British teenagers are the most sexually active in Europe and children should be taught about contraception to stem the problem of teenage pregnancies, a report published on Monday said.
A study by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that 38 percent of British 15-year-olds had had sex in the period from 2001-2.
That compared to just 15 percent in Poland, 16 percent in Spain and was also far greater than the countries with the second highest proportion - Sweden, Finland and Germany.
In addition Britain had the highest rate of teenage births, an average of 26 live births per 1 000 women aged 15 to 19.
Sexually related diseases such as Chlamydia and herpes had also risen amongst young people, with one in three 15-year-olds admitting they didn't use condoms.
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