Why are teen pregnancies so high?

[Scruffy Mummy]

Go to this link for a straightforward statement based on research, on teenage parents, causes and consquences of teenage pregnancy - from an NGO or non-governmental organisation!!

http://www.brook.org.uk/content/M6_4_%20youngparents.asp

'Teenage pregnancy is often a cause and a consequence of social exclusion. The risk of being a young parent is greatest for people growing up in poverty and disadvantage or for those with poor educational achievement.

Teenage parents tend to have poor ante-natal health, lower birth weight babies and higher infant mortality rates. Their own health and their children's is worse than average. Teenage mothers' disadvantaged backgrounds contribute to these effects but having a baby makes them worse.

Teenage parents are more likely than their peers to be living in poverty and unemployment and have difficulty escaping it because of lack of education, child care and encouragement. 90% of teenage parents receive income support and teenage mothers are more likely than lone mothers generally to rely on benefits alone and to be on benefits for longer spells.

However, the picture is not as entirely bleak as the statistics suggest. There are many individual success stories despite the difficulties.

For some young women pregnancy and motherhood are positive and welcomed experiences without long term negative outcomes. Motherhood can be a stimulus to sorting out their lives, perhaps by taking education seriously.'

[Cassius]

Well as I said I don't have any knowledge of modern childhood - obviously there is no stigma in getting benefits any more. I was made to feel a pariah and I wasn't in a middle class area. I just wouldn't like others to go through what I went through as a child unless it was necessary.

So sorry to LizzygotDizzy - no offense meant - and you sound like a wonderful hard working mother - its a shame that our system doesn't reward you.

So - back to the question - why are teen pregnancies so high - maybe because the teen mothers know that their children will have free school meals, trips and school uniform vouchers and SOME of them are happy to work the system.

[Keef]

"If teenage pregnancy rates are to be reduced there must be an open and accepting attitude towards teenage sexuality, appropriate sex and relationships education, widely available information and easy access to confidential contraceptive services. International research has found these factors to be present in countries with low rates of teenage pregnancy."

A key point, I remember buying condoms for the first time... Think I would have felt less embarrassed buying a porn mag!

[KalamityKel]

I think I mentioned that point earlier in the thread - even us growns ups can find it embarrassing at times no?

[Scruffy Mummy]

May I also suggest to Gerry (and others) that he have a look at some current research and writing around the issue? ie. this book:

Allen & S Bourke-Dowling Teenage Mothers: Decisions And Outcomes, Policy Studies Institute, 1998

[Keef]

To Cassius and Lizzy, I think times have changed. When I was at school I was a real free dinners / hand-me-down wearing kid, got to go on a couple of trips, but missed lots too, and it wasn't nice. I certainly wasn't kitted out in labels, and I did feel ashamed about the free dinners, especially when I was maybe 11 - 14.

However, Mrs Keef often comes home from work at a primary amazed at how lots of the kids always have flash new gear, and the parents are all weel dressed, and driving flash cars, but obviously not working...

[gerry]

Thank you and book noted.

[*Bob*]

Keef Wrote:

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> However, Mrs Keef often comes home from work at a

> primary amazed at how lots of the kids always have

> flash new gear, and the parents are all weel

> dressed, and driving flash cars, but obviously not

> working...

Dealers, maybe?

[Keef]

Have to admit that was my first suggestion to her.

[Brendan]

I often wonder when I see people with families who never seem to go to work and live in council accomodation but drive around in cars that we (a 2 person 2 relatively good income family) would never consider affordable.

It often has me wrestling with my inner cynic to convince myself that there must be an acceptable explanation.

[Cassius]

Keef Wrote:

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> To Cassius and Lizzy, I think times have changed.

> When I was at school I was a real free dinners /

> hand-me-down wearing kid, got to go on a couple of

> trips, but missed lots too, and it wasn't nice. I

> certainly wasn't kitted out in labels, and I did

> feel ashamed about the free dinners, especially

> when I was maybe 11 - 14.

Keef - that was the point I was making - for all the love from my mother, I had very very little in terms of material objects and although I never asked for things it would have been nice to have them. The free dinner thing was a bummer though and I started making my own sandwiches from about 11 to avoid the whole embarrassing scenario.

