Sex has always been dangerous ground for politicians. It’s easy to shy away from difficult problems like teenage pregnancies, care for people with HIV/Aids and sexually transmitted diseases. But since seaside towns like Weston typically have more of these problems than the national average, it would be irresponsible to ignore them.

So I was particularly pleased to be shown around Weston Hospital’s new clinic for sexually transmitted diseases the day before it opened last week. It’s all state of the art. There’s a discrete, well-signposted separate entrance so that patients aren’t embarrassed as they go in, a separate laboratory for on-site diagnosis, and a comprehensive counselling service too.

Equally importantly, the new clinic means that Weston Hospital is getting bigger. It desperately needs to expand, having become too small to cope as more and more people have moved into Weston and the nearby villages. Last year the hospital treated a record number of people. Clearly, high-quality sexual health services are part of the mix of treatment which a modern medical facility should provide.

Nationally, Britain has a problem. The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Europe, and in the developed world we’re second only to the United States. Clearly a new clinic in Weston hospital is excellent and necessary, but the problem goes wider than that.

Fundamentally, the issue is our sexual decisions and behaviour. That’s politically difficult for two reasons: firstly, many people feel embarrassed talking about it; and secondly, politicians are (unfortunately) no better than anybody else when it comes to personal morality. But it’s an issue we have to face. Otherwise patients will be victimised, and young people won’t be properly informed about the decisions they’ll have to take as adults. Weston Hospital’s new clinic won’t solve all these problems, but it will certainly help.