BRING IT ON! Advocates for Youth look at sex education in the current US political climate

Advocates for Youth take a refreshing look at sex education and other reproductive sexual health issues in the current US political climate.

Barbara Hastings-Asatourian and Lisa Brotherton on Granada Edition

This Granada Edition (link to programme) looked at the experiences of 3 young women who had their babies in their late teens, but it also included clips from a sex education session Lisa Brotherton from Glossop Women's Aid and Barbara Hastings-Asatourian from Contraception Education did in the inclusion suite at Glossopdale Community College. It was filmed in July 2008 by Mange2 Media and the sex education component featured Contraception the Board Game. In between these sequences were interviews with government minister Beverley Hughes, Simon Blake CEO of Brook, Barbara Hastings-Asatourian from Contraception Education and a representative from the UK Youth Parliament. The message from UK Youth Parliament was that sex education should be compulsory and comprehensive, allowing young people to make informed choices. The message from young parents was that, with the right support, young people can continue in education and be good parents. Relationships with the baby's grandparents seemed to be very significant, as was the ability to be open and honest with each other in the family and in school sex education. The programme showed the difficulties of being a teenage parent without the all too frequent tabloid demonisation of teenagers or intrusion into privacy.

Britart at the seaside - art and teenage pregnancy - Julie's Blog

The Guardian on Saturday June 14th 2008 ran a full page story about Tracey Emin’s latest sculptures reflecting teenage pregnancy on display in Folkstone The Emin sculptures are part of the first Folkestone Triennial which opens this weekend and continues for the next three months. Many artists feature their work like all the artists, Emin had been invited to Folkestone to get inspiration for their work.

She is quoted as saying "For me personally I find a lot of public sculptures very big and very macho and dominating and intrusive. I like little things in public. As I walked around all I kept seeing was lots of young girls with babies, it's like Margate and the whole of the south-east really. I was thinking how could I make something for them." Essentially she chooses teenage pregnancy as her inspiration for her bronzed baby items which are displayed in and around Folkstone.

What I found fascinating about this newspaper article was the positive spin on teenage pregnancy (albeit brief) influenced by Emin’s perspective that teenage mums are treated badly on the whole as some kind of problematic phenomena. I couldn’t agree more. If our starting point in judging the age of motherhood is rooted in the word ‘problem’ then it is very hard to portray anything positive. In my mind motherhood can be tough, whatever the age, indeed Emin comments that maybe having a child at 50 is stupid!!! Her contribution through art to raise the issue and hopefully stimulate lively debate is very welcome. I feel that for too long now young mums can get a raw deal. By being depicted as a problem that affects public health targets and government policy the positives and good things that many young mums achieve is hidden. This said, what about the dads?

Again the spin is typically biased towards young women but young men have a role and influence too. I do hope that Emin’s work and the work of other artists continue to portray a more balanced perspective. If you're in Folkstone take a look and do let us know what you think, it would be great to have your comments anyway.

The Bratz Debate continues

When I started Contraception Education I would never have imagined the ramifications of the development of Contraception: the Board Game. Far from the purely educational nuts and bolts of preventing pregnancy through contraceptives, the whole thrust of the Government's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy focuses on helping all young people achieve their full potential. It's also about raising their aspirations for their futures, learn delaying, consenting and permission-giving skills and, of course, managing the risks of alcohol and drugs in relation to sex. Teenagers also need to learn how to navigate services and systems to get what they really need. But what I also didn't realise was the full extent of those messages, and how my work with teenagers would soon begin to overlap with junior school-age pupils too.


You may recall my comments in a Manchester Evening News article earlier in the year when I gave my opinion about the sexualisation of girls through play and toys. A recent report published by the American Psychological Association (APA) showed that our culture delivers many messages about sexualisation of adult women and that this, in turn, influences girls. It suggested that parents, schools, and peers sometimes contribute to this, and that girls themselves sometimes take on a sexualised identity.


One theory has suggested that this sexualisation of children may have negative consequences for all young people. The report suggests that images of girls and young women in advertising, merchandising, and the media are harming girls' self-image and healthy development, having cognitive and emotional consequences, consequences for mental and physical health, and an impact on development of a healthy sexual self-image. It goes on to suggest that parents have a role to play in encouraging girls to value themselves for who they are, rather than how they look, and to teach boys to value girls as friends, sisters, and girlfriends, rather than as sexual objects. The report proposes that with the help of their carers and parents, young people can learn 'media literacy skills', which in turn will help them to resist the message that how girls look is what matters.


Meanwhile, along came the Bratz, a prime example of a commercial enterprise which may well insidiously reinforce the very messages which have been highlighted by the APA as potentially harmful. The tiny bodies, the flawless complexion, the symmetrical features, the immaculate hair – looking a certain way, but not actually doing that much.


The MEN article said that my alternative would be 'Geekz': dolls that would care about the environment. I said, amongst other things: "I'd prefer it if a manufacturer somewhere came up with a doll which reinforced the importance of being healthy, happy and looking after your fellow human beings…..Why can't there be a doll which is concerned about reducing its carbon footprint." I would dearly love to see what my friends and family know to be my motto - an image of an ordinary person achieving extraordinary things and a real challenge to male and female stereotyping."

You can read the article and associated comments at www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1000/1000696_bratz_the_dilemma_facing_parents

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.

Gloves Off - Teenage Pregnancy

During the week commencing 19th February, Satellite TV's Channel M (Channel 203) broadcast an enlightening “Gloves Off” programme about teenage pregnancy, bringing together Barbara Hastings-Asatourian, from Contraception Education, Jon Dunne, Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator from Manchester and Vanessa Bridge of Young Black Peerspectives.

Background
Children of teenage parents are at a higher risk of poverty, poor health and infant mortality and Manchester has a high rate of teenage pregnancy, and many indicators of social deprivation. Most teenage pregnancies are in the 16-18 group. Of 41,000 under 18 pregnancies in England each year, about 2600 are in Greater Manchester. About 40% of Manchester’s teenage pregnancies end in abortion, over 1000 a year in greater Manchester, showing a real need for better access to contraception.

Panel discussion
When asked about the state of sex education panel members said sex education is inconsistent, depending on individuals, schools, parents, teachers, materials, staff training and funding. Barbara Hastings-Asatourian has developed resources, like Contraception the Board Game, and provides training for teachers and parents, with a focus on building self esteem. The message from Western Europe is that the earlier and the better the sex education is, the later and less risky first sex will be. There is absolutely no evidence to support sex education encouraging sexual promiscuity.

When asked why some teenagers choose to become pregnant, the panel said some may be repeating a familiar pattern, some may not have had a happy childhood, they may have been in care, they may even have been sexually abused, and may now be looking for love in their lives. They need support.

Groups who are supporting teenagers do not automatically receive funds, some get grants, short term funding only to have it withdrawn. Barbara says “If teenage pregnancy and health are major issues that the government is tackling, the funding needs to be permanent, not here for 6 months or 3 years or just the duration of a government”

One argument we sometimes hear is that teenage girls are choosing to get pregnant to get a house to “land on their feet”. The Gloves Off panel were very quick to refute this, saying that teenage parents are generally poorer. Under 16’s cannot claim benefits in their own right, and accommodation can be far from ideal.

So will the government’s target of halving teenage pregnancy by 2010 be realised?

The panel was optimistic that the trend will continue to be down, but to half the rate is highly unlikely without

• considerably more effort towards leveling out inequalities
• good consistent statutory sex education
• good information about contraception and teen friendly access to contraception
  
  To find out more about what we do please visit http://www.contraceptioneducation.co.uk/