Despite a multi-million pound Teenage Pregnancy Strategy the number of girls under 16 falling pregnant has remained almost static over the last four years.
In the worst areas one in every 66 underage girls becomes pregnant while still at school – giving England and Wales one of the highest teenage birth rates in Western Europe.
The figures were released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Of the 21 who become pregnant each day, nine will go on to have the baby while the other 12 have an abortion.
Why didn’t my teenage mother “fall pregnant” in her day?
Why didn’t either of my teenage grandmothers “fall pregnant” in their day?
Why didn’t any of my four great-grandmothers “fall pregnant” in their day?
Why did several of my teen nieces “fall pregnant” in their day?
We do not live in a well-educated society as is so oft alleged.
Don
Falling while pregnant sounds dangerous. They should practice safe steps.
“Fall pregnangt?”
If that’s the way it happens, I’m surprised more don’t!
Sounds like the headline writer–representative of society at large, no doubt!–needs some biological instruction!
Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up …. somehow I got pregnant in the process!
And how do we locate all the “nice(?) young men that brought about these pregnancies??? Nuff said!!
Apparantly girls fall into pregnancy the way cars fall into pot holes.
Many years ago, one of my theology professors told a student:
“My dear, one does not [i]fall[/i] into sin — sin is NOT a pothole!”
Like pregnancy is some sort of disease.
[i] Enough of the wit. This is a serious problem. [/i]
-Elf Lady
[blockquote]Enough of the wit. This is a serious problem. [/blockquote]
Indeed it is, but it’s not going to be properly addressed as long as it’s presented as a force of nature. Journalists seem to think there’s more human influence in the air temperature rising 0.05 degF than there is in the impregnation of British teens.
They “fall pregnant” because, as the article shows, most will not carry the baby, so no harm, no foul. When 12 of these pregnancies will end in abortion, the consequences of premarital sex seem negligible, and so the cycle continues.
Except for the euphemism “fall pregnant” this is a good article.
[blockquote] Some academics believe the Government policy of more sex education and freely available contraception like the morning after pill is not working.
They say although it works for some youngsters other children can become either pressured or encouraged to become sexually active because of the availability of contraception.[/blockquote] and
[blockquote] Professor David Paton, Chair of Industrial Economics, at the Nottingham University Business School, said: “The figures show no change in the conception rate to under 16s compared to 2003-2005. In fact, the abortion rate for that age group is now quite a bit higher now than in previous years.
“Particularly interesting is the way in which certain areas highlighted by the Government for so-called ‘good practice’ in providing contraception and emergency birth control to underage children without parental knowledge seem to be amongst the worst performer.
“All in all the figures provide yet more evidence that the Government’s approach of trying to cut teenage pregnancy rates by provision of family planning and emergency birth control to underage girls without parental knowledge has simply not worked.”
Dr Adrian Rogers, of pressure group Family Focus, said: “This obsession with compulsory sex education simply doesn’t work.
“We need to return to a combination of realistic education and empower youngsters to know how dangerous and foolish underage sex is.”[/blockquote]
Just was on a walk with my husband today in our quaint, upper-middle class town of Sewickley. On the ground, just steps away from a prestigious country club and a private school was a wrapper/box for “PLAN B – EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVE.” I
Whoops – pushed submit too soon.
I am wondering how these so easily accessible contraceptives have impacted abortion and teen-pregnancy rates here in the states?
How odd Dana, such litter near Edgeworth CC I presume. I was there once with my wife who attended QV H.S. in Sewickley where her family had emigrated from England, where she had been born to an unwed 16 yr old and adopted at 6 weeks. Sorry for the run-on sentence but I couldn’t resist connecting unwed English mothers and Sewickley, Pa
Hey Roman – fellow QV attender (married to QV grad) but graduated from Sewickley Academy. You guessed the location – even in the pretty places these events occur regularly. I speak from personal experience, and as the mother of a 16 year old.
Here in the UK the biggest indicator of likely teen pregnancy and single motherhood is a mother who herself was a single parent. Yet the government tells us that all relationships are equal. In fact, as our Taxpayers Alliance pointed out this week, the great British Government actually discriminates against marriage in its tax structure.
Sic transit gloria mundi.
An interesting (and rather disconcerting) point which may have eluded American readers… In the UK I believe the age of consent is 16. My guess is that the statistics in this report refer to girls 15 years of age and under.