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This paper seeks to examine the way sex and relationships education programs, as part of Health Education extra curriculum activities, have been implemented in the Greek primary schools.

The paper presents and discusses data from an anonymous survey research questionnaire distributed to the 68 Elementary sector Health Education Coordinators throughout Greece (received responses n=34).

Findings indicate that there is an uneven distribution on teachers' choices when selecting a thematic unit for implementing Health Education projects. It has been found that Nutrition is by far the most popular topic for project development and implementation. In contrast, Sex and Relationships Education is by far the least popular, occupying only 1.6 per cent of the share of programs. Obstructive factors for Sex and Relationships Education implementation are related to the Greek educational system as well as pragmatic and moral reasons on the teachers' part.

A response rate of the survey of only 50 per cent is a limiting factor.

On the basis of these data, teachers' awareness and training, as well as material development, are important for Sex and Relationships Education programs to become an active innovation. The role of the central administration is emphasized as well.

The paper raises an awareness of the issue of an unsuccessful implementation of Sex and Relationships Education programs in Greece, in the light of a range of sexual health‐related problems that affect the population.

Discusses some of the continuing obstacles that prevent sex and relationship education (SRE) programmes in England from being more effective. The prevalence of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections that disproportionally affect the young indicate the urgency with which action needs to be taken. Discusses current sex education practices in England with reference to recent SRE guidelines and strategies, and in the light of the findings of a focus group of health care and education workers who deliver SRE to young people. The focus group uncovered several barriers to successful SRE. Suggests that apart from commissioning SRE guidelines the Department for Education and Skills needs to take a more overall and direct role in assuring that all young people are offered an adequate SRE. Concludes that any real and lasting changes can only be achieved if sex and relationship education goes beyond the individual to include a focus on social and cultural processes.

This paper aims to identify the preferences towards sex education and information from a religiously diverse sample of young people. The research builds on growing evidence towards religious affiliation having a strong influence on sexual attitudes and behaviour.

A total of 3,007 young people aged 15‐18 attending schools in London, UK, completed a cross‐sectional survey. The questionnaire identified preferred sexual health “topics”, preferences for where they would like to receive this education and who they thought would be the ideal person to deliver the information.

The largest religious group was Christian (34 per cent), followed by Muslim (24 per cent), Hindu (21 per cent), “Don't believe” (15 per cent) and “Other” (7 per cent). There were a number of similarities across the practising religious groups such as preferences for more information on sexually transmitted infections and how to make sex more satisfying. The data also showed significant differences across the religious groups, in particular between Hindus and Muslims, and their preferences towards the ideal person to deliver sex education. Hindus were notable for showing a higher preference towards someone of similar age, and also reporting the least preference for someone of the same religion. By contrast, Muslims reported a higher preference for religious compatibility on the premise that such a person could “identify with” their own religious and cultural beliefs.

Although derived from a sample that is not statistically representative of all young people, the findings demonstrate the potential and importance of being able to respond to the competing sex education preferences of religious groups. The forthcoming challenge is to research the ways in which this potential for sex education can be harnessed in a sensitive manner.

This paper is valuable in terms of establishing young people's preferences for information on sex and relationships, but less so in terms of identifying the types of sex education that are most beneficial. Indeed, it is likely that this paper will be of particular relevance to the “knowledge and understanding” element that is specified in this guidance.

Homosexuality and bisexuality have existed since the beginning of life itself, yet such expressions have been repressed by many societies, from Plato's Greece to Shakespeare's England to America in the 1990s. Likewise, contraceptive devices have been in existence for over 3,200 years, but their availability has long been suppressed by religious groups and societies.

The purpose of the paper is to investigate how young people are using school‐based sources of sex and relationships education (SRE) to obtain information and advice.

The paper shows how anonymous self‐completion questionnaires were administered to young people aged between 12 and 19 years in three secondary school and six out‐of‐school youth settings (n=401). Follow‐up focus group interviews were conducted with 12 groups of young people from the school and out‐of‐school settings (n=57).

