Research presentation - Babies having Babies (Chanel Akinwande)

 Babies having Babies

 

Why such a downer on teenage pregnancy?

• A teenager expecting a baby is a bad thing. Or so you would believe if you ever read the news.
• It is proclaimed that the UK's rate of pregnancies in females aged15-19 makes it the "worst"in Europe.
• This is certainly the government's view. The stated goal of its Teenage Pregnancy Strategy is to "halve the under-18 conception rate by 2010, and establish a firm downward trend in the under-16 rate".            (Image)http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7595871.stm 
• Pregnant teenagers receive negative reactions, she says. "The initial response was one of horror and shame and it made the kids feel terrible. They meet prejudice on every single corner. Going down the road looking pregnant, people looking at them in a hateful way

Government target 

•  Although the number of teenage pregnancies in England and Wales fell in 2008, the government is highly unlikely to meet its 1999 pledge to halve teenage pregnancies in England by 2010
•  Figures from the Department of Children, Schools and Families show rates in England are down by just 13.3% from 1999 to 2008
• The government allocated £260m to reducing teenage pregnancy and, in 2009, ministers announced an extra £20.5m funding package for contraception resources. 

Teenage pregnancy rates

• The number of teenage pregnancies in England and Wales has fallen by 4%, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)
• A total of 41,325 women under 18 fell pregnant in 2008, down 3.9% from 42,988 in 2007, the figures show. Of these young women 49% had an abortion, compared with 50% in 2007
• The national target for teenage pregnancy reduction is: reduce by 20% the pregnancy rate (per 1000 population) in under 16 year olds from 8.5 in 1995 to 6.8 in 2010.

Pregnancy in Barking & Dagenham

• Barking & Dagenham is still higher than the London Average in contraception rate
• In 2006, a Sex Relationship and Education (SRE) survey was conducted in secondary schools indicating that almost 50% of pupils were dissatisfied with the amount of curriculum time dedicated to SRE
• 49% had poor awareness of where to access free contraception, compared to fewer than 5% having higher knowledge on contraception/sexual health service.
• There were a lower percentage of young people receiving information on sex and relationships from their parents.
• The local data indicated that majority of fathers were under the age of 18, the youngest was 15 years old.  It was identified that some of the fathers were youth offenders

Conclusion

• We can conclude that teenage pregnancy rate has fallen during the years however the   rates are still high.
• The government aim to reduce teenage pregnancy and announced an extra £280.5m funding package for contraception resources.
• So why such a downer on teenage pregnancy? Some people feel the government spend way too much money on contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancies.
• Why do we have the worst underage pregnancy in Europe? Is it because the poor awareness and knowledge on contraception/sex/sexual health service.