The strategy will aim to reduce sexually transmitted diseases

The Scottish Executive plan includes efforts to tackle the country's appalling record of sexually transmitted diseases.

All schools will be expected to follow national guidelines, but head teachers will decide who teaches sex education and in what context.

However, the Catholic Church has warned that the "same old message" of more sex education and more contraception is not working.

We asked what you thought the executive should attempt to tackle the issue and whether the current approach was working. The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we received:

I taught in a school for five years which gave NO sex education at all, yet still got good HMI reports. The local authority, too, frowns upon sex education and therefore turns its back on abortions (one pupil had three), disease and child abuse in the community. Its not just the Catholic Church.
John Mackenzie, Glasgow

Being a recent school leaver (four years ago), I would like to point out that schools do NOT teach enough about sexual health. They do teach you about STIs and forms of contraceptive, however, the amount of material used to teach this subject is not enough. Example, images should be used to show the effects of not looking after yourself properly. In addition, teenagers should be taught what to do if they have a problem, or at least think they have a problem, instead of just ignoring it.
Mark , Glasgow

I welcome the sexual health strategy as it does not target young people solely, it presents a strategy for all members of society: Young, old, physically impaired, people with learning difficulties, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and BME (black and minority ethnic) communities. Everyone has the right to make informed decisions about their sex lives, sexuality and sexual identity and an all-encompassing strategy of this stature is important in providing an equality of service throughout Scotland, ie you decide not to use condoms and are informed enough to make this decision and be aware of the consequences. The Catholic Church has for too long controlled the information available to pupils in its schools.
Christian, Glasgow

I am a teenager, and to be honest hardly got any sex education. However, I have not been sitting in a cave with my eyes shut and my fingers in my ears whistling - therefore I am very well aware of the risks of sex. I am also very well aware of the problem of teenage pregnancy. I don't consider myself more informed than any teenager and in many ways I'm less well informed. So if I know the issues, it's a fair bet nearly everyone does. But the problem is not going away and is getting worse. Attitudes that it is radical to think of abstinence as a solution aren't going to solve this problem. Here's a rather startling fact. The risk of contracting an STD whilst celibate is nil, none, 0%. Logic would suggest that that is the ideal state of play, the best solution - the answer to the equation. But then, of course, I can see this as a teenager, people didn't really learn maths or common sense in the old days - the exams were too easy.
Martin, Glasgow, Scotland

As someone who has left secondary education in the last five years, I was shocked when I discovered just how little I knew about sex education. My school taught us nothing on Aids or any other STD or STI. Nor did we receive any education on contraceptives other than condoms. If a friend hadn't pointed me in the direction of our local Family Planning Clinic I'd probably still be none the wiser. How can we expect young people to be mindful of these dangers if we don't teach them? We need to be frank and honest with kids about sex if we want to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and STIs.
Kelly, Fife, Scotland

As a young person I recall the sex education lessons at my school were infrequent, concentrated too much on the 'science' part of the process, used complicated words and were held with too many pupils with a teacher who looked uncomfortable with the subject. Kids need sex education lessons throughout their school years and they need them earlier in a more relaxed atmosphere in smaller groups with someone they can relate too. Kids need ALL the facts and ALL the options ranging from safer sex to abstinence - they need to know that sex is good and nothing to be ashamed of, but they also need to be taught that it also carries risks - including STIs and pregnancy and should be based on love (although not necessarily within marriage). There also has to be recognition that not all the pupils in a class may be straight either - there are kids (like me) who sat in class wondering when the teacher was going to talk about same-sex issues. This never happened and therefore the sex education that I received was meaningless.
Paul, Edinburgh, Scotland

I think that the Scottish Executive needs to change its strategy and listen to a number of groups, including the Catholic Church. Abstinence should be piloted because more money aimed at more contraception available to the young is patently not working. The executive really needs to listen and deliver a rounded strategy rather than the "same old message", which is a complete failure.
Jonathan, Glasgow

More education about sexual heath has to be a good thing, the number of youths my age (17) who still believe the "old wives' tales" is unbelievable. It is also difficult to understand how so many frown upon teenaged pregnancies and STI's and yet cannot bring themselves to talk to their children about these issues. You'd be surprised how thankful most would be that we can actually talk about a personal problem or question instead of everyone believing "it would never happen to our child", because one day it might be. Education at school is a start but parents must play a role themselves.
Ashley C, Perthshire

There seems to be a general assumption that abstinence outside of marriage is unrealistic and, therefore, should not be considered. If we start from the assumption that people will be sexually active outside of marriage, we are starting from a position of fighting a losing battle. Maybe we should consider again the possibility of sex being something very special - something that is only appropriate within marriage.
Kevin, Glasgow

