Relationships & Sex Education Survey

From July-September 2021 Essex County Council conducted a survey for young people aged 16-25, on the topic of relationships and sex education.

Building on previous engagement with young people, we wanted to further understand how we can ensure young people in Essex are supported to have healthy relationships.

Relationships and sex education (RSE) is now part of a mandatory curriculum to be taught in schools.

This survey sought to gather views around young people’s sexual health needs within Essex, what further information they would like regarding sexual health and relationships, and where they like to get this information.

251 responses were received in total.

A visual summary of what young people said and what's happened since, is available here.

The headline findings were:

• Young people look to online sources (including social media) for information on most topics. However they are most likely to turn to friends/family for information on healthy relationships, puberty and menstruation, and to schools for information on STIs, and contraception methods.
• Young people would most like to know more about ‘steps to take after unprotected sex’, followed by ‘healthy and respectful relationships’. (N.B. Interpretations of ‘steps to take after unprotected sex’ may include info about STIs and choices around pregnancy). Most free text comments around additional themes young people would like to learn more about related to more comprehensive education in schools, consent, tackling stigma and unrealistic ideas from pornography, LGBTQ+ relationships, contraception, and women’s sexual health and experiences.
• The Essex Sexual Health Service is the most commonly known service for young people, with Brook having the lowest levels of awareness.
• Condoms are the contraceptive method which young people are most aware of how to access, with IUS and IUDs being the least known methods.
• The GP and pharmacy is where young people felt most comfortable accessing contraception, however this varies for males and females. Young people felt least comfortable accessing contraception from the School Nurse.
• Most respondents felt fairly confident that they would know how to access contraception after unprotected sex, but around 20% said they would not feel confident in knowing how to do this.
• Responses suggest most young people have not needed to access emergency contraception, but of those who have, most found it very easy or fairly easy.

The full survey findings report is available here:

https://data.essex.gov.uk/dataset/2jnnd/relationships-and-sex-education-survey

Following the report analysing the responses of the RSE 2021 survey the Essex Teenage Pregnancy Prevention group will, over the coming months, seek to address the findings via an action plan which will be followed up using a ‘you said we did’ approach. 

The report will also be shared with a range of local partners working with young people including those delivering RSE to enable them to make use of the insight gathered to inform their future work and or services.   

Work is currently underway with young people to design additional age appropriate questions for 11-15 year olds and the survey will be rerun in the Summer of 2022.

For more information on the RSE survey please contact Helen Gregory Wellbeing and Public Health Manager email: helen.gregory@essex.gov.uk or Carolyn Huntley, Senior Wellbeing and Public Health Officer email:  Carolyn.huntley@essex.gov.uk