Katherine, 27, East Sussex
What an inspirational programme! It's about time the government took some social responsibility and made the changes that are needed. This is not a popularity contest, tip toeing round the minority's views - we've all been there and this programme and the stats show that it can be done. We owe it to the next generation, to those children as individuals to take education about sex and relationships seriously. Start if from an early age, for it to be comprehensive so that people can then make informed decisions. Let's take the taboo out of it, make it normal and empower people so that they respect themselves, their bodies and enjoy good relationships and sex lives because without it, teenage pregnancy, STIs and discrimination will always be within our communities. Good on Davina and Channel 4 but it needs to be taken to the next level - maybe they can take a leaf out of Jamie's book! It's time to make a change.
Janet
A big reason why we have so many problems with STIs increasing etc etc is that sex education in many schools has encouraged the lie that condoms are safe. A lot of research has shown that with teens condoms fail about one time in five. That isn't very safe. But we have been brain washed to believe that condoms ARE safe. I know from personal experience that they aren't.
Another problem is that all this promotion of condoms just adds to the pressure that teens feel to be sexually active. It is a major disaster in our society. Where are they being told that we are not just bodies with hormones? We have a heart too and feelings and this can mean we get seriously hurt emotionally if we get dumped by someone we gave our all to.
Channel 4 needs to get behind the condom con and show what is really happening to teens in UK today. Why is there so much depression and self harm for example?
Why are people finding it hard to keep relationships going long term? Sex isn't the same as love and a lot of teens are ending up hurt and lonely, no matter how much sex they get.
And abortions can leave you feeling very upset. They are not a quick "cure all".
caroline, 21
I loved your programme let's talk sex. it was such an eye opener. my sex ed at school consisted of a 15 min talk about the different types of contraception from a nurse standing at the front of the room. you can imagine how much of that we took in. (i took the sex test and got 12!) i loved the dutch way but it will never happen in this country because sex is still a taboo subject. just think about the people on the street who refused to talk to davina about it. we think as long as we hide it from young people they wouldn't do it, that preserving their innocence means they won't do it. however it just means they "teach" each other myths and the only way they can learn is to do it.
the only way to start is to get parents back in the classroom and get them over their embarrassment so they can teach their children and to teach children from yr 1 at school about relationships and sex. i love to think i will be able to teach my children but in truth i wouldn't even know where to start. it will take a very special govenment to get such an act through parliment, let alone the house of lords, they simply won't rock the boat that much. how i wish they will prove me wrong.
Nick
Congratulations on an informative and poignant progamme.
We definitely need better sex education as part of the National Curriculum. Mine was, frankly, appalling and my (otherwise excellent) school had teenage pregnancies.
Denial is the strongest force in humanity and the attitude of MPs, most parents, the press and several of the website commentors strongly reflect this in a country rife with taboos that destroy people's lives and society itself. Recrimination presides over education!
I sincerely hope that in twenty years we may look back to a point when sex education became competently established across all British schools with an option for deranged parents to deny this to their children, resulting in a very clear and obvious parental-choice and ignorance link to STD and teenage pregnancy in Britain, because, at the present time, many are too prejudiced and ignorant to accept the clear examples provided by more successful education in other countries. At that point, maybe, even the Daily Mad readers will agree that compulsory sex education works.
Shona, Brighton
The time is NOW to face up to the sex education problem in the UK as our sexual health record is worsening. Talking about sex is not nearly as embarrassing as our government's lack of action!
I'm an ex secondary school teacher. Having taught PSE sex education, I know how patchy and ineffective it is. I'm also a mother and have been a university sexual health advisor ... Once we've got parents on board as the government seems desperate to do, we can create a national curriculum. Let's ACT.
Eileen
I think your programme was biased, ill informed and that you have deliberately stifled debate. I used to think that television journalists were honourable and told the truth. How disappointing to find that Channel 4 are Government lackeys. Who is going to benefit from all this sexualisation of children? PIE? Your researchers could not be more wrong about Holland. try reading "Deconstructing The Dutch Utopia". Your researchers are talking "mince".
John
It does seem a pity that channel 4 have no idea what statistics show. In the program Davina said that 20 years ago the rate for sex problems with school children in the Netherlands was going through the roof - so the Dutch decided to flood the schools with information, which has brought it down to a low level. The point to learn is not for other countries to do the same as Holland and become a promiscuous, sex-mad society.
It could be seen that a stable country like Switzerland was lower than Holland today. Why? They do not let sex dominate their way of living.
Davina had no real answers to the Dutch teaching method. She was just bamboozled by what they said. Does she really want to see her children get involved with these sex games used by the Dutch? Don't her children deserve a better childhood than one overwhelmed by sex. No sex was taught in schools in my schooldays and there was no problem. The problem is the media who seem to be overrun with sex-starved perverts who want sex to come into all their programs.
