Southampton is high on the teen pregnancy table – but would relationship lessons make a difference?

Charlotte Bemand wants schools to focus more on the importance of healthy relationships rather than just the biological aspects of sex.

She hopes this will give teenagers greater self-esteem and self-confidence so they can make informed choices and not feel pressurised into having sex.Miss Bemand has asked teachers across the city’s primary and secondary schools what type of relationship and sex education is currently on offer.

Next termshe will visit schools to observe lessons and speak to staff and pupils as part of the review designed to stop the city being the teenage pregnancy capital of the south coast.

Miss Bemand said: “From a young age, children need to be taught about friendships, family and peer relationships so they can translate good relationship skills to their relationships as young people and adults.

“We are not talking about introducing sex to discussions with five-year-olds, but when children get to secondary school, personal relationships should start to be introduced.

“Young people in Southampton told us they wanted to cover expectations surrounding relationships, dealing with peer pressure and that it’s okay to take your time, delay having a sexual relationship and the importance of knowing and trusting not only your partner but your friends.”

It is the first of a range of projects she has lined up to reduce teen pregnancies.

These include better training and support for youth workers, teachers and school nurses who give sex and relationship advice.

She is also heading a review of the city’s sexual health services and planning amajor safe sex awareness campaign for Christmas.

Latest available figures for 2006 show that the level of teen pregnancies in Southampton was nearly double that of the rest of Hampshire – and higher than anywhere else in the south. In that year the teenage pregnancy rate, measured as the under 18-conception rate per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 17, was 60.7 compared with 60.9 in 1998.

The 0.2 per cent reduction in the number of girls getting pregnant was the smallest improvementmade anywhere in England despite tens of thousands of pounds being spent on different prevention measures.

Miss Bemand has taken up her Southampton City Council and Southampton Primary Care Trust partnership post after working in a similar role in Portsmouth.

‘They don’t know as much as we think they do’

THE manager of a Southampton drop-in centre for teen parents has welcomed greater emphasis on relationships in sex education classes. Caroline Sant said: “It’s fantastic. It has been a long time coming.”

She said that it would be good to follow the Dutch example that focuses on sex education in the wider context of relationships. “Many young people feel like they should be having sex and need self-confidence and self esteem to be able to say no.”

She said that levels of ignorance among the city’s teenagers was high, with myths surrounding how girls can become pregnant and even some 15- year-old boys thinking that they can become pregnant too.

“Sometimes we presume that youngsters know a lot more than they actually do,” said Miss Sant. She runs The Link, inWindrush Road, Millbrook, which offers information, advice and support to people aged 13 and 25.

Among the teen mums The Link has helped is Melissa Jensen, pictured, who was 14 when she became pregnant with her baby daughter Taya Louise two years ago. At the time she told the Daily Echo: “I don’t regret having Taya-Louise – I just regret having her so young. I adore her, but sometimes I wish I could have my teenage head back and do what I want to do.”