RESEARCH has shown that although teenagers think their parents should tell them about the "birds and the bees", they are more likely to find out the information in the playground.

Karen Stephen looks at the problem of educating children about the facts of life and finds out that the message is not always passed on to young people in Bolton.

ATOTAL of 87 per cent of British teenagers say they feel "embarrassed" to discuss sex with their parents. A survey by Sugar magazine has revealed that 48 per cent of teens rely on school playground gossip as the basis of sex education.

Yet most of the those questioned felt it WAS the responsibility of their mothers and fathers to teach them the facts of life.

Editorial Director of Sugar, Lysanne Currie says: "We are really encouraged that teenagers want their parents to educate them about sex and now we need to build on this to eradicate the embarrassment factor."

Revelations about the "birds and the bees" have long been a somewhat taboo subject among many parents.

The traditional "talk" between father and son has probably caused more squirming and clumsy explanations than the first fumblings of sexual experimentation. So what is the answer?

A spokesman for Bolton LIFE pregnancy and advisory service on Newport Street says, sadly, there doesn't seem to be an answer.

"Most of the girls who come here are very young, some as young as 11 or 12, and by the time they come to us they already think they might be pregnant and need a pregnancy test.

"They say they are too frightened to talk to their parents and, bearing in mind the majority come from one parent families, that usually is a mother they can't talk to."

Taking into consideration that nearly half the teenagers in the survey used the playground or school pals as a means to learn about sex, it is hardly surprising that teenage pregnancies are not decreasing.

"Absolutely," says the LIFE spokesman. "I have worked here for 15 years and have only seen the problem increase.

"It's self-perpetuating. Parents today came from the generation where it was considered embarrassing to talk about sex and they would have gleaned what information they could from friends.

"They, in turn, have expected their children to discover the facts of life in a similar way. It's very sad but the hard truth is I really don't know what the answer is.

"Perhaps it is the parents who need to be re-educated in how to educate their own children."

And it seems age doesn't change how embarrassing teenagers find it is to talk about sex.

According to the survey, 42 per cent of 12-13 year-olds and 43 per cent of 17-year-olds would cringe at the mere thought of a conversation about sex with their parents.

And 58 per cent would also be embarrassed if their parents suggested they carried condoms.

However, LIFE says that would be "sensible advice".

Aside from the danger of unwanted pregnancy, sex also carries the very real risk of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and the Sugar survey revealed that there is a huge risk for many teens who have unprotected sex when they are drunk.

Again, another issue that could hopefully be addressed by discussions with parents.

Currie says: "I think some teenagers may seem to forget that their parents were also once teenagers themselves and may be equipped to discuss the matter better than they realise."

She adds: "We are constantly telling our readers that it's best not to have sex until they are in a loving and trusting relationship and over 16 but it is also important that teenagers understand that sex is not something to be embarrassed about."