英国政府机构日前建议，应该让5岁的小学生开始接受正规的性教育课程，鼓励他们讨论性知识。

    据《镜报》12月5日报道，英国政府青少年性健康和怀孕问题独立顾问小组撰写报告指出，现行的英国性教育体制由学校自行决定是否向11岁以下的学生进行性教育，这种体制是有损学生健康和成长的，应当予以改革；学校应该给5岁至11岁的小学生开设性教育必修课，鼓励他们讨论性知识。青少年性健康和怀孕问题独立顾问小组成员是来自英国医疗行业、性行为以及青少年性健康领域的42名专家。

    该小组建议，学生的性教育课程应不仅仅教授基本的两性生理和卫生知识，而应就性行为、性心理进行更多深入的讨论，例如如何应对同伴性要求、如何避孕以及避免性病的传播等；其中小学生将被教授如何处理人与人之间的相互关系，中学生才会被教授具体的性行为知识和后果。

    该小组指出，更加开放、丰富和详细的性教育课程将改善英国少女怀孕率居高不下的现状。

    报道说，英国每年新增几十万少女妈妈。她们中多数都会把孩子生下来，而其中有一成甚至还不满16岁。这个数字在欧洲高居榜首，更是比公认的性开放国家荷兰高了将近5倍。而瑞典是性教育开展得较成功的国家，从幼儿园开始到高中有一套系统完整的教育内容和体系，收到了比较好的效果。

    自1976年开始，瑞典少女妊娠和人工流产数字明显下降，性病和性犯罪发生率也逐步减少，“未婚母亲家庭”几乎消失。

    报道说，青少年性健康和怀孕问题独立顾问小组已经将这份报告递交给了健康教育部。

    Children as young as five should have compulsory sex education at school, say Government advisers.

    Lessons would go far further than teaching the basics, with in-depth discussions for older children on sexually transmitted diseases, contraception and peer pressure to have sex.

    Primary school children aged five to 11 would be encouraged to discuss their feelings and emotions about sex.

    The Independent Advisory Groups on Sexual Health and Teenage Pregnancy blame the current system, where schools decide whether to teach sex education to under-11s, for muddled knowledge among most primary pupils.

    More open, informative and detailed lessons would help tackle high rates of teenage pregnancy, they say.

    They want legislation to make Personal, Social and Health Education compulsory. It would include sex and relationships, with discussion on topics such as dealing with peer pressure, where to get condoms and how infections such as chlamydia and genital warts are passed on.

    Younger pupils would focus on the emotional issues associated with relationships, with only secondary pupils getting more detailed information on sexual activity and its consequences.

    The report, sent to ministers at the Departments of Health and Education, shows teenage pregnancy in Liverpool, Bradford and Hackney, East London, fell after schools there introduced sex education classes. Labour peer Joyce Gould, who chaired the group, said the proposals would not lead to more promiscuity.