Preventative Care targeting teenage pregnancy: Request for opinions

[Eloise1984]

Preventative Care Tackling Teenage Pregnancy in the UK: A Case Study on Midwives.

I'd like to gather quantitative information regarding this sensitive topic. I'd like to talk to you about your experiences, opinions and insights. Currently, preventative measures dont work as well as they should in the UK. I want to consider how this could change, by asking these questions:

Do people feel there is a lack of adequate support for teenagers and their concerns regarding sex?
Would families feel willing to talk to an outsider about their children?
Is there a political interest in involving the midwife in preventative care?
-How expensive would it be?
-Would it be a viable option, considering time/work restraints already incumbent in midwifery?
-How willing would the community be to listen to the midwife?
Have other countries used the midwife in similar initiatives, and what do you think of them?

If you have any suggestions, or are free to meet me for an informal chat on skype, please do not hesitate to contact me.My thesis is dependent upon creating and maintaining contact with the community.

Given the rate of teenage pregnancy in the UK, I feel further study is necessary regarding preventative care. However, this is not simply a matter of creating a greater availability of contraception. My thesis will focus on the SES, cultutal and media influences that act to sustain this health issue.

If any of you have opinions on this matter, please contact me!


My progress will be track-able on Twitter, and my blog will be running from next week. If you are interested in continuing this discussion, I will upload my webpage.

[Cattleprod]

I think teenagers would listen to a midwife, but what would she say? Tell them a few scare stories about episiotomies, pph, fistulas, stillbirth, scar infections, incontinence etc.? This might put teens off planned pregnancies, but ime midwives are caring people, wanting to reassure women that they can cope with birth.

Do you have stats about the reason for teen pregnancies? How many are planned? How many are failed contraception? How many through failure to use any sort of contraception at all?

One thing I do know - any education on the issue needs to be presented equally to girls and boys. Both are involved, and both need to know the truth and the cosequences.

[Eloise1984]

That stats about planned pregnancies are available on the NCB's website, and indicate that the majority of planned pregnancies are found in poor SES communities. Most studies focus on SES-where poor communities have a higher rate of accepting teenage pregnancies as the norm. Failed contraception/no contraception is the highest reason, with 60% of teenage pregnancies resulting from this (estimate from MIRIRS journal). However, statistics are not up to date, or published publicly.
Sex education in schools is standardized, and only provided via schools. I would like to generate ideas about alternative methods of communication regarding sex education. Do families and communities feel they can influence their childrens behaviour in the same way the media does by saturating the market with images of young women? Do families feel open to support, or would this feel paternalistic and judgmental? Do mother and fathers feel comfortable talking to their children about sex, if not, should their be a greater level support within the community?
-Governments have addressed this issue singularly. Pregnant teenage mothers are supported by the same initiative that provide preventative initiatives. This creates a tricky dichotomy which serves to normalize teenage pregnancy, while also trying to prevent teenage pregnancy. Due to the subtitles of this issue, I suggest two separate initiatives should be in place: 1. Care for teenage mothers, 2. preventative care for teenagers.
I feel it is necessary to explain that i am not pro-life, and do not have any qualms with people using marvelous organisations such as, Marie Stopes. I do however think that policy reforms must be considered, if the UK is to address the high rate of teenage pregnancy.
What do you think?
This is my thesis topic. I do hope you don't mind me contacting you, and thank you for having me. x