To think that the 'Worth Talking About' Contraception Ads rather miss the point?

[hobbgoblin]

I don't work in sexual health, or even health for that matter but I would hazard a guess that only a very small minority of young couples manage to reproduce accidentally due to knowing nothing about contraception. I tend to think that the vast majority of teenage pregnancies are probably due to low self esteem issues which manifests itself in the inability to resist peer pressure, the need to prove sexual prowess and even the desire to create a person that will provide a focus for one's emotions and a source of unconditional love.

Anyone agree/disagree?

And that's based on what, exactly..? I'm sure some parents reproduce for that reason. But I'm also sure that a lot of children are here due to contraception slip ups - regardless of age. Including my own; and I am in the age group those ads are aimed at.

So I think YABVU.

I think you are making a very valid point, but I do think there are a lot of teen couples who for various reasons - shyness, not wanting to assume that sex is on the cards - manage to establish a sexual relationship without having the contraception conversation first. An ad like that might help start a discussion.
Not all teenagers have sex because of low self-esteem, most do it because they feel ready and fancy their partners.
I thought it was quite funny that they screened it in the ad breaks of Dancing on Ice - my DC were enthralled to find out the various ways you can prevent conception.

Yes but though you had a contraceptive slip up, as you put it, is that because you had a limited knowledge about contraception?

What age group do you think the ads are aimed at?

Why is parents in bold in your reply?

TheFirstLady, true about the ads being a starting point for discussion. I guess the pervasiveness of this particular campaign helps to make contraception less, er, underground.

I get a bit itked that Government campaigns often wash over the deeper issues. Maybe it is firefighting, and rightly so. I just hope it isn't ignorance or deliberate failure to financially address deeper causes of teenage pregnancy and other emotional/social/sexual issues.

My understanding of the adverts is that they are aimed at ensuring that people understand the variety of contraception choices.

Something stupid like 99% of women under 25 use the pill, also known as the type of contraception that is easiest to balls up and get wrong (antibiotics, missing one, being sick/upset tummy). Especially when you compare it to implants, injections etc. It is trying to raise awareness of other methods of contraception as the pill is often the default option, for no good reason.

So, YABU.

Yes it was - I was, as Ewe as mentioned, on the Pill, and didn't know enough about it, to be brief.

You said teenage pregnancies - I was 17 when I fell pregnant.

Parents is in bold because I don't agree that it is purely young people who want a child for those reasons. I can name several (some rather mature) adults who have TTC with those among their list of intensives.

Ewe, what's the concensus on alternatives such as injections? I had depo and it was awful but GPs totally failed to point out the risks and negatives fully at the time of my choosing it. I then made a desperate switch to, erm, the Pill which I've becpme pregnant on before and was so relieved just to be off Depo that I took no further action and ended up with DC4.

Shit, maybe I need the ads

Agree wrt adults doing the same.

My impression was that the adverts are there, as Ewe said, to highlight the variety of contraceptives.

There is an NHS push to encourage the use of 'long acting reversible' methods of contraception.

They generally have low failure rates because there is little chance of user error, ie they are promoting the implant, the injection etc, which do not rely on daily/for each shag actions and are not affected by antibiotics/sickness.

Not watched the ads in detail though, hope they are still encouraging condoms but got the impression they were after the people in established relationships who may have decided not to use condoms anyway.

I became pregnant, accidentally, when I was 17. My pregnancy was not due to a desire to demonstrate my sexual prowess or any other of the ridiculous reasons you suggest. It was the only time in my life that a condom split, and I just didn't make the connection at the time between a split condom and the risk of pregnancy. Sounds stupid now doesn't it.

It was a very frightening time. I was doing A levels and planning a future at University. Anyway it was never meant to be, I miscarried after only a few weeks and life carried on as normal. I had managed to keep it from everyone other than my best friend.

This experience was awful - but helped teach me 1) the danger of making silly assumptions 2) the importance of sex education and communication and 3) the value of the role of the parent, which I hope I remember when my girls are teenagers.

YABVU.

Isn't it just that the injection and implant are relatively new though? I only left school in 2004 and they were not presented as options to us when we had our sex education talks. It was the pill, or condoms, because (according to the school) diaphragms are not very effective, natural family planning is a myth and only used by religious people who have no other option () and the coil is only for women who have had children.

However when I went to the family planning clinic at about 17 or 18 they were desparate to get me on the implant, they told me they recommended it to all the young girls because you couldn't forget to take it, etc. Unfortunately, they tried me on the mini-pill first (with same hormone as that implant) and it didn't agree with me, so it was lucky they tried it.

I think its good that they are encouraging women of all ages to discuss contraception with their GPs. When I went on the pill my GP did tell me about all the options but a lot don't. The GP I have now was very about me having a coil fitted as have never given birth and even more when I said that I didn't want the Mirena. I even had to visit a different practice to have it fitted because my GP couldn't do it.

