United Kingdom: Teen Mags "to Help Sex Teaching"

Some teachers criticize magazines geared to teens -- like Mizz and Bliss -- for publishing material that allegedly glamorizes promiscuity, but London University's Institute of Education (IoE) plans to use such media as a teaching aid in sex education materials for youths ages 12-15.

"We believe that using media offers teachers a fresh approach to tackling sex and relationships education," said IoE researcher David Buckingham, whose MediaRelate project found informal sex education was "less embarrassing" to students. A survey of some 800 students ages 10, 12 and 14 discovered more than two-thirds thought television and teenage magazines were useful or very useful as a "way to find out about love, sex and relationships." However, teachers were "unconfident" about how to employ such resources.

Students will be asked to analyze stories about sex in magazines and TV programs, with the aim of "encouraging kids to be more critical of media coverage," said Buckingham. "On the one hand, some media glamorize sex. On the other, they are warned against it because of the risks of pregnancy or diseases," he said. UK teen pregnancy rates are among Europe's highest, and STDs including chlamydia and syphilis have reportedly increased.

"Sex education is quite a problem for lots of teachers. It's a highly personal area," said Buckingham. "Looking at how the media deal with it makes it less personal and encourages students to debate the issues." The MediaRelate project is assembling a booklet for use in schools; teaching materials could be available by next April.

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