‘Education must target young men’

The Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy has urged
the government to increase its efforts to lower conception rates by
targeting hard-to-reach groups.

In its second annual report, the group recommends that more effort
be made with young people from ethnic minorities, boys and young
men, young people with learning difficulties, looked-after young
people, young parents, care leavers, and those in the juvenile
secure estate.

Boys and young men are considered hard to engage because they feel
that sex and relationship education in school is irrelevant.

The report calls for accurate data to be collected on ethnic
minorities and teenage pregnancy to enable the development of
long-term strategies. Information should also be collected on
attitudes to sexual health and the behaviour and experience of
young people with learning difficulties.

The latest government figures reveal a 10 per cent reduction in the
rate of teenage conceptions among the under-18s and an 11 per cent
fall in the under-16 age group since 1998.

Report is available from website www.teenagepregnancyunit.gov.uk