Governments always seem to be implementing headline catching initiatives to improve society but, never seem to stop and consider possible alternative outcomes & undesirable consequences of their programmes (See HERE & HERE)
Teenage pregnancy rates in the UK have been soaring. In 2004, our concerned government introduced a multi million pound scheme to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. The Government-backed scheme tried to persuade teenage girls not to get pregnant by handing out condoms and teaching them about sex.The cost turned out to be £2500 for each teenager included in the programme. And the impact of the programme?
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Last year 40,000 teenage girls became pregnant, the highest level in Western Europe
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Young women who attended the programme, were ’significantly’ more likely to become pregnant than those on other youth programmes who were not given contraception and sex advice.
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A total of 16 per cent of those on the Young People’s Development Programme conceived compared with just 6 per cent in other programmes.
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One girl had 4 abortions before the age of 16
Experts said the scheme failed because it introduced girls ‘at risk’ of becoming pregnant to promiscuous girls they might not otherwise have met. Increasing sexual awareness may also have contributed to the results.
Doh! Ministers didn’t need to ask “experts” before spending millions of pounds on this programme! We could all have told them what might happen.
Idiots!!
1 response so far ↓
Alan H // August 8, 2009 at 5:33 am |
I think this is an anomoly. In programs I have seen, information on contraception has reduced unwanted pregnancy rates. It is common sense. Abstenence, keeping the facts secret, etc. works only until it doesn’t work… which is only a short time. Knowledge about the facts of life and the consequences of early sex, along with opportunities to succeed in life (education) are what reduce the problem or unintended pregnancy and thus demand for abortion.