Scouts will be educated about sex and relationships as from today after the Scout Association launched its first ever national sexual health programme.

Members aged 14-18 will benefit from new educational material provided to their leaders.

Chief Scout Bear Grylls said: “This programme is about getting the right information to young people to help them make smart decisions about their relationships.

“We want to help young people become confident, clued up and aware. My message is – make your own mind up and don’t let others do it for you. We only get one body – so respect it, and people will respect you.” The programme, My Body, My Choice, follows on from an initiative in 2008 in which the Scout Association introduced formal guidance for leaders who were asked about sex and relationships.

That opened up the possibility of trips to sexual health clinics and the distribution of condoms by leaders in special circumstances.

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 are most likely to be reversed if young people are given clear information about safe sex.

As part of the programme, scouts will be able to participate in an activity allowing them to anonymously write down any questions about sex they want answered.

Simon Blake, chief executive officer of sexual health advice charity Brook, said: “We welcome the introduction of this type of no-nonsense material.

“The material is clear and simple and is the type of information young people tell us they need to help them understand how their bodies work and to help them make informed decisions.”

Matt Mills, a scout leader from Braintree in Essex, who was involved in the development and testing of the material, said: “This new guidance means that the young people who we work with will be supported in making informed decisions about their health and well-being.”