Study finds sex education is paying off

YOUNG people get more information about sexual matters from school than they do from friends or parents, according to a new report.

Researchers at Edinburgh University found almost half of boys and one third of girls aged 15 reported school to be their main source of information on issues such as contraception and sexual health.

The study, funded by NHS Health Scotland, shows a change from 2002, when friends were reported as the primary source of teenagers' information on sex.

The survey showed that young people who report school as their main source of information are less likely to have had sex than those who say they get their information from their parents or friends.

The study also found that pupils who receive sex education are less likely to have negative views about condoms.