Resources

VIEWPOINT

Treasure virginity

A new government-backed sex education programme is about to hit schools across England and Wales. RACHEL BURTON believes it will benefit pressured teenagers who have no Christian support

Earlier this year the Teenage Pregnancy Unit reported that teenage pregnancies in England and Wales have risen by more than 1,720 in 12 months. Teenage birth rates in Britain are the highest in western Europe. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STIs) are on the increase. The government is, understandably, concerned. Despite investing £60million to tackle the issue, the figures continue to rise.

Yet what can be done? I have been a local church youth worker for over a decade and I see firsthand the pressure that is on young people to have sex outside of marriage – and at an increasingly early age. Everywhere you look sex sells, and teenage role models promote promiscuity.
Within our local church group, we have written and annually deliver a course that enables the young people to rise above this pressure and see their virginity as something to be treasured. The course starts with talking about our friendship with God, examines various other types of relationships, and ends with talking about marriage, sex and physical intimacy in a relationship outside of marriage.

We were keen to talk about the various stages of intimacy from holding hands, to touching bodies, to oral sex, in an attempt to give them guidance as to what we as Christians should be undertaking within our relationships with boyfriends and girlfriends.

Ultimately, we stress that sex is good and God-given in his appropriate setting and that it’s not just a physical act, but one that involves your emotions and spirit too. But this is a church youth group of about 50. The youth team meet with them on a regular basis and many are supported by families who would be actively involved in helping them make right choices about relationships and sexual intimacy. What about the countless thousands of young people who are out there, bombarded with images and role models that encourage them to engage in sexual relationships, but offer no guidelines on how to do so appropriately?

Recently I was asked, as a local church youth worker, to take part in a programme on ITV Wales about a government-backed scheme called A Pause (Added Power And Understanding in Sex Education). It recently hit the headlines in the Observer with the headline: “Oral sex lessons to cut rates of teenage pregnancy”. Researchers from the programme On the Edge called and asked for my opinion and whether I would take part in a discussion.

My initial response was not in favour of such a proposal, but as I began to research what A Pause was advocating, it all seemed very similar to what we have been successfully doing in our own youth group. It is a sex education programme but it doesn’t simply deal with the process of reproduction and hand out condoms. Rather it “enables young people to take control of their relationships, encouraging them to understand the importance of good relationships and empowering them to manage the levels of intimacy to which they consent” (National Foundation for Educational Research).

The course is introduced in year 7, but it’s not until year 9 and 10 that it really gets underway. It talks about postponement of sex and about other levels of physical intimacy that may be experienced without having sex. It also gives the young people training in assertiveness so they can stop what they don’t want to happen to them.

It is delivered by trained teachers, health professionals and young people as peer educators.

The results from the original project, reported in the British Medical Journal in 1995, said that young people were less likely to believe that intercourse should be part of relationships for under-16s, more tolerant of the behaviour of others and less likely to be sexually active. These results have been replicated in more recent data.

Unlike our church course, it has no overt Christian message, but its roots to care for and nurture humanity is a fundamental tenet of our faith. It also reaches a far greater number of young people than our local church youth group. Following its successful trial in more than 100 schools, the government is recommending it to schools across England and Wales. It’s not an easy subject to talk about, but ignoring it won’t make it go away.
For all those young people not in a loving supportive family or youth group, I think it provides a message of hope and practical guidance as they navigate those complicated teenage years.

Rachel Burton is a church youth worker based in Gwent

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		VIEWPOINT Treasure virginity A new government-backed sex education programme is about to hit schools across England and Wales. RACHEL BURTON believes it will benefit pressured teenagers who have no Christian support Earlier this year the Teenage Pregnancy Unit reported that teenage pregnancies in England and Wales have risen by more than 1,720 in 12 months. Teenage birth rates in Britain are the highest in western Europe. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STIs) are on the increase. The government is, understandably, concerned. Despite investing £60million to tackle the issue, the figures continue to rise. Yet what can be done? I have been a local church youth worker for over a decade and I see firsthand the pressure that is on young people to have sex outside of marriage – and at an increasingly early age. Everywhere you look sex sells, and teenage role models promote promiscuity. Within our local church group, we have written and annually deliver a course that enables the young people to rise above this pressure and see their virginity as something to be treasured. The course starts with talking about our friendship with God, examines various other types of relationships, and ends with talking about marriage, sex and physical intimacy in a relationship outside of marriage. We were keen to talk about the various stages of intimacy from holding hands, to touching bodies, to oral sex, in an attempt to give them guidance as to what we as Christians should be undertaking within our relationships with boyfriends and girlfriends. Ultimately, we stress that sex is good and God-given in his appropriate setting and that it’s not just a physical act, but one that involves your emotions and spirit too. But this is a church youth group of about 50. The youth team meet with them on a regular basis and many are supported by families who would be actively involved in helping them make right choices about relationships and sexual intimacy. What about the countless thousands of young people who are out there, bombarded with images and role models that encourage them to engage in sexual relationships, but offer no guidelines on how to do so appropriately? Recently I was asked, as a local church youth worker, to take part in a programme on ITV Wales about a government-backed scheme called A Pause (Added Power And Understanding in Sex Education). It recently hit the headlines in the Observer with the headline: “Oral sex lessons to cut rates of teenage pregnancy”. Researchers from the programme On the Edge called and asked for my opinion and whether I would take part in a discussion. My initial response was not in favour of such a proposal, but as I began to research what A Pause was advocating, it all seemed very similar to what we have been successfully doing in our own youth group. It is a sex education programme but it doesn’t simply deal with the process of reproduction and hand out condoms. Rather it “enables young people to take control of their relationships, encouraging them to understand the importance of good relationships and empowering them to manage the levels of intimacy to which they consent” (National Foundation for Educational Research). The course is introduced in year 7, but it’s not until year 9 and 10 that it really gets underway. It talks about postponement of sex and about other levels of physical intimacy that may be experienced without having sex. It also gives the young people training in assertiveness so they can stop what they don’t want to happen to them. It is delivered by trained teachers, health professionals and young people as peer educators. The results from the original project, reported in the British Medical Journal in 1995, said that young people were less likely to believe that intercourse should be part of relationships for under-16s, more tolerant of the behaviour of others and less likely to be sexually active. These results have been replicated in more recent data. Unlike our church course, it has no overt Christian message, but its roots to care for and nurture humanity is a fundamental tenet of our faith. It also reaches a far greater number of young people than our local church youth group. Following its successful trial in more than 100 schools, the government is recommending it to schools across England and Wales. It’s not an easy subject to talk about, but ignoring it won’t make it go away. For all those young people not in a loving supportive family or youth group, I think it provides a message of hope and practical guidance as they navigate those complicated teenage years. Rachel Burton is a church youth worker based in Gwent © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.