Abstract

The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in England, published in June 1999, is a
multifaceted strategy that includes action to both halve the under 18 conception rate
by 2010 and provide support to teenage parents to reduce the long term risk of social
exclusion by increasing the proportion in education, training and employment.
The Strategy has four major components: 1) a national media awareness campaign
via independent radio and teenage magazines, 2) joined up action to ensure that
action is co-ordinated nationally and locally across all relevant statutory and voluntary
agencies, 3) better prevention through improving sex and relationships education and
improving access to contraception and sexual health services and 4) support for
teenage parents to reduce their long term risk of social exclusion by increasing the
proportion returning to education, training or employment. Each of the 148 top tier
local authorities developed a ten year strategy for achieving local targets of reducing
their under 18 conception rate by between 40-60% by 2010. Local strategies are led
by a teenage pregnancy partnership board with representatives from relevant
statutory and voluntary stakeholders. Strategic co-ordination is provided by local
teenage pregnancy co-ordinators who are performance managed by regional
teenage pregnancy co-ordinators and supported by the government's crossdepartmental
Teenage Pregnancy Unit (TPU).