The Scout Association is planning to commence on the first ever national initiative of its kind to its 14 to 18-year-old members. Scouts will benefit from new sex education initiative.
They will benefit from new educational material to “help them make smart decisions about their relationships”, feels Chief Scout Bear Grylls. He added, “'We want to help young people become confident, clued up and aware. My message is - make your own mind up and don't let others do it for you…'We only get one body - so respect it - and people will respect you.” The programme appropriately is named, “My Body, My Choice”. It follows on from an initiative launched by the Scout Association back in 2008, when it issued formal guidance for leaders who were quizzed about sex and relationships.
According to the association the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and teenage pregnancies could be reduced if young people are given adequate and clear information about sex. Data released by the Health Protection Agency last year showed 15 to 24-year-olds in the UK were at the highest risk of being affected by STIs.
As part of the programme the scouts will be able to take part in an activity through which they anonymously submit questions about sex they want answered, as part of the nationwide programme. The “fluid exchange game” uses plastic cups and food colouring to demonstrate how quickly fluid and infection can spread. The association said that scout groups will be given material for the course but insisted that individual scout leaders can choose whether or not to run the programme.
Simon Blake, chief executive of sexual health advice charity Brook, said,: “We welcome the introduction of this type of no-nonsense material. The material is clear and simple and is the type of information young people tell us they need to help them understand how their bodies work and to help them make informed decisions.”
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