SCOUT leaders across Merseyside have praised the Scout Association for implementing a new sexual health programme for teenagers.

Scouts will be educated about their bodies, sex and relationships from new educational material provided to their leaders.

Members aged between 14 and 18 will benefit from the programme, My Body, My Choice, which follows on from an initiative in 2008, where the Scout Association introduced formal guidance for leaders who were asked questions about sex and relationships.

Jess Flavin, an Explorer Scout leader from Bebington, in Wirral, said: “We have over 500 Explorer Scouts and it’s important that we help young people make informed decisions about their health and well being.

“The resource means we can deliver advice to young people at a crucial stage in their lives covering topics of sexuality, STIs and abstinence.”

Health Protection Agency figures show that the UK has the highest rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and teenage pregnancies in Europe, with STIs being most prevalent in under-25s.

The Scout Association believes these statistics can be reversed if young people are given clear information about safe sex.