Fears over drive to cut black teenage pregnancies
By Sarah Womack, Social Affairs Correspondent


(Filed: 22/07/2006)


Government plans to target girls from black and ethnic minorities in an attempt to reduce teenage pregnancy rates need to be pursued "sensitively", the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) said yesterday.

It was responding to the disclosure that ministers want to reduce the large number of teenagers from ethnic minorities who are conceiving.

Guidance issued to councils and health authorities by Beverly Hughes, the children's minister, and Caroline Flint, the public health minister, notes with concern that rates of teenage motherhood are significantly higher than average among mothers of "black Caribbean", "other black" and "mixed white/black Caribbean" ethnicity.


It says agencies working on teenage pregnancy should have the confidence to reach out to and engage with young people from black and minority ethnic groups.

Ministers say that even when social deprivation and educational achievement are taken into account, pregnancy rates among black and mixed-race girls are much higher than average.

They also have proportionately more abortions, accounting for nine per cent of all terminations for women under 18, even though they make up only three per cent of the female population between 15 and 17.

The CRE said: "Collecting and analysing data on ethnicity allows people to identify and target health campaigns, for example, at communities according to their specific need.

"It is important that they then support this by engaging with these communities so that when dealing with sensitive cultural issues, their message is not lost or misunderstood.

"This can be done through training staff and consulting with community groups."

Research by The Trust for the Study of Adolescence, a charity that receives some of its funds from the Government, shows that teenage black and minority ethnic schoolchildren in London have lower sexual health knowledge levels compared to their white British counterparts.

Kunjufu - as usual, by western standards I think it's the average which is the problem. Proportionally we are correctly represented as a percentage on Eastenders but our ratios in prisons andteen pregnancies iswrong. Bycontinental African standards, it's a problem period. So I guess in some ways it depends on the reference point.

But then years of slavery where it has been ingrained into the psyche to breed like animals stud farm style, then I guess it's just gonna take a little more time to unwash the brain.

Well I read the other day that the UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Western Europe. And its not black girls alonethat give the UK that elevated status.

In the Westblack girlshave elevated levels of teenage mothers full stop.

But theUK has a special problem with this. Its a wider cultural problem among Britains poor..

I am not surprised by the statistics, particularly if i m looking at anecdotal evidence.

The the concerns are two-fold, on the one hand the government would love to decrease black pregnancy for obvious reasons, particularly when the white birth rate is currently quite low. But i do think this is an issues for our community to be concerned about, we like to pretend that certain things aren't happening, when we should be analysing our behaviours and any aspects that may be challenging for the progression of our community.

The unfortunate thing is alot of black teenagers (my only concern so no need to discuss the white ones) are having babies. This is a problem for the following reasons (we have to be honest), they are more likely to be in poverty, more likely to end up single parents, there can be a limit to educational and employment attainment, thus many are dependent on the welfare state, less likely to be married and there childs fathersare more likely to be a 50 cent wannabe rather than a Marcus Garvey recruit.

No doubt there are many that do a fantastic job and would put older mothers to shame, and it is not fair to blame them for the situation in our community, but these conditions are not conducive for positive growth of our community. We know that one of the biggest areas we need to repair first and foremost is the family, as this is the first contact that we have with people. If you have weak family structures you will create weak people.

Many peoplei know would be in a relationship (or not) with aman then have his babywhen theyhave no intention of having a long term relationship WTF, where is the mentality coming from???????, alot of women expect the man to leave, they expect to be single parents (the norm), so they dnt think about long term suitablity, let alone marriage, this mentality is even worse if your younger, as you dnt have the life experience to guide you. Many ppl are repeating their own parents patterns and their children will follow suit unless some thing is done ( statistics reveal that if your parents had you young or as a teenager then you are more likely to do the same).

the unfortunate thing is alot of these girls will have a mans baby when they are young and maybe anotherv one a few years down the line and then maybe more when they are more settled and you end up with childen by multiple fathers. When they get older they realise they should not have been running after thuglife because he may be good in bed but apart from that he is wotless. I know of girls that will have kids for drug dealers, drug addicts, bums, murders, men who have already fathered many children, men who are wotless fathers etc.... where are the standards, and alot of the time they haven't had positive male role models to have a blueprint for a constructive man.

