Teenage pregnancy plan a complete disaster in the UK

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 15 Mar 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Areas of the UK where the government has tried to reduce unwanted teenage pregnancies are precisely the areas which have seen the fastest rises in unwanted teenage pregnancies. This is according to campaigners.

The message seems to be that the government efforts did not even have no impact, they had an impact, and produced an increase rather than a reduction.

The campaigners from Family and Youth Concern have criticised the government for focusing on giving youngsters the means to have sex rather than teaching them the benefits of not having underage sex.

"It has been a disaster," said President Valerie Riches.

The UK Department of Health responded by saying that giving teenagers access to contraceptives is just part of their strategy.

The campaigners say that the government's efforts to reduce pregnancies among the under-18s is not working at all.

Unwanted pregnancies among under 18s in the UK has gone up 2.2% in one year from 40,966 to 41,868.

In areas where the government has introduced special programmes the rates of unwanted pregnancies among under 18s have gone up by 22.4% in Torbay and 16.4% in Cornwall. The trend is generally a huge increase where the government has tried to intervene.

Valerie Riches said 'They seem to be actively urging young people to have sex with the free availability of contraception, no questions asked and with parents out of the loop. The vast majority of youngsters did not want to have sex and that girls, in particular, felt under pressure to give it away. Until our sexual educators overcome their phobia about abstinence and their obsession with sexual expression, they are unlikely to make any positive progress."

The Department of Health said access to contraceptives was part of the overall strategy for teenage sexual health. It said part of the programme was to help young people to resist pressure to have sex early through improved sex and relationship education.

A Department of Health spokesman said 'It also includes improving knowledge of risks of unprotected sex, increasing early uptake of contraceptive and sexual health advice by sexually active young people and involving parents and the wider community."

The UK has the highest rates of unwanted teenage pregnancies in the developed world.

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