Skip navigation
Sex and Relationships Education Minisite

HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections and sexual health

Some background

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, remain one of the most important causes of illness due to infectious disease among young people. STIs can cause long-term fertility problems, long-term illness or even death.

The group most at risk of being diagnosed with an STI are young people aged 16-24. They accounted for 65% of all Chlamydia, 50% of genital warts and 50% of gonorrhoea infections diagnosed at Genito Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinics in 2007 .

Recent trends have been for substantial increases, for example between 1997 and 2006 the largest increases were for Chlamydia (166%), gonorrhoea (46%) and syphilis. The rises were steepest in 16-19 year-olds.

The fpa's factsheet on STIs was revised in November 2010, Sexually transmitted infections.

Increases can be attributed to several factors including increased transmission, but also increased awareness, increased levels of testing and better testing.

There is a very good Chlamydia Screening Service in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly which works in schools, colleges and the wider community. They organise testing, treating and information on chlamydia screening and other STIs, phone 01209 881727.

Teaching about STIs in SRE

Primary school science lessons will explore the transmission of illnesses and diseases. There is also reference to teaching about hygiene and infection transmission and control in the PSHE non-statutory guidelines. This will include reminding even very young children not to touch someone else’s blood as this could make them ill. In Key Stage 2, pupils may be told that infections and diseases can be passed from one person to another through sexual contact and that condoms can be used to protect from these infections. Teachers may be asked questions about HIV or go on to provide definitions of HIV and AIDS and the methods of transmission.

Teaching and learning about HIV: a resource for Key Stages 1-4 by Simon Blake and Paula Power (Sex Education Forum) is available for purchase from their website.

There are HIV infected children and young people attending school and schools need to recognise that there is no legal obligation for them to be told of the HIV status of any of their pupils or students. Consequently, schools need to have good health and safety procedures securely in place.

Young people need to be aware of the risks of contracting an STI and how to prevent it. Although the emphasis in SRE should be on preventing infection by abstaining from or delaying sexual activity and on teaching the reasons for safer sex, students also need to know about the diagnosis and treatment of STIs.

The Ofsted report Sex and relationships states that teaching about HIV/AIDS is receiving less attention than in the past, despite the fact that it remains a significant health problem, and recommends that the coverage of HIV/AIDS be enhanced.

 Teaching about HIV/AIDS and STIs at secondary school level should include:

  • an examination of young people’s attitudes, values and their responsibility towards self and others
  • providing information about the routes of transmission, symptoms and treatment for STIs and HIV/AIDS
  • an understanding of which behaviour is risky and which is not
  • developing student skills to avoid being pressured into unwanted or unprotected sex
  • practice and development of condom skills and knowledge about where to access condoms
  • developing student awareness of the impact of drinking and/or drug use on safer sexual practice
  • provision of information about local services which provide diagnoses and treatment for STIs and
  • opportunities to explore and challenge some of the ignorance, myths and prejudices about HIV and AIDS.

Secondary SRE could also provide knowledge and information about other health issues related to the sexual and reproductive organs such as:

  • providing knowledge about other infections that affect the sexual organs, but are not necessarily sexually transmitted such as Candida (thrush) and cystitis
  • discussing the importance of self-examination for early detection of breast and testicular cancer
  • discussing the possible link between early sexual activity in young women and cervical cancer
  • discussion of the need for women to have smear tests, starting in their early twenties and
  • discussion of issues around infertility, miscarriage and impotence.