NO - Dr Roger Ingham, researcher and member of the Government's Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy
Between 1998, when the strategy was launched, and 2002, under-18 conception rates fell by almost 10 per cent, so no, that's not a failure. One would expect slight variations during a 10-year strategy. The overall trend is in the right direction. Rates have declined in 80 per cent of local authority areas since 1998, the majority of which are on track to meet their 2004 interim targets of 10 per cent reductions. The strategy is on course.
NO - Anne Weyman, chief executive of fpa
Investing in education and services is vital. We should learn from Finland's experience in the 1990s where a rise in teenage pregnancy rates was associated with cuts in services and sex education. Children's services should encompass good sex and relationship education at school and at home, access to sexual health services and quality advice and information. Denying these to young people is irresponsible and ineffective. They need the information to protect themselves against STIs and pregnancies.
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