I think everyone should have access to a family planning expert like the one I saw to have my coil fitted who could tell me all the facts and help me choose the right thing for me.

I am also not surprised that the NHS is pushing 'fit and forget' contraceptive because not only is the failure rate lower but they are much, much cheaper than the pill. A copper coil costs about a tenner, a Mirena about £80 (IIRC) which considering that you can use them for 10 and 5 years respectively is a bargain for them.

I'm not criticising any individual here but I am well aware that the (not ridiculous at all, actually) reasons I listed as the reason some couples have babies are very real societal problems that need addressing.

I have two concerns about this advertising campaign. Firstly, that it turns a blind eye to the hidden issues behind unplanned parenthood and secondly that it could detract from STI protection awareness. That is not to say that contraception info is not essential, it's just that in focusing on the problem in this way seems unbalanced. When have you ever seen good promotion of good self esteem in a TV advertisement campaign?

used 'good' twice in one sentence. Whoops.

A lot of the combined pills only cost about £2-3 a month though. A Mirena £87.32 net NHS cost plus a nurse appt for swab, cost of swabs, and a Dr and a nurse appt to fit it.

Great value if you keep for five years, pretty crap if you hate it and get it taken out after three months

I think it's great they are reminding us there is more choice than just pills or condoms, but I would not touch the injection nor recommend it to anyone.

Me either moaningminnie.

Actually, just checked a few prices as I am nosey curious - 3 packs microgynon or cilest is under £3. 3 month pack of Yasmin £15. 3 months of the patch £16. Coils, not Mirena, £10-25 roughly.

£2 a month for the injection. Am starting to wonder now why they are so keen to fit the Mirena

I fell pregnant at 15. Not because of contraception failure but because I didn't bother using any at all and never thought it would happen to me.

Crazy thinking but quite common amongst my group of friends.

Ironically, the GP had a few months before, refused to give me the pill (for painful periods - I was with my Mum) as I was too young for that sort of thing... 14 years ago..

I think the government are doing the right thing encouraging people to discuss long term contraceptives, this may well help a lot of teens.

The other reasons behind teenage pregnancies are complex and not so easily solved but why not start with the problems you CAN solve?

I think they are keen to fit Mirena because the chances of something going wrong are far less than with the pill. Obviously its a lot more expensive to put someone on the pill if they keep forgetting to take it/are sick/get the shits and end up pregnant.

It does explain why doctors are rather reluctant to take it out though.

I agree.

I think ambivalence about where their lives are heading is a big issue. If you have no specific aims or expectations then an unplanned pregnancy isn't going to mess anything up. It may not be that a baby is actively wanted but if it happens then, you know, it happens.

Also girls are, more than ever, under the most enormous pressure to be what boys want. And what boys want is for girls to be as sexually available as our culture tells them they should be.

If you are the girl in your peer group who insists on condoms, or even the one who isn't sexually available then your worth is far less (in a totally superficial, disposable sense) than all the other girls who will comply and fulfill the role of sexy, available, worthwhile female.

Bit of a tangent there but I really believe ambivalence has a huge part to play. I dont buy this image of the 16yo girl getting pg for a flat or for something to love - I'm sure it happens but I'd say far more often pregnancies happen due to doing now and thinking later. If you have something to lose, plans to cock up then you cant afford to think later.

^^ Totally agree with JV regarding ambivalence in a lot of cases, girls have no aspirations and think being a mother will give them some sort of 'status'.

Although I did have hopes of going to university etc... to be honest, my world had just fallen apart when my perfect parents separated and my Dad went AWOL. I guess I thought that if I got pregnant I might get some attention....

I did and I did.

I still went to university but had to wait another 8 years .

JV put it nicely.

Condoms are available in pub toilets - very easy and private for teenagers to access; also quite prone to splitting/not working if you don't know how to use them properly.

There is a pretty widespread myth that the pill 'doesn't work' for some people. This really gets on my nerves (because invariably, 'doesn't work'='i forgot to take it at the right time').

It's good to reinforce the facts, not the myths, I reckon.

I used to work with teenage parents and a lot had done it as it seemed like a better option than working for a low wage job in the local area. If you live in an area without much industry and only seasonal occupations it does seem like a valid career path to some.

I can see their way of thinking sometimes when the competition for jobs is so fierce and low paid, as well as the fact that they might not have the best qualifications.

My best friend got pregnant for that reason when I was 15 she know lives in a beautiful private house that the rent is £650 a month on there and is 5 minutes from the beach and town. There is no way she was capable of making that kind of money if she hadnt had kids. You dont get put in council accommodation here you get a private house of your choice and as I live in an expensive area its the only way for some to make a life here.