Louise McSharry: Why teaching children about sex at an early age actually protects them

Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns said she didn’t want her young children learning about sex. Photo: Getty

Louise McSharry

This week in the UK, Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns went viral for a contribution she made in Westminster Hall. The discussion was around the inclusion of LGBTQ+ in relationships education. No one was talking about sex or sexual education, rather the question of whether it should be acknowledged that loving relationships exist outside of heterosexual relationships (a literal fact). Unfortunately though, some conservative people seem unable to discuss the existence of the LGBTQ+ community without dragging the conversation into people’s sex lives.

Jenkyns said: “As the mother of a primary-age schoolchild, I do not want him or other children, straight or gay, to learn about sex, full stop. I also do not want to see young children in primary school to be taught about changing gender. I have no problem with whatever people want to do when they are older – life is short, be happy – but does my honourable friend agree that we need to protect the innocence of children and their childhood, especially at primary school age?”