I think we need to set some strict boundaries, because it seems like for many ppl anything goes, alot of girls lack ambition, no focus no aim so they are easily distracted, they want to do health and social care or hair dressing, now i am not knocking it, but i do think we are capable of aiming to be doctors, accountants etc as well.

Many of them live in areas where it is the social norm to have a baby, its expected, initiation in to babymotherhood.And lets not talk about some of the dramas/conflicts that arise from these complex relationships.

Our comunity has highest single parents rate, higher thanaverage teenagepregnancy and abortion rates, low educational attainment, hish proportion of men incarcerated etc.

We knowwe live a society that will do anything to crush us, but there are alot of things that we need to ake responsiblity for.Although i am sceptical about organised religion, it dose give some structure and standards for ppl to follow, this sought of spirituality and religion has been lost in the lives of many.

Mother, 12, arrested on night out

A 12-year-old girl who last month became Scotland's youngest mother has been arrested after a night out.


The girl, from West Lothian, who has not been named, was detained on Sunday 16 July following a drunken incident. Lothian and Borders Police said the girl was arrested for a breach of the peace. A report will be send to the Reporter to the Children's Panel. The girl became pregnant aged 11 after having sex with a 15-year-old on a night out in Edinburgh last August.


Background reports
Both the girl and the child have since been put into foster care.
The authorities were called in following reports that the girl smoked up to 20 cigarettes a day and started drinking at the age of 10. The 15-year-old boy admitted a charge of having underage sex at the High Court in Edinburgh last week, having been previously accused of rape. Sentencing for the youth was deferred to 25 August for background reports.

Auset - Guess we been here before. How do you suggest we explain topeople theexpectations they have which they consider normal are actually abnormal? Baring in mind many of the things I stand for are considered abnormal by the normal.

kunjufu - Sometimes I wonderare their thingswhich are no longer shocking enough to makeheadlines among our own people and what would we admit to if our oppressorsweren't sprawling some of our ills all over their tabloids.

My last visit to New York hanging with the boys from the hood, I almost got the impression for all teir political nous, manywould rather be left alone to wallow inni$$erness. How much do we see our own prblems without others having to comment on them first. If there was no such thing as operation Trident,babymother prevention schemes or media misrepresentation, what would we really see as abnormal.

I think there is a phrase

"Wars on the outside, fears on the inside."

Black teenage pregnancies are considered fears used in government such as welfare cuts, increasing condom distribution etc.

They will use this fear tactic to not only cut black teenage pregnancy programs but other programs as well. Especially general services.

They just need an opening to work from and this one is an easy target.

for better or worse, the Black church in america is the oldest black institution.....



does the Black church exist in UK as an institution with lot of members?



if not..what do you think is THE Black institution in the UK?



and what are their steps/plans to prevent some of the problems that Blacks face in UK?




the approach taken by the black church in USA, hasn't really worked to address some of the social problems...in my opinion.....

teenage pregnancy is a worlwide issue

in respect of the uk the focus needs to be on all groups

for it was writtej and prohesised

the bible tells of children having children as signs of the last days. they are going to get younger hence cuntries talking of pre teens. and the uk mainstream says it al

such issues do not require race specific tactics

no need massa

no need

teenage pregnancy is a worlwide issue

in respect of the uk the focus needs to be on all groups

for it was writtej and prohesised

the bible tells of children having children as signs of the last days. they are going to get younger hence cuntries talking of pre teens. and the uk mainstream says it al

such issues do not require race specific tactics

no need massa

no need

Lady Day,with all due respect....

a few hundred years ago human beings werebuying other human beings on a wide scale..into chattel slavery..

if the "last days" weren't then,. they are hardly here now...



so this "last days" stuff isn't really appropriate if you think about it...

unfortunately young girls having kids is HARDLY new..sadly..