13-year-old with a cold? Quiz them on their sex lives, GPs are told

read the whole article here:

Children visiting their GPs with minor ailments could be closely questioned about their sex lives as part of an attempt to cut teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

A Government health watchdog wants doctors to target children as young as 13, even if they have not asked for family planning advice. Family doctors will be ordered to make more effort to offer contraception to sexually active young teenagers, as well as warning them of the risks of infections including chlamydia, which can harm fertility.

They will be expected to spend 15 to 20 minutes inquiring into the sex life of each teenager, even if the teenager comes in for an ailment such as a sore throat.

The measures, proposed in draft guidance by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice), were drawn up to try to stem the rising tide of sexually transmitted infections and Britain's alarming number of teenage pregnancies, which cost the taxpayer £63 million a year.

However, GPs say that they will struggle to find the time to carry out counselling, while critics say the measures will do little to stop the spread of sexual diseases or prevent schoolgirls from getting pregnant. The policy also appears to contradict the latest Government message, which urges young people to "delay" having sex.

powered by performancing firefox