The current approach to sexual health and to sex education in Scotland is not working. Even people who come from supposedly "good" backgrounds can and have been pregnant in their teenage years. This is not an isolated problem. The approach has to change. More sex education without embarrassment and skipping over topics that the teachers don't wish to discuss. A lecture on sexual health does very little when you don't believe that the lecturer is telling the truth, or is not experienced. There is no opportunity to ask questions without looking like a fool in front of your peers. Small groups (preferably single sex) should be given classes, hear from experience, see single teenage parents struggling to bring the message home. Even a half decent (and up-to-date) sexual health video would help if teachers (who are usually landed with talking to pupils about these topics) would make a difference. There are many things that the schools can do to reduce the teenage pregnancy rate. I honestly feel that if I had been better informed about the reality and the facts, that I wouldn't have gotten pregnant.
Lucy, Paisley

I am a Catholic and I think that children should be educated about contraception and safe sex. However, this must be done in a context which also presents alternatives, such as abstention, as equally valid, respectable and realistic choices (surely the non-religious also agree in this at least where such young children are concerned). Children should be given the strength and encouragement not to let themselves be pressured into sex prematurely, and they should be taught about the psychological and physiological benefits of not starting sex too early. It is also imperative that the way in which sex education is taught be changed: separating classes according to gender for these lessons would remove a source of embarrassment and enable children to pay more attention to the message that is being transmitted. Lessons should be taught by health professionals and not by teachers who may be inadequately prepared themselves and who the children have to interact with on a regular basis and in other contexts as well.
Anna, Oxford

Sex education which includes lessons on avoiding disease and pregnancy can only be a good thing. Simply telling youngsters not to have sex obviously hasn't worked so they need all the facts to help them protect themselves. The Catholic Church should keep out of it - they don't play the game, so shouldn't make the rules! How many pregnancies and infections are down to their teaching that wearing a condom is a sin?
Christina, UK

As someone who has had an STD in the recent past I think it's time for a radical solution to the problem. I think the Catholic Church and their abstinence message is probably the only way we can hope to wipe out the modern day plague of STDs.
Derek Thomson, Glasgow

It surprises me that no-one has hit upon the bright idea of just telling girls in detail what happens to their bodies during pregnancy and childbirth. The gruesome truth is about the best contraceptive measure there is.
Caroline, Glasgow

Ask the teenagers what they think is the cause of high STD and pregnancy rates and what they think could be done to lower them. Ask the Scandinavians how they achieve a low teenage pregnancy rate. Do not ask religious sects!
A. Edwards, St Andrews

If it's part of the curriculum surely every school has to deliver it? Every child at school has the right to be properly taught about biology, morals, and keeping themselves safe and healthy - whatever the faith of the school and teachers. Teenagers begin to experiment with drink and sex and religion ain't got nothing to do with that.
Rebecca, Glasgow

As usual... concentrating on just teenage sex instead of how to understand what a quality relationship feels like for anyone, and concentrating on girls rather than the other 50% of the problem. This needs a radical change in how our society operates. The message at the moment is "sex, sex, sex" and you can't really blame teenagers for being caught up in that cynical and very adult distortion. Teenagers have always had raging hormones. It's the example of the society around them that determines how that is played out.
Andrew, Norwich

Your report doesn't do justice to the excellent arguments of Susan Deacon in the face of emotive and alarmist contributions from Sister Reddy. This should not be a faith issue. It is a health and well-being issue. The Catholic Church and others who share their very limited view on this subject have sought to keep proper information on sex education and relationships from young people in schools for years. It is little wonder that our figures on teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases continue to be so poor. They must recognise that it is time to move on in this debate and offer our young people proper advice and proper access to contraception and support. We need 21st Century solutions not 1st Century solutions.
Ian, Edinburgh Scotland

Teenagers are not as naive as they seem to be. These kids need to be brought up with some moral discipline.
Aaron, Wales

The Catholic Church says that there should be no sex outside marriage. If both you and your spouse follow this rule then your need of protective contraception is almost certainly zero. If not then use a condom but stop expecting the Catholic Church to change its rules simply to fit in with what society feels is acceptable. If you choose to send your children to a Catholic school then accept they will receive a Catholic education. However, given the multi-media culture we live in a teenager would have to sit in a darkened room all day not to know there was a risk associated with unprotected sex - whether they do anything about that is another question.
Allan Mackenzie, Dumbarton, Scotland

The original proposals for the Sexual Health Strategy, which the Catholic Church were involved in drawing up, offered a multi-approach attempt to improving our woeful record on sexual health. Abstinence does work for some people, but to pretend that it is a 'one size fits all' panacea is short-sighted. For those that can't abstain we need to try and change behaviour through education, and to encourage condom use. The Catholic Church need to recognise they are in the 21st Century and that many Scottish Catholics are ignoring the teachings of the church and are using condoms.
Mark Craig, Glasgow

