Getting children talking about sex

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/8016938.stm

Version 0 of 1.

By Jane Dreaper BBC News health correspondent

Staff at a GP surgery in Derbyshire are trying to help nine and ten-year-olds understand more about puberty.

The surgery runs special sessions twice a year for the children and their parents.

The scheme began because of concern about an apparent increase in unwanted pregnancies among teenagers.

I went along to one of the hour-long events.

The surgery in Brimington is on the edge of Chesterfield.

The idea is not to talk to them about sex itself, but to make it possible for them to talk about sex Dr Shantha Tyler

It is not an especially wealthy area, but not a deprived one either.

Families tend to stay in this neighbourhood, down the generations.

Dr Shantha Tyler told me: "One particular year, we had a lot of teenage pregnancies.

"This happened two years after we had started to run a dedicated young person's clinic, aimed at that age group.

"We realised the right people weren't accessing that service - and sometimes they were arriving already pregnant.

"We wondered where we going wrong. I sat down with the health visitors and we came up with this idea.

"The idea is not to talk to them about sex itself, but to make it possible for them to talk about sex."

Goody bags

Practice nurse Liz Jackson is getting ready to greet a dozen young girls.

Practice nurse Liz Jackson works with young people

She is laying out goody bags containing tampons, sanitary towels and leaflets about puberty.

The practice sends special invitations to the ten-year-olds on its list, with information sent to their parents as well.

About a third take up the opportunity.

There is an air of anticipation as the girls filter in.

Schools sometimes prepare children for puberty in mixed sex groups, but at the surgery, boys and girls have separate evenings.

Apparently, the boys are more talkative than the girls.

Their goody bags contain shower gel, to emphasise the importance of personal hygiene.

Information film

The children and their parents are shown a film, which refers to periods, hormones and kissing with tongues.

There is the odd snigger - but mostly the young audience is concentrating.

There is no direct reference to sex - apart from mentioning that when an egg meets a male sperm, it can turn into a baby.

After the film, the parents separate from the youngsters - so both groups can have their own discussions.

One of the ten-year-olds mentions the hot debate at her school - about whether you are a geek if you don't have a boyfriend.

There are also conversations about healthy eating and the dangers of smoking.

The aim is to underline the importance of respect for your body and the idea that a GP surgery can be a confidential port of call.

Downstairs, the parents express some anxiety about children growing up too quickly.

Upstairs, there is a lot of giggling as the girls handle the tampons.

The feeling afterwards from both age groups seems to be that they have found the evening a useful way of connecting with each other.

Morgan Swales, nine, said she thought the evening had been "cool".

She told me: "I found it interesting talking about boys, but I don't really like them."

Morgan's mum, Julie Swales, brought her along because her daughter is at a private school where there are no similar lessons.

John Watkins, who attended with his wife and stepdaughter Jade, 10, said: "This gives them information.

"No one wants pregnancies at a young age.

"As they mature, they can learn to ask their parents or siblings - rather than growing up but still being naïve or learning the wrong messages."

Relaxed atmosphere

The main cost of the scheme is having the staff available for the evening session.

Local businesses have sometimes donated items for the goody bags, though the recession has made that more difficult.

Sue Lomas brought her children Lucy, 13, and Max, 11, to previous sessions.

She said: "They absolutely loved it. It was a wonderful setting - nice and relaxed.

"It opened up the subject - especially for my daughter, who was just starting to develop a womanly figure.

"They kept the packs they were given in their bedrooms.

"We've still got the packs - and every so often they go to them and then ask me questions.

"It's been invaluable."