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Single Brits are the most promiscuous in the world. At least, that’s what the Guardian said. It found that 50 per cent of Britons thought it normal for a thirty-something to have had ten or more lovers before marriage.
Bliss magazine and the Telegraph informed us that almost a quarter of 14-year-old girls claim to have had sex – and an average of three partners. Among those who said they had had sex, 65 per cent admitted to unprotected sex and 45 per cent said they had a one-night stand.
Alcohol played a part. 60 per cent of sexually active 14-year-olds said they had sex while drunk. Half said they regretted it later, while 29 per cent admitted they ‘did not even like their sexual partner.’ Against this backdrop, evaluate…informing choice, a multimedia sex and relationship education programme has been developed.
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Modern Edge
"evaluate aims to bring a fresh, modern and direct edge to sex & relationship education," said Project Manager Sue Lindars. "The UK has a shamefully high rate of unintended teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections are seen to bear this out.
"There’s a desperate need among young people for accurate and reliable information – so they can make informed choices about sex and how to resist peer pressure."
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Launched in October 2003, evaluate has developed three age-appropriate presentations, delivered in schools to whole-year groups by teams of trained volunteers. At the core lies the belief that every young person is unique and capable of making healthy choices.
"Much of sex education in schools has nothing to do with how valuable the young person is," said Sue, "it’s just about giving them condoms so that they can be safer. This only sees the negative in them, and says that we had better equip them. We want to foster an attitude of hope and optimism."
Working from the understanding that many issues confronting young people stem from low self-esteem, evaluate tackles media influence and peer pressure – as well as drug and alcohol abuse, STIs and teenage pregnancy.
"Much of the sex and relationship work in schools assumes that young people will have sex under age and promotes safe sex in response to this. But condoms are only safer, not completely safe. Raising awareness of that difference is just one area where we hope to challenge set beliefs."
The programme focuses on relationships – not just the issue of sex. "So much of sex education is about the mechanics, such as condom use. This programme doesn’t just look at sex but at what makes a good relationship. Sex is one part of the whole."
Diverse Mix
People from a variety of backgrounds become evaluate educators and have to complete a four-day residential training course.
Trainees at the educator training conference held in January 2006
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"The main qualification we look for in volunteers is that they have a heart for young people and want to make a positive difference in relation to sex and drug-taking behaviour. Alcohol and drugs have an affect decision making," Sue explained.
"People from all walks of life can be trained for this work, and a mixture of ages and lifestyle experience is good. In particular we would like more men to train up, as male role models are always helpful to impact a group of lads."
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Sue has made links with the ‘Romance Academy’, a sex and relationship education programme for teens, which inspired the recent BBC 2 series No Sex Please, We’re Teenagers.
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She feels evaluate is strategically placed to deal with the problem of teenage pregnancy and the soaring rate of STIs. "A recent documentary shown on Panorama, called Love Hurts, showed that sexual health clinics can’t keep up with the demand because rates of infection are so high.
"A few years ago we were able to advise young people to drop into a clinic. Now there is a waiting time of six to eight weeks for an appointment in some places. There is obviously a need and we are confident that evaluate is part of the answer. The vision is for evaluate teams in every large town and city across England, Scotland and Wales."
For more information contact the evaluate office on 01525 375210
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