28/10/03 - Cumbria Teenage Pregnancy Strategy Statement

Today, Cumbria Teenage Pregnancy Strategy Board made the following statement about support for young parents after the news of a twelve year old girl becoming a mother last weekend.  Fran Frankland, Co-coordinator of Cumbria Teenage Pregnancy Strategy says,

"Cumbria Teenage Pregnancy Strategy is a multi-agency initiative aiming to reduce teenage pregnancy and support young parents.  Figures published earlier this year show that pregnancies in young girls is falling, with Cumbria achieving a 14% decrease over the past three years.

Support to teenage parents includes a re-integration service to ensure education and training can continue, help with childcare and other specialist support services.  The awareness raising strand of the strategy includes work with young men to raise awareness of sexual health issues.  Health visitor and other specialist mother and baby support is also available through the local health care provider.

The main aim of the strategy is to reduce teenage pregnancy by 50% by 2010.  Local initiatives include contraception and sexual health clinics, school nurse sexual health services in schools and a widely publicised helpline for young people called Sexwise"

The Sexwise helpline 0800 282930