Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has said that schools should encourage teenagers to consider alternatives to sex.

The Peter Tatchell Foundation campaigner made the claim while writing for Teach Secondary about the future of sex and relationship education.

He said that schools should work to promote oral sex and mutual masturbation as a “sexy” alternative, in order to tackle the risks.

Mr Tatchell wrote: “If schools are serious about cutting the incidence of teen pregnancies, abortions and HIV infections, they should highlight safer, healthier alternatives to vaginal and anal intercourse.

“Oral sex and mutual masturbation carry no risk of conception and a lower risk of HIV.

“The most effective way to persuade teenagers to switch to these alternatives is by making them look and sound sexy, explaining that they can be sexually fulfilling and emphasising their advantages over intercourse: no worries about unwanted conceptions, reduced HIV risk and no need to use the pill or condoms (while mutual masturbation is totally safe, oral sex can transmit sexual infections; it is safer than intercourse but not risk-free).”

The campaigner also said that sex education should be “more explicit” for older pupils, with lessons designed to teach people how to have enjoyable sex.



He wrote: “SRE for 16+ pupils should include advice on how to achieve mutually-fulfilling, high quality sex; including the emotional and erotic value of foreplay; the multitude of erogenous zones and how to excite them; and methods to achieve good orgasms for oneself and one’s partner.”

Parts of this article were changed following publication to clarify Mr Tatchell’s comments.