Every secondary school and college should have a sexual health clinic on site to offer pupils advice on contraception, pregnancy tests and screening for sexually transmitted disease, according to a report commissioned by the Government.

The National Children’s Bureau report into sexual health services for post16s also recommends that the Government make sex education compulsory for all sixth-formers.

In some areas only a quarter of secondary schools provide sexual health services for pupils, compared with 75 per cent of further education and sixth-form colleges, according to the first survey of its kind by the sexual health forum.

Schools in London have the worst provision, with only 11.4 per cent offering basic sexual heath services such as free contraception.

In the North West 40.6 per cent of secondary schools have on-site clinics where pupils can get pregnancy tests and long-term contraception such as the implant or injection.

The survey found that 17 faith schools offer sexual health clinics. The Church of England and Roman Catholic schools mostly offer tests for STDs and pregnancy rather than contraception, the report suggests. But in 28.3 per cent of further education and sixth-form colleges there is no provision for sexual health education, the survey indicates.

Britain has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the developed world. More than two in three teens are sexually active by the age of 16, but they are the group least likely to seek advice on contraception or sexual health.

The report says that pupils are often reluctant to attend out-of-school clinics. “Young people often feel uncomfortable accessing services in community settings because of fear about being judged and confidentiality being broken. A typical comment is, ‘We worry that the GP will phone our parents’,” it says.

It recommends that local authorities and health and education experts set up on-site clinics. It also calls for compulsory sex education to continue after the age of 16.

A Government report recently recommending that sex education be mandatory in all schools did not extend to post16 education.

The report says: “For teenage conception rates to drop, good quality personal, social and health education is needed, alongside better access to services.

“Without learning about the importance of looking after one’s sexual health, on-site services are unlikely to be effective.”

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