18 October 2007

Teenagers Looking For Love?

Teenage Pregnancy Rates (%)
Adolescent Fertility 2000-2005 (births per 100 women aged 15-19) [Source: Reproductive Risk Index, Population Action International]A new report by Population Action International, A Measure of Survival, confirms that Britain has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in western Europe. It also concludes that our maternity services are worse than those in Hungary, Slovakia and Cuba and ranks us just 17th out of 29 European countries on health services overall.

Anybody else remember the Government's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, which not only failed to stem the rise in teenage pregnancies but has fuelled record levels of STIs and, where implemented most heavily, has resulted in the biggest increases in underage pregnancies? Anybody else think there might be a correlation with British children having the worst physical and emotional well-being and the worst relationships with family and friends among the world's wealthiest nations?

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