Teenagers now make up 1 in 10 patients receiving sex counselling, the NHS has found

The number of teenagers seeking sex therapy on the NHS has more than trebled in two years, according to official figures.

Experts blamed the jump on the increasing prevalence of pornography on teenager’s smartphones and social media, with one saying that youngsters expect sex to be “perfect every time”.

In total, 4,600 children and young people aged 19 or under needed psychosexual therapy in 2017-18 and 2018-19. During the previous two-year period, there were 1,400 referrals. Overall, teenagers make up 1 in 10 patients receiving sex counselling, compared with 1 in 30 two years ago, NHS Digital said.

Muriel O’Driscoll, a counsellor and psychosexual therapist who has treated teenagers, said: “With the young ones, sometimes, despite the availability of sex education, they often don’t