Teenage Pregnancy and Young Parenthood ― Effective Policy and Practice

Teenage Pregnancy and Young Parenthood provides a comprehensive, unparalleled insight into the UK Government’s highly successful Teenage Pregnancy Strategy (TPS) for England which reduced the under-18 pregnancy rate by well over 50%, and considers how the lessons from this policy can be applied internationally.

This important book captures and shares the lessons from the TPS for future governments and policy makers, and documents the details of implementing a long-term strategy with its innovative approach to policy issues. After providing the rationale for prioritising teenage pregnancy, the book demonstrates evidence for what is effective, both in helping young people avoid unplanned pregnancy and in improving outcomes for young parents. The TPS is analysed against the World Health Organisation’s key actions for effective scale-up of adolescent sexual and reproductive health programmes, to offer an important contribution to international understanding of this global public health challenge.

Advocating a ‘whole systems’ multi-agency approach this book translates evidence into clear action, and combines theory and practice with illustrative case studies to demonstrate how to implement policy successfully. It is valuable reading for policy makers and practitioners dealing with young people’s health, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students in the fields of psychology, health studies, social work, youth work, education, social policy, sociology and related disciplines.

Alison Hadley OBE is the Director of the Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange at the University of Bedfordshire and previously led the implementation of the Labour government’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy for England.

Roger Ingham is Professor of Health and Community Psychology at the Centre for Sexual Health Research at the University of Southampton.

Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli works in the World Health Organization’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research.