The paper finds that school lessons were the most frequent source of sex and relationships information for many young people. Lessons were reported to be most useful for students who were male, younger and more educationally engaged. School lessons were widely criticised by young people as predominantly focusing on biological aspects of sex and relationships and lacking a discursive or participatory element. Young people perceived a diminishing commitment to SRE by teachers as they progressed into later years.

The paper examines a predominantly working‐class sample of young people from one urban area of South Wales.

On the basis of the data analysis in this paper a number of suggestions are made regarding the nature of future school provision of SRE.

This paper raises awareness and highlights issues surrounding the role of schools, teachers and school nurses in sex and relationships education.

The goal of empowerment is widely aspired to in health promotion. In practice, however, there are several limitations to this approach when applied to school‐based sex education. It is frequently difficult for pupils to express their perceived needs, there are strong arguments for not leaving the sex education agenda entirely to young people, and several barriers exist which constrain pupils from actively participating in sex education exercises. The practical difficulties in implementing empowerment principles suggest that compromises should be made, recognising that participation in decision making has to be consistent with age and capabilities, that social factors inhibit pupils from negotiating their learning needs and that considerable research findings on young people’s sexual health needs already exist.

The purpose of this paper is to briefly outline the current debate on the delivery of sex education in the UK. The paper presents a brief summary of the recently published literature and details how the research papers in this special issue add to the current body of evidence.

This special issue introduces five new articles, including both original studies and reviews of the current literature. In response to a call for papers, five abstracts were selected and each author or group of authors invited to submit a fully developed paper, which was then subjected to blind peer review by two independent experts.

The brief summary of the recently published literature details how the research papers in this special issue add to the current body of evidence.

The dissemination of research evidence helps to ensure that practice is continually informed by emerging evidence and it is hoped that the publication of this special issue may contribute to this process.

The purpose of this paper is to clarify: the law on capacity to consent to sex; ethical and legal factors in assessing decision‐making capacity of those on the autism (ASD) and neurodiverse (ND) spectrums; and the legal obligations to promote sexual health devolving to local authorities from April 2013. We make proposals to ensure socio‐sexual competence by providing appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE).

Critical legal analysis of case law and legislation on the capacity of the vulnerable to consent to sex, in the context of those diagnosed on the autism and neurodiverse spectrums.

Consent to sex cannot be regarded as informed, autonomous, valid and lawful without socio‐sexual competence. Sex and relationships education should be provided to ensure socio‐sexual competence, in keeping with international conventions and national laws and policies.

There is an urgent need for research into the needs and experiences of people with ASD/ND and their families/carers with regard to the efficacy and tailoring of SRE strategies. This research should feed into SRE family intervention programmes (SREFIPs), developed in partnership with people with ASD/ND, their families/carers and professionals.

This article seeks to resolve many of the existing legal uncertainties surrounding the capacity to consent to sex and to propose novel solutions to ensure the socio‐sexual competence of those diagnosed on the ASD or ND spectrums in relation to their rights to sexual expression.

This paper aims to contribute to growing efforts to “contextualise” young people's experiences of sexual and intimate relationships in research and sex and relationships education (SRE). The study reports on which explored factors young people identified as influencing their relationships – in the past, present and future.

An exploratory, qualitative investigation was conducted using focus groups and in‐depth interviews to elicit young people's attitudes to, and experiences of, intimate relationships. A diverse group of young men and women (N=52) were purposively sampled from a range of agencies, including supported accommodation units, a young offenders' institution and two boarding schools.

Peer groups, a need for protection and companionship, and previous negative relationships variously influenced young people's experiences in early youth. Access to potential partners, other priorities, and the degree to which young people could offer a critical assessment of a relationship played a role in explaining current relationship attitudes and experiences. Future aspirations for sexual and intimate relationships were largely influenced by young people's broader plans for their education and transition into adulthood.

Age‐appropriate and personally relevant forms of SRE need to be developed which focus on the various factors influencing relationships at different points in time for groups of young people.

Contextualising young people's sexual and intimate relationships in terms of the specific factors influencing attitudes, experiences in the past and present, together with future aspirations can usefully inform the development of SRE programmes.