Teenagers are relying on YouTube stars to fill in the gaps left by sex education in schools, it has been revealed.
British pupils are turning to vloggers to learn about topics including sex toys, porn and female masturbation because they are not covered sufficiently by teachers, or are overlooked completely, according to sex education charity Brook.
A spokeswoman for the charity said some young people feel like they are being ‘left in the dark’ and are ‘turning to the internet to answer their complex questions’.
Filling in the gaps: British pupils are turning to vloggers to learn about topics including sex toys, porn and female masturbation because they are not covered in schools. File image
Speaking to FEMAIL, she said: ‘The standard of relationships and sex education (RSE) in schools in England is extremely inconsistent.
‘While some schools include regular RSE lessons in their timetable and invest in the training of their staff to deliver RSE, other students may have as little as an hour in their entire secondary school education…
‘It is no wonder that many young people are feeling left in the dark and are turning to the internet to answer their complex questions.’
One Brook volunteer, Jenny, told how she turned to YouTube because as a 16-year-old girl she felt no adults were giving her a ‘no-nonsense, clear, and unbiased approach to sex education’.
Candid: Sex and relationships Youtuber and author, Hannah Witton, pictured, is among those stepping in to help shed light on issues that young people can find embarrassing to talk about
Sex and relationships Youtuber and author Hannah Witton is among those stepping in to help shed light on issues that young people can find embarrassing to talk about.
The 26-year-old boasts more than 430,000 subscribers and attracts millions of viewers with her refreshingly candid videos, with titles like ‘the benefits of porn’ and ‘how to have a successful holiday fling’.
Her most-watched video is ‘why having big boobs sucks’, which has had more than 3.6million views.
Speaking to the Guardian, Hannah, who is an ambassador for Brook, said she was inspired by American YouTuber Laci Green, who vlogs around similar themes.
‘I decided I wanted to start making content about that because I noticed that most of my audience were young women,’ she said.
‘I felt like I wanted to do something. In terms of my personal experience, [sex education] was very much lacking in school.’
Under legislation passed last year, relationship education is now compulsory in all primary schools, while sex and relationships education is compulsory in secondaries.
Life lessons: Relationship education is now compulsory in all primary schools, while sex and relationships education is compulsory in secondaries – but some are still falling short
As part of the move, guidance on the subject is being updated, amid concerns that the current advice is out of date and fails to address modern day issues such as cyber-bullying, sexting and online safety.
Some aspects of sex education is covered in Science.
The Brook spokeswoman said that it it important vlogs do not come to replace classroom education but complement it.
She added: ‘It is also worth noting that while the internet is full of sex positive vloggers and fun, factual information, it is also rife with misinformation.
The charity is urging schools to invest in training and to build RSE into the timetable ‘so that young people are receiving consistent, non-judgemental information that is based on facts and relevant to their age and stage of development’.