Teenage Pregnancy 

Child Poverty Needs Assessment for Cornwall Indirect influence upon families’ ability to enter & sustain well paid employment & escape poverty now & in the future: Teenage Pregnancy Research has found a very close association between teenage pregnancy and social and
economic disadvantage 1 .
Teenage parents & their children are more likely to experience poor economic wellbeing as
young mothers face significant hurdles to achieving positive outcomes in education &
subsequently employment. Research suggests 2 the implications of low educational attainment
coupled with low participation in education, employment & training post 16 means that by age
30 teenage mothers are:
22% more likely to be living in poverty than mothers giving birth aged 24 or over;
20% more likely to have no qualifications than mothers giving birth aged 24 or over;
Much less likely to be employed or living with a partner;
Where they do live with a partner, that partner is more likely to be unemployed and
have poor qualifications.
¾
¾
¾
¾
As a consequence, children born to teenage mothers have a 63% higher risk of living in
poverty, compared to babies born to mothers in their twenties. They have lower academic
attainment and are at higher risk of economic inactivity in later life.
The below chart shows the latest teenage conception rates per thousand females aged 15 – 17
from the ONS (2008) for Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly, its statistical neighbour group, the
regional & national averages. Cornwall & IoS has the 4th highest rate amongst a group of 11
statistical neighbours. Whilst Cornwall’s rate is below the national average it is slightly above
the regional average.
Teenage Conception Rate per Thousand Females Aged 15 - 17 (2008)
South West
England
Rate per 1000 females aged 15 - 17
45.0
40.0
40.4
35.0
34.7
30.0
25.0
20.0
30.6
30.4
28.1
34.3
33.4
33.4
31.2
35.7
37.0
41.1
39.8
15.0
10.0
5.0
Table 2.11: Closest Statistical Neighbour
Teenage Conception Rates
LA & Closest
Under-18
%
SN
conception rate difference
1998
2008
1998-2008
Cornwall & IoS
Norfolk
Devon
Somerset
Herefordshire
39.8
37.0
32.9
38.8
37.2
35.7
34.3
33.4
33.4
31.2
-10.2%
-7.4%
1.4%
-14.0%
-16.2%
br
ia
Cu
m
sh
ire
U
A
W
ig
ht
of
Table 2.11 above, compares the percentage
Is
le
Li
nc
ol
n
Io
S
k
al
l
&
N
or
fo
l
Co
rn
w
er
se
t
D
So
m
ev
on
re
U
A
re
H
er
ef
or
ds
hi
lk
op
sh
i
Su
ff
o
Sh
r
D
or
se
t
0.0
reduction in teenage conception rates for
Cornwall & IoS & the closest statistical
neighbours from 1998 to 2008. The current
reduction in 2008 is 10.2% with a target of
50% by 2010.
Under 18 Conception Rates
50.0
CIoS
SW
England
45.0
rate per thousand females 15 - 17
40.0
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
1997
2
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
The chart left shows the trend for Cornwall
with the broken line showing the trajectory to
2010. Following a dip in rates in 2006 (33.0)
the rate in 2008 has increased to 35.7. The
chart shows the significant decline in
conception rates required to meet the 2010
target.
Teenage Parents Next Steps: Guidance for Local Authorities & Primary Care Trusts (DCSF, 2007)
Cornwall Children’s Trust Needs Assessment 2010 1 Child Poverty Needs Assessment for Cornwall Local Data on Teenage Conceptions
Local under 18 conception data for Cornwall is
collated and reported by NHS Cornwall & Isles of
Scilly. An element of omission is to be expected
from the nationally released figures by the ONS.
However, local data provides more timely figures
for smaller geographic areas which can be used to
inform local service planning / delivery. The local
data is based upon the 2009 calendar year and on
the basis of a total of 271 conceptions.
36.8
22.1
East
24.0
Mid
West
Table 2.12: Teenage Conception rates 2009 by
Network Area
Conception Rate
Community Network
2009
Camborne & Redruth
53.4
Penzance, Marazion & St Just
39.4
St Austell
38.0
Bodmin
37.9
Bude
36.3
Hayle and St Ives
33.3
Falmouth and Penryn
29.8
Truro and Roseland
28.2
Camelford
28.2
St Blazey, Fowey and
25.6
Lostwithiel
Liskeard and Looe
23.9
Callington
22.0
China Clay
21.9
Wadebridge & Padstow
14.6
Helston & Lizard
13.9
St Agnes and Perranporth
12.8
Saltash and Torpoint
12.6
Launceston
11.2
Newquay
8.8
Cornwall Average
28.0
The bar chart above shows teenage conception
rates for each service delivery area based on the
2009 local data, the Cornwall average is 28.0. As
would be anticipated when looking at smaller
areas (Table 2.12) there is a strong link between higher teenage conception rates and areas of
higher deprivation. The Camborne & Redruth network area has a rate (53.4) between 1.5
times & twice the county average. Network areas with above average rates include Penzance,
Marazion, St Just, St Austell, Bodmin, Bude, Hayle & St Ives.
Cornwall Children’s Trust Needs Assessment 2010 2 Child Poverty Needs Assessment for Cornwall What children and young people think about sexual health?
The TellUs survey
TellUs4: How helpful is the information & advice you get in school on
Sex & Relationships Education
TellUs4: Which of these things do you often worry about?
