Contraception and Abortion (Parental Information Bill)

Angela Watkinson, Conservative MP for Upminster, presented a 10-minute rule Bill to the Commons today, demanding that doctors inform parents if an under-age child has an abortion. She argues that a rethink on current guidance is needed following a Unicef report which found that 40 per cent of UK children aged under 15 are sexually active. The Contraception and Abortion (Parental Information) Bill also calls for an overhaul of sex education in schools, which Watkinson claims has become little more than 'sex information' with advice on how to get contraceptives.

The Bill will give doctors the right to keep sexual health issues confidential if there is abuse or violence in the family.

Anne Weyman, Chief Executive of fpa, said that such a change in the law would discourage young people from seeking advice on pregnancy, contraception and sexual health. Coverage about this appears in todays Express, Independent and Telegraph today.

BBC Radio 5 Live Debate

At 11.15 last Saturday night Anita Rani's programme on BBC 5 Live, Barbara Hastings-Asatourian was invited to join a phone in debate alongside the radically opposing views expressed by Family Rights Activist Lynette Burrows, famous for being investigated by the police after expressing views perceived by some to be homophobic, against gay couple adoptions.

The feature had been sparked by a piece of today's news all spectacularly reporting the story of a 14 year old student from Paignton Community Sports College, in Devon, herself 6 months pregnant, who had been invited to talk to a group of friends who had become pregnant. She and her parents are reported to be concerned that college used her inappropriately. The school has not yet been able to comment, as it was half term. The papers took the opportunity to sensationalise the vulnerable teenager's situation.

Ms Burrows very early on in the discussion expressed the tired yet extreme argument that teenagers are getting pregnant to get a free house and benefits. Barbara Hastings-asatourian who has been carrying out research into teenage pregnancy now for many years, and who with Julie Wray evaluated the implementation of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in Manchester and Salford, knows that is just not the case. Over half of all teenage pregnancies end in abortion, not a strategy for gaining benefits and housing, but one which would be resolved by better sex education and better access to contraceptive services suitable for teenagers. And of those younger teenagers who keep their babies many stay at home with their families, unable to claim benefits in their own right. As they get older the social housing offered to teenage parents is far from ideal, and benefits are no panacea, teenage parents are at risk of poverty, poor nutrition, social isolation, poor housing and poor health.

Teenage pregnancies nationally in the under 18s are down by 11.1% from baseline figures in 1998. In 1998 in England there were 41,089 (rate 46.6 per thousand under 18's), and in 2004 this figure was 39,350 (rate 41.5 per thousand under 18's) the national teenage pregnancy strategy has a target to reduce teenage pregnancy by 50% by the year 2010.

In areas of social deprivation teenagers' aspirations for their futures are known to be less ambitious than their peers in more advantaged areas, and teenage pregancy rates are higher in those areas. That is why the government's teenage pregnancy strategy is so focussed on raising aspirations, preventing pregnancy, getting young parents to stay in education, or return to education, to seek really good childcare and to improve their chances of having a decent lifestyle in the future for themselves and for their children.

In Devon in 2004 there were 405 teenage pregnancies, a rate of 31.2 per thousand under 18's and 46.4% of those ended in abortion, this total is 5.3% less than the 1998 baseline. Devon's teenage pregnancy rate as a whole is below the national average of 41 per thousand, although Paignton Community College provides for 2 deprived areas, and so the teenage pregnancy rate there is slightly higher than average.

However, Paignton Community College is recognised for its positive contribution to teenage sexual health in these difficult circumstances. It has a teenage information and advice centre, Tic Tac, which offers students access to a variety of health professionals. The centre deals with a range of health issues, including contraception and advice, and was highlighted as an example of good practice in Ofsted’s report on Sex and Relationships Education. The Tic-Tac centre includes sexual health advice. The main driver for the centre is to raise attainment, as young people are better able to focus on learning when they are free from health concerns.

The centre is widely publicised through the school’s PSHE programme. Issues raised in PSHE are often followed up in individual appointments. The centre is not a first-aid facility, it provides advice rather than medical treatment. Although broad-based, the majority of young people using Tic-Tac are seeking advice on sexual health issues. Feedback suggests Tic-Tac has led to a much more positive view of health professionals among students. Older students, in particular, are now much more likely to seek advice from mainstream health services.

One of the things the press reported today was the teenager's concern that she may have influenced her peers to decide which way to choose. That is unlikely to be the case as according to national statistics, between 50-60% of teenagers who get pregnant under 16 have an abortion. The figures from the teenager’s friends although not scientifically generalisable, seem to mirror the national trend. So she should be reassured that although she has shared her experiences with her peers, which incidentally is known to be really helpful, she isn’t responsible for their decisions or the national trend.

Peer education is a tried and tested way of educating teenagers, it’s not without its problems, and generally involves training. Sharing experiences is also useful – we shouldn’t be afraid of real experiences – for some people having a baby is a positive thing, for some it perceived to be a way of escaping a miserable life or of finding love in an otherwise hostile world, for some it's none of those. We are all very different and our choices are based on many factors.

Contraception Education have developed fact sheets and resources on www.contraceptioneducation.com to inform people. We have written resources like Contraception the Board Game to get people to think through their choices. BUT sex education just doesn’t exist in all schools in the way Lynette Burrows described on the 5 Live Programme. It is inconsistent around the country, and cannot be judged in that way until it measureable nationally and a statutory part of the national curriculum.

There is a campaign at present to make PSHE statutory, because until PSHE is taken as seriously as the other academic subjects, it loses out in competition with those subjects. Sex education can be exciting and brilliant if it is delivered in a positive environment by teachers who are passionate and properly trained to do it.

Barbara was keen to point out the situation in Western Europe where sex education is part of the curriculum. Countries like France, Sweden and the Netherlands do sex and relationships education , it is taken seriously, it is not taught alongside morals. People in those countries don’t seem to get heated about it, they don't hold up implementation of sex education with erroneous moral arguments. Instead they promote positive loving relationships, and instill a sense of responsibility for each other, including the importance of getting tested (without fear of stigma). In fact they get on with it and they get results, just what we need here in the UK.

In the phone in were three contributors, a father of two who felt that state benefits encourage teenage sex and teenage pregnancy, a 15 year old who felt sex education in school was lacking, and an older man who was in hios 20's before he learned anything about sex. The mixed bag of debate made for a very interesting and stimulating half hours discussion.