It is now widely understood that good quality sex and relationships education (SRE) is an essential part of efforts to bring down teenage conception rates – supported by evidence from numerous studies. But leading fertility doctor Professor Geeta Nargund has called on education secretary Nicky Morgan to make fertility education part of the curriculum in order to encourage people to have children earlier.
Teenage conception rates in England are at the lowest levels in 40 years, but we still do not compare favourably with other European countries. Although becoming pregnant may be a choice for some young women, for many the pregnancy is unplanned and unwanted – and around half of teenage conceptions end in abortion. The health outcomes for teenage mothers and their children are troubling, with three times the rate of postnatal depression for teenage mothers and infant mortality 60 per cent higher.
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