Relationships & Sex Education Survey 2022

The purpose of this survey, led by Essex Youth Service and Essex Public Health, was to gather the views of young people on a range of topics relating to relationships and sexual health, understanding what further information and support they would like and their preferred ways in which to access it. 

Following on from our first Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) survey in 2021 gathering the views of 16-25 year olds, this year we continued our work with young people to co-design survey questions for 11-25 year olds. Age appropriate questions were developed for young people in Years 7-9, young people in Years 10-11 and young people aged 17-25.  

3,676 young people responded to the survey.

Headline findings:

• Young people in Years 7-9 and Years 10-11 look to friends/family and school for information on most RSE related topics. For young people aged 17-25, a slightly higher proportion tended to look online for information or access services.
   

• Young people in Years 7-9 and Years 10-11 would most like to know more about healthy and respectful relationships and consent and the law. For young people aged 17-25, they would most like to know more about steps to take after unprotected sex, and information on choices around pregnancy.

• Around 60% of those in Years 7-9 are aware of the Essex Sexual Health Service and Essex Youth Services website, compared to just under 50% of those in Years 10-11 and those aged 17-25. This response may be skewed by significantly larger proportions of Years 7-9 completing the survey in areas where schools are more proactively promoting these services.

• A significant proportion of young people had felt intimidated, worried or uncomfortable while on the internet, and this increases with each age group. Younger age groups were more likely to have told someone if they felt this way, and also more likely to know where to go for help, with most saying they would turn to friends/family/someone they trust.

• Condoms are the contraceptive method which young people are most aware of how to access, with Intrauterine System (IUS) and Coil or Intrauterine Device (IUD) being the least known methods.

• The pharmacy is where young people felt most comfortable accessing contraception, followed by shops/ supermarket. Young people felt least comfortable accessing contraception from a youth centre or School Nurse.

• Most 17-25 year olds (64%) said they felt fairly or very confident in how to access emergency contraception, compared to 44% of those in Years 10-11.

Reports available below:

• Full survey report
   
• Basildon report
• Epping Forest report
• Harlow report
• Maldon report
• Tendring report

Please note district level reports have been produced only for those districts where response rates were higher, and any district level differences should be viewed as indicative only.

We have produced 'we asked, you said, we did' one page summaries for each age group, outlining how insights have been used:

• Year 7-9
• Year 10-11
• Age 17-25