Study: A third of teenagers think they can’t catch HIV through unprotected sex

On the back of a study which has found that a third of young people don’t know they can catch HIV through unprotected sex, calls have been made for clearer sex education.

The study of 1,000 young people, was made by the MAC Aids Fund between May and June this year, and found that a third of 12 to 17-year-olds do not know that HIV can be contracted through having unprotected sex.

Findings also revealed that almost 90% of teenagers think they are not at risk of HIV in their lifetime, reports the BBC.

When asked whethey they had discussed the risk of HIV, 42% said they hadn’t, and 37% said they thought smoking or drinking presented a greater risk.

The charity is now calling for more robust sex education to make young people more aware of the risk of HIV.

The Departments for Education said students will learn about sexually transmitted infections, and HIV, in new science GCSE classes: “As part of the new science GCSE, pupils will also be taught about sexually transmitted infections, which will include HIV and AIDS for the first time.”