The headline was kinda funny. However after taking the "test" (see this link - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...GAVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2007/02/12/nbirth312.xml) for the 12 questions I betcha the Americans would've flunked too! By Sarah Womack, Social Affairs Correspondent Last Updated: 1:57am GMT 13/02/2007 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/12/nbirth412.xml Sex quiz: Test you knowledge of the facts of life A national "sex quiz" has revealed widespread confusion and misunderstandings about some of the facts of life. One in three people thinks vigorous exercise, visiting the bathroom or washing after sex will stop her getting pregnant, and half of people do not know when a woman is most fertile. advertisementNearly nine in 10 had no idea how long sperm could live inside the female body, precipitating pregnancy. Launching Contraceptive Awareness Week, the FPA said the results of its sex quiz showed sex and relationships education "must become a statutory subject in the national curriculum". Its survey, conducted by pollsters Gfk NOP among a representative 500 people, was based on common questions asked by callers to the FPA’s national helpline, the charity said. Anne Weyman, chief executive of the FPA, said: "This survey exposes how far the current system of providing sex education is failing and also that people are acutely aware that it is letting them down. "Reproductive biology is the only statutory part of the national curriculum and even this isn’t achieving acceptable educational standards. "In today’s sexualised society, we are bombarded with a multitude of sexual imagery and messages. Nevertheless, providing people with the information and skills they need to make positive choices about their health and lives is not considered a priority" she continued. "The consequences of Government not taking action to make sex and relationships education compulsory will be continued poor levels of sexual health across all groups in society, and especially the young." She added: "None of us are born with the facts about sex and reproduction we are taught them. "If this doesn’t happen, myths start getting into circulation and people end up not being able to tell fact from fiction. If contraception isn’t used or if it fails, instead of seeking professional help and advice people may take action that is completely ineffective in preventing a pregnancy. "One in five pregnancies ends in abortion so the effects of this reaches far into people’s lives. It is now time to make sex and relationships education a statutory subject in schools." Respondents were asked to judge the sex education they received at school. Only four per cent said it was excellent. Most respondents answered negatively: a combined 39 per cent said it was either poor or extremely poor, while 25 per cent said it was adequate and 18 per cent said they never had any. Dr Dawn Harper, a women’s health specialist, said abortion figures were unnecessarily high. "If women were better educated about long-acting reversible contraceptives, including the intrauterine system (IUS), intrauterine device (IUD), injection or implant, less would be faced with an unwanted pregnancy. These are not teenage girls we’re talking about, but women in their late 20s and 30s in long-term relationships, for whom long acting reversible contraceptives could be suitable." The IUS is a contraceptive inside the uterus which can be removed at any time. It takes five minutes to be positioned by a doctor or nurse and provides effective long-term contraception for up to five years but does not protect against sexually transmitted infections, so women may have to use condoms as well. An IUD is a small plastic and copper device fitted in the uterus which stops the egg settling in the uterus. It is fitted by a doctor but again does not protect against sexually transmitted infections. Contraceptive injections contain a progestogen hormone and last for around eight to 12 weeks. Because of concerns over its effects on bone density however, care has to be taken for use in women under 18 and over 45 and it does not protect from sexually transmitted infections either. An implant is a small flexible rod placed just under the skin in the upper arm which releases a progestogen hormone. Inserted by a doctor or nurse, it will last for three years but women need to ensure condoms are used to protect against infection. Sexual health direct, FPA’s helpline and information service receives 80,000 enquiries a year about contraception and sexual health, and provides details of clinics. The helpline number is 0845 310 1334 and is open 9-6pm Monday-Friday. Simon Blake, chief executive of Brook, one of the main providers for sexual health services to people under 25, urged the Government not to let young people’s sexual health services suffer as a result of financial constraints on the NHS. He said: "It’s essential that NHS funding problems don’t lead to fewer sexual health services for young people, at a time when there is clearly such a need for reliable sexual health advice."
