The report traces the historical context of contemporary social and political discourses on teenage pregnancy, especially in relation to New Labour’s explicit location of ‘teenage pregnancy’ within its social exclusion agenda. It outlines the theoretical context in which the intervention operates and contrasts the limitations of attempts to prevent teenage pregnancy through conventional sex and relationship education with the emerging reported effectiveness of ‘multifaceted’ programmes. The report also looks at the intervention and how effective it has been in:

The purpose of this research was to contribute to the limited but promising emerging knowledge base of ‘multifaceted’ approaches to reducing teenage pregnancy, through the evaluation of a specific intervention.

The research uses a 'theory of change' methodological approach and a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. The main research method was a postal questionnaire of a primarily quantitative nature sent out to individuals who had previously undertaken the programme. A qualitative focus group discussion was also undertaken with previous programme participants, principally to inform the findings from the main questionnaire.

While insignificant outcomes are observed for some variables, promising outcomes are observed for several others. The intervention’s identified effect in improving teenagers’ contraception behaviour in a number of ways could be seen as an important contribution to the reduction of teenage pregnancies in the area.

Maypole Centre
Clive Sealey, tel. +44 121 464 6172

01/01/2005

Clive Sealey

research

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Quality of life

Health