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The Determinants of Teenage Pregnancy Using the Seedhouse Grid Diagram (1986).

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The Determinants of Teenage Pregnancy Using the Seedhouse Grid Diagram (1986).
Introduction
The main determinant of teenage pregnancy is commonly seen to be poor or lack of sexual education, but this essay will outline and explore further options such as social and economic issues including the involvement of education via both schooling and the media on sexual attitudes influencing adolescent sexual behaviour.
Pregnancy amongst adolescents is common around the world; however different cultures and different geographical regions have various explanations for teenage pregnancy. This essay will expand and delve into the determinants using elements from The Seedhouse Diagram (1986).
Educational and the media are both types of determinants with sexual education seen as being biological and not involved with the emotions where as the media portrays a glamorised version of sex showing no consequences or use of contraception giving the adolescents the belief that unprotected sex is safe and consequence free.
A relationship may exist between low attendances by adolescents at school, poor accomplishment in an educational setting with a higher chance of experiencing adolescent pregnancy.

Education in schools about contraception is seen by adolescents as being delivered in a biological way which can leave the students disinterested, they may be unable to take on board what is being taught about protected sex through use of contraception because of boredom and/or embarrassment. The lack of attention paid to the educational sessions on contraception and protected sex can lead to a variety of dilemmas faced by the adolescent that can lead to early pregnancy such as incorrect usage of contraception, inconsistent usage or even the failure to use contraception.
Research by the Social Exclusion Unit (2004) has proven that there is a relationship that exists between low attendances by adolescents at school, poor accomplishment in an educational setting with a higher chance of experiencing adolescent pregnancy. Although research has shown there is a



References: Abel, G. and Fitzgerald, L. (2006). ‘When You come to it You Feel Like a Dork Asking a Guy to Put a Condom On: Is Sex Education Addressing Young People 's Understandings of Risk? ' Sex Education, 6 (2). pp 105-19. Allen, I. and Bourke Dowling, S. (1999). ‘Teenage Mothers: Decisions and Outcomes ', in MacRae, S. (ed.), Changing Britain: Families and Households in the 1990s. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bonnell, C. 2005. The Effect of Dislike of School on Risk of Teenage Pregnancy: Testing of Hypotheses Using Longitudinal Data from a Randomised Trial of Sex Education. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 59:223-230. Fergusson, D. M. & Woodward, L. J. (2000) Teenage Pregnancy and Female Educational Underachievement: A Prospective Study of a New Zealand Birth Cohort. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62, 147-161. Gilbert, J. (2007). Risking a Relation: Sex Education and Adolescent Development. Sex Education. 7 (1), pp. 47-61. Gross, K. 2007. Contraception Not a Priority for Girls in WA Study. PREGNANCY & PARENTHOOD." Youth Studies Australia 26.2: 7(1). L 'Engle, K National Statistics Online http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=721 (accessed on 11 November 2007) Social Exclusion Unit Breaking the Cycle series. London. ODPM Publications Teenage Pregnancy Unit – Department for Education and Skills http://www.dfes.gov.uk/teenagepregnancy/dsp_Content.cfm?PageID=85 (access on 11 November 2007) Vincent, K. (2007). Teenage Pregnancy and Sex and Relationship Education: Myths and (mis)Conceptions. Pastoral care. September 2007. 16-23. Ware, M. (2007). Determinants of Teenage Pregnancies: The Case of Busia District in Kenya. ECONOMICS & HUMAN BIOLOGY. 5 (2), 322-339.

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