An 18th-century chastity belt and phallic Roman amulets are to be used to enrich sex education for secondary school pupils.

In an attempt to help students discuss challenging topics, researchers from the University of Exeter are to launch a new taster course for schools that teaches sex education through the examination and discussion of ancient artefacts.

The Sex and History project will see youngsters aged between 14 and 19 discuss illustrations of objects from the collection of Sir Henry Wellcome. Between 1900 and his death in 1936, the billionaire pharmaceutical giant amassed more than a million objects from across the globe for his museum of medical history. More than 1,000 of these are sexual in nature.