Family Planning says New Zealand’s ranking on UNICEF’s table of Teenage Births in Rich Nations is an urgent reminder of the need for this country to develop a teenage pregnancy strategy which addresses all the issues involved with teenage pregnancy.

Family Planning Chief Executive Jackie Edmond says the table, based on 2003 figures, indicates that New Zealand’s teenage pregnancy rate is 30 births per every 1000 teenage girls aged 15 to 19. Of the OECD countries, only the United States with a teenage pregnancy rate of just over 45 births per every 1000 teenage girls aged 15 to 19 fares worse than New Zealand. The report was released in New Zealand on 15 February.

“For Family Planning there is little comfort in the report which shows that Britain, which introduced a Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in 1999, has improved from second to third place in terms of teenage pregnancy rates. Family Planning has advocated for the introduction of an integrated, whole of Government approach to teenage pregnancy issues for the past six years, that would involve a range of government agencies, District Health Boards, schools, local authorities, health providers, parents and young people.

“Family Planning has been closely monitoring the success of the British Teenage Pregnancy Strategy which was introduced in 1999. This strategy has been followed by a fall in the rate of teenage motherhood of 15 per cent for those under 18 years of age, and the fall in conception rates for those under 16 years is similar,” Ms Edmond says.

If the British experience were translated to New Zealand, a 15 per cent fall in teenage pregnancy rates would mean a drop of around 1100 teenage pregnancies each year.

Ms Edmond says a strategy, such as that introduced in Britain, must be a priority.

“It will take time and a concerted commitment to address the issues of disadvantage, in particular for Maori and Pacific Island teenagers, that do exist.
The British strategy involves programmes in education, health, justice and housing and a realistic investment from Government. It is monitored regularly by a group of senior Government ministers.

The UNICEF report says that for most girls growing up in an OECD country, the norm today is an extended education, a career, a two-income household, delayed childbearing and a small family.

Ms Edmond says the responsibilities of early pregnancy can have long-lasting effects on the socio-economic wellbeing of the women and children involved.

“Unplanned teen pregnancy can result in interrupted education, reduced earning potential and reduced career prospects. As well, some teen parents are simply emotionally and socially unprepared for childrearing. The experience in England shows that a well-planned, resourced and monitored approach to teen pregnancy is effective – this is what Family Planning has been advocating for.”

New Zealand has a Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy which, Ms Edmond says, says all the right things but has no targets or indicators for DHBs or providers and no specific funding attached.

“There is a need for urgent investment in a whole-of-government approach to sexual and reproductive health. Such an investment should be targeted to those areas that are most at risk. It is the only way we are going to reduce negative outcomes such as unplanned teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS and abortion.”

She says the importance of comprehensive sexuality and relationship education in reducing unplanned teenage pregnancy cannot be underestimated.

Alongside the British example, Ms Edmond cites the example of the Netherlands which has not only one of the lowest teenage birth rates in the world, but also one of the lowest teenage abortion rates in the developed world.

“Studies conclude that it is their open attitudes towards sexuality, contraception and sexuality education along with the inclusiveness of their society that is the key to their success. There needs to be more open and easy discussion about the use of condoms and delaying first sex. Young people should have easy access to confidential sexual and reproductive health information and services,” Ms Edmond says.

“Only when these programmes are in place will we see New Zealand perform better in reports such as that from UNICEF and will we see our teenagers have every opportunity to reach their full potential.”