Teen pregnancy rates / raise awareness of sexual health and relationships

[ukyp]

Campaign proposal

To reduce teen pregnancy rates and raise awareness of sexual health and relationships from a young age

Purpose of campaign

This campaign would offer support to sufferers of STDs and dramatically cut the teenage conception/ pregnancy rates in Britain and to raise awareness and increase understanding of the above amongst young people.

Read more about this campaign

Discuss

· What do you think of this campaign idea?
· Is this issue important to you?
· Is the campaign realistic and achievable?
· What challenges would this campaign face?
· How could we make this campaign successful?

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[The Stapler]

What about the teenage parents who think that teenage pregnancy is okay? Are still in education and spending lots of time with their baby?

[Gotlieb Alexander]

OK, so an increase in sex education in schools correlates wonderfully to an increase in teenage pregnancy. So more sex education must be the way forward?

[youthgirl]

Personally i feel that young girls below the age of 16 should not have sexual intercouse just like the law states so, especially when they are in school and should concentrate all their efforts on passing their GSCE to make sure they do not end up on the dull.

However, for some girls being pregnant and ending up on the dull is as exciting and a wonderful idea for them as getting your GSCEs and landing on a well paid job. i even over heard some girl in my school say she can wait to be in year 11 to get pregnant and get a flat. But seriously is this life??!!

[kat]

What exactly is the campaign? The campaign profile doesnt explain how offering support to people with STI/D's would dramatically cut teenage pregnancy?!

I am fully in support of the principle, after leading the current SRE campaign which incorporates within it need to free, conficential accessible sexual health services but as it stands this is not a campaign and as an organisation voters need to make sure we arent left with a campaign that no one has any idea about (think recycling!).

Also a work of caution on the fact the current givt reveiw is still under way and believe me the number of organisations involved in the current programme will not allow this issue to go unaddressed.

Katrina Mather

[Mockler]

Originally Posted by the stapler

what about the teenage parents who think that teenage pregnancy is okay? Are still in education and spending lots of time with their baby?

hear hear hear

[LordAnubis]

Monkey See Monkey Do

:P

[Melek]

I think the amount of teenage pregnancies is shocking. Im 17 and the thought of having a baby at this age scares me. I believe a lot of people become pregnant, because they think its the 'In thing to do'. People think, 'oh lets have a baby, and we will get a free house of the council', Which i think is pretty sick. I believe there should be more awareness of how hard and tiring it is to bring up a baby at this age. There should be more focus on people staying in education, and going onto further education such as college and university. If fewer benefits were available to teenage families this might take the focus of having a baby. Getting free stuff, and a free house, almost encourrages teenage pregnancies. I think at the age of 20 if some one is having a baby, help and free stuff should be available. Its just wasted on teenagers. Half of them cant even look after themselves, never mind a dependant baby!

[Red-Fred]

Originally Posted by Melek

If fewer benefits were available to teenage families this might take the focus of having a baby.

In theory that's fine, but it risks punishing the life of the child merely for the choices of the parent. Education and incentives not to have a child at a young age are both fairer and more effective than punishment.

The dependency and general acceptance that 'it's okay to remain on benefits' is a serious problem but removing those benefits is an exceptionally short sighted approach. To solve the problem you have to look at why teenagers are prepared to risk getting no qualifications and never contributing to society. Personally I think it's because of the lack of decent prospects facing many school leavers; a lifetime of low paid, low skilled, low satisfaction work isn't particularly appealing.

[Bookworm56]

How about this? Get pregnant under 16 - lose the child - compulsory adoption.