60%
30%
Cornwall
England
SN
57%
53%
Cornwall
55%
England
SN
26%
25%
25%
25%
50%
40%
15%
15%
14%
15%
%
%
20%
30%
10%
20%
5%
10%
19%
19%
20%
13%
14%
14%
13%
10%
11%
0%
0%
Relationships/girlfriends/boyfriends
Helpful
Sex
Not helpful
Don't know
Haven't received any
Children & young people in Years 6, 8 & 10 responded to the question: which of these things
do you often worry about with regards to relationships / girlfriends & boyfriends & sex. The
survey shows that 25% of young people in Cornwall often worry about relationships, this is in
line with the national average, as represented in the chart above left. 14% of children & young
people often worry about sex this is marginally lower than the national & statistical neighbour
average.
The chart above right shows what young people in years 8 & 10 think about the information,
advice & guidance they receive in school on sex & relationships education (SRE). A greater
proportion of young people in Cornwall (57%) than nationally & compared with statistical
neighbours thought SRE in schools was helpful. 19% of young people thought that the SRE
they received was not helpful in line with the national average & marginally below the average
of statistical neighbours.
SRE has been highlighted in the Young People’s Manifesto 2010 as an
area of importance by young people across Cornwall. Comments on how
SRE could be improved from a focus group of 10 pregnant young women
/ young mum’s (aged 16 – 19) as part of the consultation process for the
manifesto included:
“We need more
sex education”
“My mum
taught me
about it not
school”
“Embarrassing
, need more
info”
“We get sexual
health advice
from SHARE”
“Need to be
mature about
it”
The same group were asked about wider health services & feedback included:
¾
¾
health professionals should be less intimidating, more understanding & less
judgemental of young people
more home visits for young babies would be helpful
Young people’s views help to shape services and provide quality assurance by undertaking
mystery shopper visits as part of the EEFO / You’re Welcome accreditation and are formally
engaged through participation strategies. The young people’s mobile IAG / sexual health
service is in the process of being evaluated and the report for this will be due in September
2010. Findings from the evaluation will be used to inform future commissioning of any mobile
service.
Cornwall Children’s Trust Needs Assessment 2010 3 Child Poverty Needs Assessment for Cornwall Recommended Focus Areas
Sharon Hindley: Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator
Integration
& more for
less
Prevention &
Early
Intervention
Transition
from child to
adult
services
Geographical
Variations
In year cuts of £36,000 to the Teenage Pregnancy budget as a result of the
reduction of the ABG have meant a scaling back of services and projects. There
is a significant risk that without funding from 1st April 2011 onwards that rates
will begin to increase again. Provisional Q1 2009 data (Source: ONS May 2010)
showed a significant reduction in under 18 conception rates for the first time in
three years, falling from 35.7 / 1000 to 31.2 / 1000.
The Reducing Teenage Pregnancy Strategy has a focus on sustained intervention
and prevention programmes targeted at those young people most at risk.
Priorities also include:
• increasing access to young people’s contraceptive services which includes
expansion and availability of the C Card Scheme,
• continuation of the mobile IAG / sexual health service in wards with high and
increasing rates of U18 conceptions and in rurally isolated areas,
• working with teenage parents and their children to improve outcomes for
both and ultimately reducing the number of second and subsequent
pregnancies.
• Developing the competences of the workforce by ensuring that frontline
practitioners working with young people attend Foundation in Sexual Health
training.
• Developing a sound evidence base for targeted work / interventions – focus
on local data collection and reporting.
• Supporting schools to deliver high quality SRE.
All of the above will have contributed to the fairly significant reduction in rates
reported for Q1 2009 and without continued funding from 2011/12 there is a risk
that these services will be reduced/cut which could ultimately lead to rates
increasing again.
It is essential that young people identified as being at increased risk of early
sexual activity or teenage pregnancy have access to additional support and
interventions so they can make informed choices and manage their own
behaviours.
A risk assessment approach needs to be developed to enable identification of
vulnerable young people at risk of becoming teenage parents. Investment in
School Nursing will mean that each secondary and short stay school will have a
school nurse led weekly drop in offering contraception and sexual health
information.
Professionals working with young people around alcohol or substance misuse
problems are aware of the associated contraception sexual health risks and are
pro-active in supporting young people to access contraception and sexual health
services including the C Card Scheme, Chlamydia Screening and referral to GU.
It is well documented that young people do prefer to access designated young
people clinics, e.g. Share & Brook which both offer services for young people
aged 13-25. Young people can often mistrust all age services so it is important
that they are supported to access these services. In Cornwall, all age health
services are encouraged to show they are Young People friendly by working
towards the EEFO level 3 / You’re Welcome Quality Standard. Currently there
are 10 services within Cornwall that have achieved You’re Welcome
accreditation, the total number for the SW is 11.
Although overall the rate of Under 18 conceptions in Cornwall is lower than the
national average, there are geographic variations where rates are twice the local
and national averages, these areas are called hotspots. Local / timely under 18
conception data is vital to ensure that targeted prevention work in hotspots is
implemented at the appropriate level and time. Areas within the county that
have been identified as hotspots (rates of under 18 conceptions in excess of 60
per 1000) are prioritised within the Reducing Teenage Pregnancy Strategy to
ensure that local areas have clear intelligence and resources are targeted to
meet need.
Cornwall Children’s Trust Needs Assessment 2010 4