Sexual Health in Essex Teenage Pregnancy and Alcohol

1. Sexual Health in EssexTeenage Pregnancy and Alcohol Eastern Region Alcohol Conference 19 May 2010

2. Social Exclusion Unit’s Report June 1999 The 10 Year strategy has two main goals: • To halve the rate of conceptions among under 18s by 2010 and establish a firmly downward trend in conceptions under 16, within a broader strategy to improve sexual health. (Renewed PSA 14 Increasing the number of young people on the path to success) 2. To get more teenage parents into education, training or employment, to reduce their risk of long-term social exclusion with a target of 60% participation by 2010.

3. Essex data:2006/08 Under 18 conception rate 32.21998-2008 + 15.6% reduction

4. Source: ONS 2010

5. STIs in Essex Source: Essex Health Protection Unit Annual Report, 2008

6. Key risk factors for teenage pregnancy • Risk behaviours • Education-related factors • Family/Background factors NB: It is the presence of a number of risk factors that increase the likelihood of becoming a teenage parent. It is not a forgone conclusion. Neither should any factor be taken as an indicator on its own.

7. Risk Behaviours: • Early onset of sexual activity • Poor contraceptive use • Mental health/ conduct disorder/ involvement in crime • Alcohol and substance misuse • Teenage motherhood • Repeat abortions

8. Risk Behaviours: Early sexual activity Girls having sex under-16 are three times more likely to become pregnant than those who have sex post-16

9. Behaviours: Poor contraceptive use A quarter (25%) of boys and a third (33%) of girls who left school at 16 with no qualifications did not use contraception at first sex (compared with 6% of boys and 8% of girls who left post-17 with qualifications)

10. Risk Behaviours: Alcohol and substance misuse Regular smoking, drinking and drug-experimentation increases risk of under-16 sex for both young men and young women Teenagers who have sex under the influence of alcohol are less likely to use contraception and more likely to regret the experience

11. 10 Key Factors for Effective Strategy

12. Building Resilience

13. Community resilience: Trading Standards • Age Restricted Sales • Gathering Intelligence • Targeting Resources • Delivering Business Advice • Test purchasing • Enforcement, License Reviews and Prosecutions

14. Community resilience: Trading StandardsAlcohol Test Purchases

15. Community resilience: Trading StandardsEducation • Crucial Crew events • Theatre Workshops • Film Competition • Businesses • Elected Members

16. Shared messages • Teenage Pregnancy Partnership Board and EDAAT shared Communications project delivered across the Christmas and New Year period to maximise the impact of shared messaging to young people given the higher alcohol related incidents and the higher conception rate trend in first quarter. • Outreach youth activities in clubs and bars to promote sensible drinking and linking the work in some areas to Chlamydia screening initiatives. • Joint training with front line staff: SHAFT, Delay, Insets with PSHE/CPD students, Midwifery Students at ARU, Sexual Health Training at ARU, Police Conference and Schools. • EYPDAS: Essex young people’s drug and alcohol service. Targeted and specialist treatment service that through its use of assessment tool, will support young people to access CASH services. • Essex SRE Framework provides scenario based activities to explore risk and the management thereof including alcohol and sex.

17. Healthy Schools Enhanced Model • Have a planned and progressive approach to SRE/PSHE education which reflects developmental needs of children and young people, by building on what has gone before and recognise the links between SRE and other aspects of PSHE education, for example the role of alcohol in risk taking behaviour. • Enhanced model focus on SRE/Conception rates, Substance/alcohol misuse, emotional health and wellbeing and obesity. Pilot in 46 schools 2010/11.

18. Young people’s involvement • Essex YEA developed DVD to support the development of SRE as a key priority. • Essex YEA supported the development of Alcohol Resource for Youth Settings • Mystery Shopping activities • Youth Health Trainers • Peer educators • As researchers in their own right: Project supported through NCB at ARU to look into online bullying • Theatre in Education

19. Risks and challenges • Complex issues • All have a part to play but each stakeholder needs to know its role and remit • Performance management and evaluation of impact • Duplication of effort and spend unless planned and implemented strategically • Workforce development needs to keep pace • Shrinking pool of resources • Maintaining a sex positive approach whilst ensuring high priority given to Safeguarding

20. Next steps • Risk and resilience methodology • JSNA profiling and GIS Mapping shared across the partnership supporting the refresh of the CYPP • Teenage Pregnancy Self Assessment ensuring that it is not seen in in isolation- Essex Inequalities Plan • Enhanced Healthy Schools Roll out following pilot activity (46 schools) • Children’s Trust “Relationships, Sexual Health and Guidance for Young Parents” Policy. • Integrated joint commissioning • A One Essex approach

21. Any questions…….. ?

22. Contact details • Jacquie Sheehan: Essex Teenage Pregnancy Lead • Karen Hammett: Teenage Pregnancy Project Worker