It’s the peak of summer (honestly) and the holiday season is well and truly upon us. Whilst school holidays are in full swing, teenagers across the country can enjoy being young and carefree – whether it’s a Spanish holiday romance or a school crush, summer loving is never far away.
How prevalent is teenage pregnancy?
Teenage pregnancy in the UK has halved in the past two decades – an impressive change, given that in 1998 the UK had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Western Europe. So, why have rates fallen so dramatically? Are young people are spending less time physically together as the era of Snapchat and Facebook has taken hold? Has improved awareness through targeted education programmes in schools helped so impressively? Can a teenager access contraception more easily today than ever before? A government strategy to lower rates, combined with the huge growth of social media since 2007, have certainly had a big impact, with the number of teenage pregnancies now at its lowest since records began in the late 1960’s. The Guardian explores the changes to teenage pregnancy in the UK over the last two decades and looks in detail at why these factors have had such an impact.
A life changing decision But that’s not to forget those that become mothers at a young age – being a teenage Mum is hard work and it’s important for young girls – and boys – to understand what this life changing decision can bring. According to the Mail Online, last year 48,000 babies were born to teenage mothers, showing that although the number has fallen significantly, there are still many who need support.
Learn more about teenage pregnancy and teenager mothers Do you have regular contact with young people or teenagers? Are you a parent of a teenager? Could it be useful to understand the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy? Me Learning offers a 45 minute CPD Accredited e-learning course that will provide you with details of how to handle teenage pregnancies and what is available to help pre and post pregnancy. Take a look now.