The people chosen for the program were all pro-sex except the students. One student admitted that the teaching was pornography using cartoons. Even though they saw some benefits in the practical work, they felt that it should not be done with youger children than themselves. Davina wants compulsory sex lessons for 6 year olds!!
Where were headteachers who did not want sex taught in their schools? Where were the headteachers who had very few sex problems? Where were the Headteachers of Christian schools who do not have any problems?
Isn't it about time that the media realised that the purpose of sex is for Procreation and not to sell films.
This is just a short summary of what I found was wrong with the channel 4 program. Very immoral, anti-Christian, and definitely biased - which is what we come to expect with Channel 4.
Chris, 18, HERTS
I wouldnt have watched this programme if i hadn't left the TV on when i went to make breakfast and it was lucky i did see the programme as it wasn't until then that i realised i have been taught absolutely nothing at school in regards to sex. we had 1 lesson on contraception mixed in with STIs, 1 guest speaker warning us of breast and testicular cancer and several short science lessons on how you get pregnant. I'm gay and wasn't even aware that the legal age of consent was 16 i thought it was 18. Thank you Davina and thank you Channel 4 you have taught me more than school ever has.
Ellen, 36
what a great programme. i am 36 years old and i think we should have had this information when we went to school. i think parents need to bring themselves into the year 2006 and see what children really get up to behind their backs. i agree that sex education should be made compulsory as i have three children and i think for children it is easy to talk it through with somebody outside of the family, so when they feel up to telling their parents they will.
good on you davina go for it.
Lesley, 17
I watched the show on Wednesday, and have just read the comments. It was nice to know I wasn't the only girl to lose her virginity at 14! Thankfully I was - and still am - in a committed relationship. But that wasn't the case for a lot of my friends. Out of the 12 girls in my P7 class, 5 are pregnant with their first child - and four are already onto their second! (most of whom are single parents) Sex ed was pathetic in our schools and it seems entirely obvious that the Dutch system works so could the government grow up and stop being so prudish! These days, teenagers can be so open about sex if they are treated like adults. Sadly, the adults themselves are generally very childish about the issue which encourages us to clam up and this puts across a really bad message. Parents who worry that their children will be "perverted" by sex ed should realise that knowing the ins and outs of sex from a young age will stop their kids from ending up in situations where lack of knowledge truly destroys whatever innocence they have. And don't even get me started on the condom issue!!!! If kids ARE going to have sex younger, not having condoms won't stop them. It just means they'll get pregnant/an STI and possibly ruin their lives. Children should be shown that sex in a loving, committed relationship can be very fulfilling - but a quickie with some random person can be the worst decision of their lives.
It seems that while the dinosaurs rule our country, pregnancy and STI rates will continue through the roof.
Kellie, 16, Warrington
i think that sex education in UK schools should be improved. i am 16 years old and the education i received at school was rubbish, in primary school we were told we were having sex education. a nurse came in and told us about periods and personal hygiene. then in high school we were shown how to put on condoms on a plastic penis. this education was the complete opposite to helpful. i think that sex education over here should be more like the sex education in Holland. i am a teenage parent, i became pregant at school at the age of 15, i am happy with my life but would not want it to happen to any other teens, i also know 16 other young mums all under 18 years old. i'm lucky i am still with my partner who is over the moon with our 8 month old son he adors him, unlike many other lads, that have nothing to do with their childern. i think if we improve our sex education then the number of teenage pregnancies will decrease.
Sarah, 41
What a fantastic programme. I caught it purely by accident, but did miss this first episode, so only saw 2 and 3. I think this should be shown in the evenings, as a lot of people I feel would have missed the morning show, and would benefit from seeing this. I have an 8 year old daughter, and have spoken openly about sex to her from about the age of five, as this seems to be when the questions start. When she was 7 homosexuality was discussed, and she is very accepting of it, which is great. I feel very strongly that school sex education should start at the age of 5, and should be on a par with the dutch education, parents who do not agree with this are being naive, as clearly the current system is not working, as a lot of parents do not deal with this issue until the damage is done! I have friends myself who are too embarrassed or will wait until the child asks - what if they never ask! My own sex education was virtually non existent, my parents never spoke to me about it, i was terrified when my period started - I didn't know what it was. At school, all I can remember is at about 10 having a brief talk and film about how baby is made, and that was it. At senior school, I was off sick for one day and that was when they had the sex talk, but no teacher did the talk for me, so I missed out completely - so my sex education was non existant. Please the government must make this compulsory so we as a nation are fully aware and able to make the correct informed choices, which will be better for all our lives.
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