Wokingham

The Wokingham district has been praised recently (August 22) by children, young people and families minister Beverley Hughes MP for its success in working with young people to bring down rates of teenage pregnancy.

A new analysis of figures published by the national Teenage Pregnancy Unit shows that although numbers are relatively low in Wokingham the district has had one of the biggest declines in teenage pregnancy rates in the country since the start of the national teenage pregnancy strategy.

The Wokingham district is making good progress in reducing teenage pregnancies since a
local strategy was developed in 1998 to address this. For the past six years, health, social care and education professionals, to name just a few, have been working hard to reduce the rate.

And the good news is, the hard work has paid off with the Wokingham district reducing teenage pregnancies by 29.4% and now having the second lowest rate in England. And the district has the ninth highest reduction over this six-year period (1998 to 2004). When the government launched the national teenage pregnancy strategy, it set a target for all local authorities to reduce the under-18 conception rate by 15%, which the Wokingham district has achieved by almost double.

Georgina Clarke, teenage pregnancy co-ordinator, said: “The number of teenage pregnancies are low in the Wokingham district but we must not be complacent despite the fact the figures have fallen. The rate is significantly lower than England and the South East, and this is very much welcomed, but we need to ensure this rate is maintained.

“Work is continuing across the district to build on this positive start since the strategy was introduced in 1998. This has been achieved by strengthening the partnership working between health, social care, education and the voluntary sector and by ensuring that all agencies provide good sexual and emotional health services to young people.”

The work of the Wokingham district Teenage Pregnancy Board has been instrumental in bringing down the rates in the district. The strategy focuses on providing professional advice for young people making decisions and the development of creative methods of encouraging young people to wait before having sex and to make confident choices. Research published earlier this year, highlighted that many young people wish they had waited longer before having sex.

Health services for young people are currently being developed across the district and they will be able to access a range of services, treatments and confidential advice on a range of issues, including sexual health, at a number of youth clubs, schools and community venues. Young people will be involved in the design of these new services. Currently there are health drop-in sessions at all the youth clubs across the district. Information ‘credit’ cards, which they can carry around with them, have also helped young people providing useful information and telephone numbers and the district council is keen to expand this in the future.

A young person’s health worker has started work in Wokingham schools with the healthy schools co-ordinator to offer advice on sex and relationships and provide support for professionals on sexual health. A health visitor and nursery nurse has been appointed to work directly with young parents addressing their needs.

Dr Liz Ollerhead, head of public health and health equalities at Wokingham Primary Care Trust, said: “Supporting young people to make informed choices for their relationships and sexual health is a priority. We remain committed to ensuring the district’s young people have access to good sexual and emotional health services as we continue to address this issue.”

Wokingham District Council