Roundup: Teen Age Pregnancy, Don't Do It!

Roundup: Teen Age Pregnancy, Don’t Do It!

Feb 25, 2010, 8:51am

Robin Marty

Britain has seen a reduction in teen pregnancies, but is it good enough? And a mini miracle roundup.

In the U.S., relying on nothing but crossed fingers and potential Big Fun song lyrics as sex education for the last decade has sent our teen pregnancy rates skyrocketing. In the U.K., however, rates are starting to decline. Some see it as success, and a sure sign that comprehensive sex education, especially education that promotes the use of contraceptives, is working.

This morning the 2008 (provisional) conception statistics were published by the Office for National Statistics. The statistics for England showed the under-18 conception rate had dropped to 40.4 per 1000, a decrease of 3.2% from the 2007 rate and the lowest rate for over 20 years. This means the under-18 rate has now fallen 13.3% since the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy began. In 2008, the estimated number of conceptions to women aged under 18 was 38,750 compared with 40,298 in 2007. Of these, 50 per cent led to a legal abortion compared with 51 per cent in 2007.

Leading sexual health agency Marie Stopes International (MSI) issued the following statement:

“We are pleased that the teenage conception rate in England has decreased. The general downward trend over the last decade is confirmation that where implemented appropriately, the Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy contributes to reductions in the teenage conception rate, and the Government should be congratulated on this achievement. We hope that the strategy will receive even more support, to ensure that we are able to continue to improve the sexual health of Britain’s young people.

…

The evidence is clear that when men and women of all ages are given sex and relationships education coupled with access to a variety of contraceptive methods, real reductions in unintended pregnancy rates, and consequently abortion rates, can be achieved. We need to continue to prioritise sexual health to ensure that the future conception rates reach an all-time low.”

But others are pointing out that the rate of decrease is nowhere near the actual goal that was set by the program.

The schools secretary, Ed Balls, defended the government’s record on teenage pregnancies, but conceded it was going to be “really hard” to achieve the 50% reduction.

“It was a really ambitious target – it was a 50% fall. I think it was right to set an ambitious target and it is going to be really hard to make that amount of fall,” he said.

“But it is not enough. I’m still worried about it and there is a lot more to do,” he said.

Victoria Sheard, deputy head of policy at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “So long as the number of teenage pregnancies remains high, there is a need for young people to be given more information to protect themselves. Young people tell us it’s not always easy to get the information and support they need about sex from schools and we have to listen to them. That’s why we strongly welcome plans to make sex and relationships education a statutory part of the national curriculum. But information alone is not enough. There’s a range of contraception out there now, so it’s essential that young people are easily able to access contraceptive services and choose the method that works best for them.”

But of course, since the rate didn’t drop fast enough, the anti-sex ed groups think it’s time to pull the plug.

Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, said: “With all its emphasis on sex education and handing out contraceptives to schoolchildren under the age of consent, it is giving them the green light to experiment sexually”.

Obviously Wells believe that having Big Fun come to the schools might work better.

Mini Roundup:Miracles? Pope becomes slightly less anti-condom, and woman who had both ovaries transplanted gives birth.

February 25, 2010

Va. delegate says reports on abortion comments were ‘unfair’ Washington Post

W. Phila abortion doctor had problems 38 years ago Philadelphia Inquirer

Neb. lawmakers to discuss fetal pain abortion bill Washington Post

Stupak and Abortion Still a Roadblock for Dems and Health Reform … ABCNews.com

Could Abortion Still Sink Health-Care Reform? TIME

2 Philippine bishops endorse pro-life presidential candidate Catholic Culture

Population and Contraception New York Times

Teen pregnancy strategy falling desperately short The Christian Institute

February 24, 2010