[Keef]

In all seriousness, Mrs Keef has commented that often these kids with all their junior bling and smart clothes, seem to have not eaten anything since the previous days lunch... Guess some people have different priorities.

I heard a girl on the bus in Eltham telling her mate she was getting some wicked new shoes (for her) because the child support was coming on Thursday... I really really wanted to punch her in the face!

[atila the gooner]

Why are teen pregnancies so high? - Is it because they can't keep their legs together? Or because they are stupid vacuous, no brain, no life, wasters, with very little by way of expectations and ambition other than pusing a pram around before their 16th birthday? I have very little sympathy for such people. Move on.

[david_carnell]

[Runs for cover; does not look back]

Woah there atila. I'm not going to be the one to take you to task on it (because frankly I think in your case it would be a waste of my time) but that's not a statement that will sit well with most here.

I would like to know what your remedy to this is though....assuming you're not going to bury your head in the sand over something you object to so much.

[Brendan]

Well isn?t this nice? I?ll brew-up. Tea anyone?

[mockney piers]

Light the blue touch paper and stand well back.

Nothing to see here people, just a flamer.

[Jah Lush]

*Dives for cover* Waits for backlash.

[*Bob*]

Here's the thing: for every teenage parent someone knows who is making the best of the (often difficult) circumstances they find themselves in (for whatever reason), dealing with it and getting on in life, everybody knows that somewhere, there are another ten good-for-nothing spongers taking-up space.

Take one strand of my own family. On-and-off invalidity benefit (yeah, right) for the best part of 40 years now. It worked-out so well (I joke, of course) that they (the parents) have now passed on their valuable life lessons to their children - neither of whom have worked more than one year in fifteen and themselves now have four children between them.

That's three generations housed by the council and paid for by others (eg those 'selfish middle class 30-40-somethings' like myself and many others following this thread).

[Jah Lush]

Pops head out. I'll have a cup of tea Brendan. Cheers mate. I've got some of those nice Hobnobs in if you want some. Anyone else?

[KalamityKel]

Brendan Wrote:

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> Well isn?t this nice? I?ll brew-up. Tea anyone?

I'll have a peppermint tea please whilst a take a break from literally cutting and pasting bits of paper...

Atila... tut tut tut tut tut *wonders y Atila bothered posting in the first place*

[atila the gooner]

I'm not about to offer any solution to this so called "problem". It is yet another example of people not taking responsibilty for their actions and expecting someone else to sweep up their mess. Why should I or anyone else be expected to help people who only ever think of themselves and hang the consequences. The vast majority of under age mums are exactly as I've described them, and I do not apologise for my views in this respect. You'll excuse the pun but, as the old saying goes, you made your bed, now lie in it!!

[david_carnell]

Bob - damn straight. People shoudl be rigorously assessed for benefits and if the situation you describe is accurate (and I've no reason to think otherwise) then we all have a gripe with that.

What atila is suggesting however, is that there are no extenuating circumstances should a teenage girl find herself pregnant. i.e. it has nothing to do with lack of education, poverty, lack of feelings of self-worth, broken families, social exclusion etc etc but merely the ambitions of slappers to get themselves some extra benefit money at the expense of hard workers like himself.

In short - bollocks.

[*Bob*]

Atila wrote:

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> Why are teen pregnancies so high? - Is it because

> they can't keep their legs together? Or because

> they are stupid vacuous, no brain, no life,

> wasters, with very little by way of expectations

> and ambition other than pusing a pram around

> before their 16th birthday? I have very little

> sympathy for such people. Move on.

On this occasion Atila has accurately summed-up exactly how I feel about those very spongers in my own family. And if anyone here met them, they would agree.

[Keef]

I have to admit, and I don't think this makes of a bad person, that I do get annoyed by people who boast about the fact they'll get a council house cos they've grown up in one, and they'll scan another one cos it's their right. Fair enough, it would be nice if there was council housing for all, but there isn't, and I don't see why some people think they have a right to something whilst I have to pay a shit load of my wages for it... Not flaming, but not really to do with Teen Mums, so ignore me.

[Jah Lush]

Actually to be fair to Atila, he wouldn't be the first or the last person to think that. And, I also think it carried more an element of truth. Too many people pussyfooting around trying to be nice all the time.

*Puts crash helmet back on and leaps into bunker. Dunks hobnob into lovely cup of tea Brendan brewed*.