Condoms.
- Thread starter garinda
- Start date
Margaret Pilkington said:
It seems apparent that we have no sexual health message being taught in schools, and the problems are getting worse. Perhaps it might be an idea to try and educate these young people as to the consequences of their actions, including using terminations as a form of birth control, and all the resulting problems.
Although you were a good girl Margaret, lots of people weren't. Terminations were still carried out by desperate people in the past, as well as numerous adoptions, and probably a lot of shotgun marriages that wouldn't have taken place if people had been better informed.
similar thing happened to me about 15 years ago, Slinky.
this is exactly what we shouldve been taught in school; the emotional stresses that come hand in hand with sexual relations (oh god i sounded like Clinton then) along with awareness of diseases and prevention
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ooerrr should i be awaiting a call from some govt advertising blokes in suits?!
and the use of the word 'we' makes me a liiiitle anxious lol
and the use of the word 'we' makes me a liiiitle anxious lol
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I remember there being a certain stigma attatched to coming home pregnant as a teenager and none of us would dare do it. The threat of that stigma (and a good hiding from yer dad) made you careful.
I also remember the awful stigma attatched to having HIV in the 80's, where ignorant people proclaimed it as 'the gay plague' or Ar$e Infected Death Sentence....It was awful and has thankfully come a long way. People are more educated about HIV, especially the people who were around at the outbreak. The government had their large campaign, but most of us who are interested have largely educated ourselves.
The only thing with attatching stigma to a certain condition or disease, is that it prevents people from seeking treatment or help. Whether that be antenatal check ups for a pregnant 14 year old or life prolonging treatment for somebody who is HIV positive, any kind of stigma attatched deters treatment.
All of our research shows that pregnant teenagers are far more likely to suffer complications such as pre- eclampsia (which is fatal to both mum and infant). This condition is detectable by regular check ups and pre- eclampsia can be treated. Mortality rates are higher for very young mothers as well as very old mothers. Stigmatising teenage pregnancy would only push the maternal mortality rate up again.
The government know this and that it why they are providing all this care and extra money etc. for teenagers. One of the benchmarks for health services in any country is maternal mortality, and ours is relatively low, which to the outside world makes our services look good..
I also remember the awful stigma attatched to having HIV in the 80's, where ignorant people proclaimed it as 'the gay plague' or Ar$e Infected Death Sentence....It was awful and has thankfully come a long way. People are more educated about HIV, especially the people who were around at the outbreak. The government had their large campaign, but most of us who are interested have largely educated ourselves.
The only thing with attatching stigma to a certain condition or disease, is that it prevents people from seeking treatment or help. Whether that be antenatal check ups for a pregnant 14 year old or life prolonging treatment for somebody who is HIV positive, any kind of stigma attatched deters treatment.
All of our research shows that pregnant teenagers are far more likely to suffer complications such as pre- eclampsia (which is fatal to both mum and infant). This condition is detectable by regular check ups and pre- eclampsia can be treated. Mortality rates are higher for very young mothers as well as very old mothers. Stigmatising teenage pregnancy would only push the maternal mortality rate up again.
The government know this and that it why they are providing all this care and extra money etc. for teenagers. One of the benchmarks for health services in any country is maternal mortality, and ours is relatively low, which to the outside world makes our services look good..
Well I'm glad that there is more than the word no, now Margaret, because no sometimes wasn't good enough.Margaret Pilkington said:
I remember during the 80's a story in the Telegraph I think it was, about a lady that was being moved into 'care in the community', after spending 40 years, yes, 40 YEARS on a mental ward in a local institution, What had she done to be locked away from society for such a long time? She had had a child out of wedlock and because she refused to have it adopted her caring family had her commited!
Not the sort of thing that is happening now thank goodness, let's stick with education for them rather than going back to a time when society could let that sort of thing happen.
Lettie mentioned the stigma attached to AIDS in the mid 80's. I thought I'd just remind us here that Accrington made the national papers when the owner of Plus-2 hairdressers hit the headlines and television news because of disinformation.They put up a signs in their window refusing the custom of any gays, because they thought they'd catch the virus from them.
er, how did they know potential customers were gay?
The mid 8o's were at time when because of hysteria in the press, particularly the Sun and The Sunday Times, cleaners and even some nurses refused to treat people with HIV, I had a friend whose meals were left outside his hospital door. Theatres were closed to some touring companies because they thought actors might bring infection with them.
Sad days. At least the government campaign at the time resolved some of the fears about how HIV was spread.
Sad days. At least the government campaign at the time resolved some of the fears about how HIV was spread.
Dare I say that Diana did a lot to help too when she put her arm round an AIDS sufferer.
garinda said:
With the disease on the increase again then maybe its time for another campaign. I was one of those who was there in the 80's and saw and heard the ignorence first hand. There is now another generation that needs educating on this terrible disease and how to prevent it spreading. It does not discriminate against gender sexual tastes race colour or age. The quicker they learn this the better as too many think medical science has the answer.
garinda said:
She had more balls and understanding of the pain and sufering that is caused by aids that it changed the views of many. Its a pity there are not more famous personalities with here attitude and willing to help. This does not just apply to AIDS but all killer diseases in the world especially concidering what is happing in Africa.
Slinky and Willow.....if you suffered miscarriages I might have looked after you. Looking after women who wanted babies and those who didn't was always a contentious issue. What I would say to you both is that you were given the treatment that you needed....as were the women who wanted abortions. People used to ask me how I could work in such an environment and I used to tell them it was easy really......any one of us could be in the situation of being unhappily pregnant........and I felt that I could give help to both situations. I always gave contraceptive advice and information.......it was much harder if the girls came back for a second termination......they would say that they hadn't been given any condoms/pills/information/advice etc........I would flick back in their notes and show them where I had documented exactly what advice and contraception was given. That would stop them in their tracks......I would also explain very graphically that pregnancy wasn't the worst thing that could happen to them...I would outline the risks of STI's. HIV, Hepatitis, Genital Herpes and cervical cancer. I'm sure that some of them left feeling pretty scared, although it wasn't really my aim to scare anyone. I DO feel that without all the information you cannot make a realistic choice about sexual health. I also would point out that there is no such thing as safe sex.......only safER sex.
In relation to the women who lost babies through miscarriage, I, and my colleagues worked tirelessly to get information and support......I was instrumental in the provision of a memorial book and wrote the entries and provided parents with a copy of their own entry.......we wanted a memorial garden and eventually we were successful in getting that.
Women who had late miscarriages were given footprints, hand prints and photographs if this is what they wanted. I am sure that there were women who we couldn't help, but it was not for the want of trying.
And the women who opted for termination of pregnancy.......well, I think they just swopped one set of problems for another. Remember, they have to live for the rest of their lives with the guilt of what they have done......and even those women whose first initial reaction to ending a pregnancy is relief.......I think they MUST think about what they did throughout their lives.
In relation to the women who lost babies through miscarriage, I, and my colleagues worked tirelessly to get information and support......I was instrumental in the provision of a memorial book and wrote the entries and provided parents with a copy of their own entry.......we wanted a memorial garden and eventually we were successful in getting that.
Women who had late miscarriages were given footprints, hand prints and photographs if this is what they wanted. I am sure that there were women who we couldn't help, but it was not for the want of trying.
And the women who opted for termination of pregnancy.......well, I think they just swopped one set of problems for another. Remember, they have to live for the rest of their lives with the guilt of what they have done......and even those women whose first initial reaction to ending a pregnancy is relief.......I think they MUST think about what they did throughout their lives.
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