Learning all you can about sex and relationships can help you become confident about communicating about sex and addressing any problems arising from it. There is plenty written and said about sex and even adults admit they are as confused about the subject as they were as teenagers because of the amount of misinformation surrounding sex.
Arm yourself with the facts and find out everything you need to know about safe sex, contraception, pregnancy and sexually-transmitted infections (STIs). Talk to your GP or practice nurse. If you’re a new mum, your midwife or health visitor is a good source of up-to-date information. And you can also call in at community contraceptive or sexual health clinics.
There are a large number of organisations that provide support and information on sex and all sex-related topics. The best known is the Family Planning Association (FPA), which has information on contraception, STIs, abortion and pregnancy. The FPA welcomes email questions and you can also contact them by telephone. Go to www.fpa.org.uk for more information.
The Brook is a sexual health charity that gives confidential advice to the under 25s. Check out www.brook.org.uk for contact details.
If you’re the parent of a teenager and need some help on how to talk to them about sex, go to Parentlineplus at www.parentlineplus.org.uk. Its 24-hour helpline on 0808 800 2222 can give you support and information on everything to do with parenting, while its dedicated website at www.gotateenager.org.uk deals with teens.
For advice on sexual health, contact the free Sexual Health Line on 0800 567123. For information and advice on HIV, the Terrence Higgins Trust is one of the leading UK charities in this field. Go to www.tht.org.uk or call 0845 122 1200.
Relate offers relationship counselling and support for families, couples, children and young people, and can provide sex therapy, too. Go to www.relate.org.uk or call 0300 100 1234.
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