TEENAGERS in Swindon have been given a lesson in safe sex.

As part of National Condom Week, the town's Teenage Pregnancy Team visited Swindon College to give them advice about sexual health.

And the students were also given a demonstration to show how easily condoms can be damaged which, the team says, can often lead to unwanted pregnancies.

The week aims to educate young adults about safer sex, to raise awareness of the risks and to reinforce the message that using condoms is the only way to protect against both unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

One of the main points the team wanted to get across to the students was to delay their first sexual experience if possible.

Fran Birch, Swindon's teenage pregnancy co-ordinator, said: "We want young people to know that they do not have to have sex, that it's okay to wait until you are ready and that not all young people are having sex. For those young people who are sexually active we wanted to give them advice about sexual health clinics and where they can access advice in the town."

Swindon has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the south west and is ranked as 25th in the country.

A high proportion of these pregnancies are among 16 to 17-year-olds.

And this is the age group that Ms Birch is targeting.

"One of the things I do in front of young people is blow up a condom and put baby oil on it," she said.

"It explodes, which shows them how quickly and easily it can be damaged."

Ms Birch wants young people to think about the consequences of having sex.

"I want them to think about what can happen as a result of having unprotected sex, including unplanned pregnancies, STIs and also of the emotional feelings of regret that can sometimes follow."

She added: "We have seen about 100 students but if just one more young person visits a clinic and is tested for an STI, and is treated, then that is a result.

"It doesn't matter how many people we see. It just takes a few young people to change their habits, which makes a huge difference."

And the team knows it is making that difference because some students, who listened to their advice last year, told them this time around they are now practising safe sex.

There are weekly clinics and advice centres open for young people and for information parents and teenagers can call the Children's information Helpline on 0808 801 0456.