex Education Ahead of Valentine's Day

The co-author Saving Sex has called for the Government to change its approach towards sex and relationships education in the approach to Valentine's Day.

Dr Trevor Stammers claims that the increasing sex education in schools has not resulted in a significant decrease in pregnancies, abortions or sexually transmitted infections.

In an editorial for the British Medical Journal (BMJ), Stammers wrote: "Most studies on sex education programmes in schools examine intermediate outcomes only, such as pupil satisfaction or reported condom use. This often facilitates premature false claims of success, whereas more robust outcome measures such as rates of terminations, unplanned conceptions, and sexually transmitted infections show no benefit."

Saving Sex, which Stammers wrote with Tim Doak, encourages young people to consider waiting for the right person, and marriage, before starting sexual relationships.

Stammers adds: "With a recent study showing that education to save sex does not lead to decreased condom use at first sex, it is time the evaluation of saved sex programmes had a share of UK funding for sex education research."

The book deals with sex and relationship issues head on - by answering real questions posed by teenagers. These were taken from the 'Ask a Question' facility on Love for Life's website www.icebergsandbabies.org.uk. Saving Sex also includes full, frank answers to the questions, designed to help young people obtain useful advice in making their own decisions about relationships and sex.