Teen pregnancy targets hit

Turning the tide: Gail addresses the conference.

The success of initiatives to reduce the level of teenage pregnancy in Hull has been highlighted at a national conference. The City Council's teenage pregnancy co-ordinator Gail Teasdale explained to delegates at the New Deal for Communities National Conference in Blackpool how the a combination of educational workshops, research, and teenage parents' involvement in the council's Support Service has helped stem the trend.

Gail told the Conference that Hull was once fourth in the national league table for teen pregnancies and now lies ninth. The target for 2004 was also achieved two years early. She said: "It's about making sex education more interesting, and using peer pressure to give it some credibility.

The youngsters feel that education should start at the age of five with discussion about friendship, so that it doesn't seem odd to start at 13." Gail said one of the more difficult achievements is to involve boys. "We have to attract them using Playstations, internet, DJ-ing and drumming workshops.

It's where they are more comfortable." She added that there are many barriers facing young parents, especially in education, but the Support Service now offers an integrated sexual health service and drop-in community midwifery service.