The birds and the bees – and avoiding the predators

WHILE overall the number of teenagers becoming pregnant is thankfully down, there is an alarming rise in the number of girls aged 15 and under who gave birth last year. CSO statistics show that 42 such girls became mothers in 2015, compared to 23 the previous year and 28 in 2013.

The trend raises questions about why younger teenagers are not influenced by better sex education, changing attitudes to motherhood and, indeed, social media in the same way as older girls.

Globally, teen pregnancy rates have plunged by almost a half since the explosion in social media. The theory is that youngsters are spending less time with each other than ever and consequently have less scope for sexual relationships.

But this theory comes apart when applied to young Irish teenagers. They are as addicted to social media as all adolescents but they are bucking the trend by becoming pregnant in larger numbers.

Perhaps questions must be asked about what role sex abuse or rape play in pregnancies among younger girls. Any male who sleeps with an underage girl is guilty of statutory rape, because in the eyes of the law a young girl is not capable of giving consent.

Research shows that around 50% of teens say they were impregnated by an adult male, with twothirds reporting that their babies’ fathers are 27 and older.

Perhaps sex-education for 13- and 14-year-olds should be as much about consent and forging relationships with their peers as the mechanics of contraception and the burden that motherhood places on a child.

Young teenagers are vulnerable to attention from older men and while Stay Safe is a message that is drummed into them in primary school, perhaps there is a place for it at secondary level.