A 15-year-old asks for contraception and does not want their parents told. They understand the advice and will have sex regardless. What applies?

The Fraser guidelines allow confidential advice if the criteria are met

Contraception can never be given to under-16s

Parents must always be informed first

The nurse must refuse and send them away

A 12-year-old discloses they are having sex with an older teenager. What is the priority?

Treat it as a safeguarding concern and escalate; a child under 13 cannot consent

Provide contraception and keep it confidential

Do nothing unless the child asks for help

Tell the child to stop and take no further action

A patient wants contraception but is also worried about sexually transmitted infections. What should the nurse highlight?

Condoms reduce STI risk, unlike most other methods, so can be used alongside them

Long-acting methods prevent STIs

A competent 16-year-old asks for sexual health advice. How should confidentiality be handled?

The same duty of confidentiality applies as for an adult, unless there is a safeguarding concern

Their parents have an automatic right to the information

Confidentiality never applies to teenagers

The information must be shared with their school

What is the best overall manner when discussing sexual health?

Disapproving, to discourage risk

Dismissive if the patient is young

Part B2 of 8 Promoting Health and Preventing Ill Health Chapter 31 of 75

Sexual Health and Contraception Questions

NMC CBT sexual health practice: Fraser guidelines, confidentiality, contraception, safeguarding under-13s, and worked scenario answers.

Start reading ← Back to the bank ~5 min read

By JobLabs Editorial · UK healthcare reference editorial team

· July 16, 2026 · Updated Jul 17, 2026 · 2 min read

Sexual health questions test two things at once: practical knowledge of contraception and confidentiality, and the safeguarding judgement that sits underneath them. The manner matters too. These conversations only work when they are non-judgemental, confidential and factual.

Fraser guidelines

The most tested topic is advising under-16s. The Fraser guidelines set out when a competent young person can be given contraceptive advice without parental consent. All of the criteria need to be met: they understand the advice, they cannot be persuaded to tell a parent, they are likely to have sex with or without contraception, their physical or mental health may suffer without it, and it is in their best interests. When those are met, you can advise them confidentially. Questions that say under-16s can never receive contraception, or that parents must always be told, are wrong.

Fraser is specifically about contraceptive advice. Gillick competence is the broader idea that an under-16 can have the capacity to consent to their own treatment.

The safeguarding line

There is one place where all of this stops, and it is a common exam trap. A child under 13 cannot in law consent to sexual activity. So a disclosure of sexual activity involving a child under 13 is always a serious child protection concern that must be escalated through safeguarding, whatever the child says and whatever their wishes about confidentiality. Quietly providing contraception, or doing nothing, would leave a child at risk. This overrides the usual confidentiality.

Contraception and STIs

A practical point worth holding: most contraception prevents pregnancy but not sexually transmitted infections. Condoms are the method that also reduces STI transmission, so they are recommended alongside other methods when infection is a concern. Options claiming the pill or long-acting methods protect against STIs are wrong.

Confidentiality for young people

A competent young person is owed the same confidentiality as an adult, unless a safeguarding risk requires disclosure. Parents and schools have no automatic right to the information. Next: health literacy and behaviour change. Five sexual health scenarios first.

Sources & further reading

Key takeaway from Sexual Health and Contraception Questions

Frequently asked questions

What are the Fraser guidelines?

They set out when a competent under-16 can be given contraceptive advice without parental consent: they understand the advice, cannot be persuaded to tell a parent, are likely to have sex with or without contraception, their health may suffer otherwise, and it is in their best interests.

Is sexual activity involving a child under 13 ever a matter of consent?

No. A child under 13 cannot in law consent to sexual activity, so any such activity is a serious child protection concern and must be escalated through safeguarding, regardless of what the child says. This overrides normal confidentiality.

Which contraception also protects against sexually transmitted infections?

Condoms are the main method that also reduces STI transmission. Most other methods, such as the pill or long-acting reversible contraception, prevent pregnancy but give no STI protection, so condoms are still advised alongside them for that purpose.

Check your understanding

Quick quiz: Sexual Health and Contraception Questions

5questions. Click an answer to see the explanation. Your score is saved on this device only.

1
A 15-year-old asks for contraception and does not want their parents told. They understand the advice and will have sex regardless. What applies?
The Fraser guidelines permit contraceptive advice to a competent under-16 without parental consent when the criteria are met, including that they understand the advice and are likely to have sex anyway. Refusing outright or insisting on parental involvement would breach that framework.
2
A 12-year-old discloses they are having sex with an older teenager. What is the priority?
A child under 13 cannot legally consent to sexual activity, so this is a serious child protection matter that must be escalated through safeguarding. Normal confidentiality does not apply. Providing contraception quietly or taking no action would leave a child at risk.
3
A patient wants contraception but is also worried about sexually transmitted infections. What should the nurse highlight?
Most contraception prevents pregnancy but not STIs. Condoms are the method that also reduces STI transmission, so they are advised alongside other methods when infection is a concern. The pill and long-acting methods give no STI protection.
4
A competent 16-year-old asks for sexual health advice. How should confidentiality be handled?
A competent young person is owed the same confidentiality as an adult, unless there is a safeguarding risk that requires disclosure. Parents and schools have no automatic right to the information, and blanket sharing would breach the young person's confidence.
5
What is the best overall manner when discussing sexual health?
Sexual health conversations work when they are non-judgemental, confidential and clear. Disapproval or vagueness makes people withhold information and take more risk, and dismissing a young person can leave a safeguarding issue undetected.