Young people are learning about sex from online pornography because conventional sex education is “failing” them, MPs have said, amid a surge of sexually transmitted infections.
The Women and Equalities Committee said that there is an “unacceptable risk of harm” from online information about sex and sexual health because of an “absence of authoritative advice”.
MPs said there is “compelling evidence that relationships and sex education is failing young people” and the benefits of condom use “must be a key part of the curriculum”.
They also criticised the government for “failing to heed warnings” with funding for sexual health services reducing year-on-year.
In their report, the committee found that gonorrhoea cases rose to 82,592 in 2022 – the highest number in any single year since records began in 1918.
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They also found infectious syphilis diagnoses increased to 8,692 in 2022 – the largest annual number since 1948 – and that overall, there were 392,453 diagnoses of new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in England in 2022, more than 1,000 a day.
Caroline Nokes MP, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, called the figures a “red flag” and said: “Sexual health services are at breaking point. They are underfunded and in many cases unable to provide the services their local area needs.
“It is not sustainable and an obvious false economy to substantially reduce funding for sexual health services during a period of increasing demand upon them.”
A government spokesperson said: “In 2020 we made it compulsory for all secondary schools to offer relationships and sex education to ensure that young people are equipped to make safe, informed and healthy choices.
“Content includes information about safer sex and contraception and how these can reduce STIs.
“This year we have allocated more than £3.5bn to local authorities in England to fund public health services, including sexual health services, and this funding will increase in each of the next three years.”