Consultation on the Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy

Overview

This is the first Scottish Strategy focused on pregnancy and parenthood amongst
young people. It aims to increase the choices and opportunities available to young
people which will support their wellbeing and prosperity across the life course. The
Strategy addresses the fundamental causes of pregnancy in young people and its
consequences, with actions focused on how we can impact on the wider
environmental and social influences and individual experiences which effect
inequalities. Reducing levels of pregnancy in young people helps to reduce the
likelihood of poverty and a recurring cycle from one generation to the next.
 

The rate of pregnancy (this is defined as all conceptions i.e. live births and abortions)
in the under 20s age group is decreasing in Scotland although it is still high
compared to other countries, including comparable western states (appendix 1).
Between 2007 and 2012, Scotland saw a 28%, 33% and 28% decrease in
pregnancy rates in the under 20, 18 and 16 age groups respectively. This shows that
high rates can be influenced with effective interagency joint working and evidence
informed approaches.

However, these rates are still high compared to other
countries in the European Union and further afield (appendix 1) and some of this can
be explained by the challenge posted by the gap in inequalities (figure 1). Females
aged under 20 years old and living in a deprived area are 4.6 times more likely to
experience a pregnancy and nearly 12 times more likely to continue the pregnancy
as someone living in the least deprived areas of Scotland. Reducing levels of
pregnancy in young people helps to reduce the likelihood of poverty and a recurring
cycle from one generation to the next.

Why your views matter

Pregnancy in young people is often a cause and a consequence of social exclusion
and therefore should be seen as wider than a sexual health issue or even a health
issue. This strategy looks at the fundamental causes of pregnancy in young people
with actions focused on how we can impact on the wider environmental and social
influences and individual experiences which effect inequalities. Young people face a
wide range of challenges and opportunities in their lives and therefore require
support that is responsive and holistic to match their life circumstances. By using an
integrated interagency approach and looking at an individual holistically, outcomes
can be improved for young people, i.e. for those under 18 or still at school a Getting
it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach.

Universal services, across all agencies, have an important role to play in identifying
and supporting the needs of young people and these responsibilities will be
strengthened through the commencement of the provisions and duties in relation to
the Named Person Service in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.
The Institute of Fiscal Studies report concluded that to significantly reduce levels of
teenage pregnancies you cannot concentrate on high risk groups alone. Whilst this is
important, we also need a particular focus on those who are most vulnerable. This
‘proportionate universalism’ approach is described by the Marmot Review6 as being
actions that must be “universal but with a scale and intensity that is proportionate to
the level of disadvantage”. This is the focus of actions in this Strategy.

What happens next

We will consider the responses and finalise the Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy.

 The non-confidential responses will be published by the end of December 2015.