Parents 'should be sent sex advice packs' to help them educate children

Parents could be sent advice packs on sex and relationships to help them talk to their children about the facts of life.

Health experts who devised the plan warn that too few adults know enough about contraception and sexual health.

The packs, modelled on ones used in Scandinavian countries, would mirror sex education lessons in schools and encourage parents to start conversations at home.

The Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group made the recommendation to ministers as the Government finalises a major review of sex education in schools.

The group also made a renewed call for sex lessons to be compulsory in all schools and for pupils to get greater access to contraception, including long-acting injections.

Launching the report, group chairman Gill Frances said more conversations about sex and relationships are needed both at home and at school.

'Parents are a child's first educators and they need to know how to talk about the issues if we are serious about reducing teenage pregnancy in this country,' she said.

Family campaigners warned that some of the proposals would 'take parents out of the driving seat and put the state in their place'.

They said making sex lessons compulsory would be imposing upon every child 'something many parents and teachers are uncomfortable with'.