Sex education is one of the most contentious topics facing parents, teachers and policymakers.

Why do we have it?

Is it a parent's responsibility or should it be on the curriculum in schools?

Is sex education just about stopping unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections? Or should it be about a wider agenda including empowerment, equality and informed decision making?

The Guardian is running a year-long series looking at young people's sexual health and sex education in the UK and around the world, including a number of live discussions on key themes.

Our first discussion, from noon on Thursday 31 May, will focus on sex education.

Panel

Doortje Braeken, IPPF's senior adviser on adolescents and young people, is responsible for co-ordinating programmes in 26 countries implementing a rights-based approach to youth friendly services and comprehensive sexuality education.

David Kesterton is parenting and community project manager for FPA.

Anna Martinez is co-ordinator of the National Sex Education Forum, which is part of the National Children's Bureau.

Dr Damian Wood is a consultant paediatrician with an interest in adolescent medicine at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. He is also governor of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's young people's health special interest group.

Sion Humphreys is a policy advisor for the National Association of Head Teachers and has been involved in issues surrounding sex education in schools. He was also a head teacher and deputy head at secondary level for many years.

Ruth Hunt is the director of public affairs at Stonewall.

Stephanie Creighton works at Brook in Milton Keynes.

David Weston is a teacher who has previously written about coming out at a school and teaching young people about sexuality.