Catholic children often mix with non-Catholic children outside of school, especially as they get older. Are we not doing them a disservice if we do not give them access to the same information and services as other Scottish children? I think it would place them at a potentially dangerous disadvantage. The church can stress abstinence and teach about marriage, but ultimately children also need to know how to have sex safely if - like most children in Catholic schools - they choose not to accept the church's teachings.
Stephanie, Edinburgh

I think children, especially girls, should be given more than just education. Teenage pregnancy should be dealt with in a similar manner to that of child drinking and smoking. Hard-hitting facts about getting pregnant at such an early age, and advice on how to stop girls from being faked into having unprotected sex, is the only way we can curb this disease, and it is a disease.
Martin, UK

The Catholic Church should remember that their "same old message" has never worked and it never will, so it's time they kept quiet
Alistair Paxton, Edinburgh

As a recent school leaver I know that the schools do the best to teach pupils about sex, etc, but no matter how much teenagers are told they are going to go and have sex anyway - protected or unprotected.
Fiona, Glasgow

I heard the interview this morning and cringed... for both parties. Susan Deacon came across as patronising and dismissive and Sr Reddy came across as aggressive and confrontational. Perhaps it was not the best situation for the discussion - too many time limits meaning that each party was vying to get the best soundbite. My sympathies, on balance, however, are with Sr Reddy. This isn't the Catholic Church trying to take over Scotland, but it is the church giving an authoritative suggestion of a change of direction in Scotland's sexual health strategy. We have a big problem here... current approaches aren't working and more of the same is not likely to have a greater impact. An abstinence approach could have a big impact - this isn't right wing stuff, just common sense!
Eddie, Stirling

I find it astonishing that the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland feels able to comment on anything to do with children and sex. Ruled by a bunch of old men who do not play the game but want to make the rules. Scotland's sexual health is a disgrace and something NEEDS to be done. One only needs to look at the spread of Aids in Africa to see how the RC church's teachings can impact a society. Unless they want to start paying for the privilege of their mono-faithed schools then they should comply with the Scottish Executive and implement their plan.
Brian Cooper, Glasgow

Growing up in Scotland in the 70s and 80s I was always amazed at the extent of sexual ignorance amongst my peers. While at university I met many people who had received sex education in England but what struck me was how inconsistent this was. Whatever your views, young people will have sex - perhaps it is better to teach them how to handle sexual situations such as saying no when they are not ready and using a condom when they are. Sex is everywhere and young people are bombarded with images. I may not know much about sex but I know one thing: it isn't like that in the movies. The problem with Scotland is that there is an underlying feeling or wish that young people should not have sex and "get away with it". Sex without guilt or shame or consequences is not on the Scottish agenda. Until we rid ourselves of this attitude young people will get pregnant, contract STDs and even HIV.
Saddened, Belgium

I agree 100% with Ewan, Dundee (below). Also, is it not the Catholic Church that prohibits contraception, therefore increasing the risks of STD?
Ryan Mackie, Aberdeen, Scotland

The sexual health policy of the Scottish Executive is a joke. Failed health ministers like Susan Deacon should appreciate reality rather than dabbling in affairs in which she appears to be ignorant.
Martin Kane, Glasgow

As a Sassenach Catholic I find it hard to sympathise with the position adopted by the Scottish Catholic Church. I'm also a faith advisor member of the Westminster Government's Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy. The previously liberally inclined Cardinal O'Brien seems to be running scared of more fundamentalist forces seeking to influence the Catholic Church in Scotland - or playing a naive political game both with them and the Scottish Executive. Of course he himself has been a victim of some of these conservative elements, causing trouble for him in Rome. Does he still stand by the now dated but still excellent HIV Prevention resource pack produced by Edinburgh Archdiocese some years ago, for use in Catholic schools? He could take a leaf out of the English Archdiocese of Birmingham's book. The English Teenage Pregnancy Unit has part-funded Birmingham in a new video and teaching resource, All That I Am, starting at primary level and going through to the end of secondary level. This deals with a whole range of sex and relationships issues in a sensible and open way. It doesn't push a heavy abstinence-only line but tries to acknowledge the reality of young peoples' lives by giving clear information along with a gentle exposition of Catholic teaching on such issues as abortion, contraception, drugs and alcohol misuse, diversity of sexual orientation, as well as other health issues.
Martin, London

Susan Deacon would do well to listen for once instead of adopting her usual patronising cynicism. I hope she and the rest of the Scottish Executive (who have yet to justify the money that has been spent on them) do realise that the only contraception that is 100% effective is abstinence.
Roderick Bryce, Edinburgh