Holding the baby

The link between social deprivation and teenage pregnancy is well recognised. Many areas with the worst teenage pregnancy rates are also those with a high concentration of social housing.

However, there is also a complex relationship between ethnicity, culture, social deprivation and teenage pregnancy.

Data on the rate of conception and birth is not readily available for specific ethnic groups, as official statistics are not collected. However, those of us who work in the field of sexual health and with young parents know that there tends to be a higher rate of teenage conception and birth among Caribbean and black British women.

The Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy has put its first report before parliament. Formed in May last year, the group is responsible for monitoring the success of the government’s strategy to halve teenage pregnancy rates in England by 2010, and for giving more teenage parents access to supported housing, education, training or employment.

We know that attitudes to abortion and pregnancy are influenced by social factors. This may explain why abortion rates are generally lower in the most deprived areas than in the most affluent ones. However, there may also be cultural influences on young black women to have babies.

Pregnancy at an early age is perhaps more socially acceptable in some black and minority ethnic communities.

If this is the case then we also need to look at the cultural factors that affect the decisions of young black women – that make them more vulnerable to becoming pregnant, and more likely to choose to have a baby, at an early age.

Parents, and others who influence both young women and young men, need to consider their role in forming and sustaining opinions.

Minority ethnic issues in social exclusion and neighbourhood renewal, published by the social exclusion unit in June 2000, outlined the facts of discrimination experienced by ethnic minorities.

It concluded that people from ethnic minorities face a double disadvantage.

First, they are more likely to live in deprived areas where they experience the common disadvantages of poor schooling, inferior housing and high unemployment.

Secondly, they also suffer discrimination because of their race. The effects of racism, however, are not the same for each ethnic group.

Caribbean and black British ethnic minorities are more likely to be excluded from school, more likely to be in the care system, more likely to have been through the criminal system and more likely to be unemployed, regardless of qualifications, gender, age or where they live.

Is it any wonder therefore that young black women and men do not view the idea of having a baby at a young age as such a bad thing?

If the government is to effectively tackle teenage pregnancy, it is not enough to look at cultural influences; we must also consider social factors such as racism and low expectations for young black people.

Without this, the government will not meet its objectives, and young black people will continue to be deprived, failing to realise their potential.

The government must start collecting official data on ethnicity and undertake research that can be used to determine which policies work for this group – and how to effectively tackle the effects of racism, poverty and deprivation.

But what does all this have to do with housing?

Local authorities as commissioners, and registered social landlords as providers, of semi-supported housing for young parents have a role to play.

Semi-supported accommodation will fail young black parents if they do not get appropriate support. Support staff need to understand where young black parents are coming from, perhaps from their own experience.

They need a positive approach to help the young people avoid a second early pregnancy, and to help them get back into education, training or employment.

Local authorities that commission semi-supported accommodation will need to monitor the effectiveness of providers on these issues. To do this, the ethnicity of parent and child must be officially recorded. Without this information local authorities will not be able to determine what is working.

The teenage pregnancy action plan requires local authorities to establish patterns of need among different ethnic communities.

This has proved difficult; the information has not always been available, especially in boroughs where there are relatively few black people. However, now there is a formal requirement, local housing associations could help to supply information as needed, or be commissioned to obtain it.

Any provider that fails to take proper account of the needs of ethnic minority parents should not be funded.

Housing organisations not directly involved in providing housing with support for teenage parents could also do a lot more.

We believe social landlords can play an important role in promoting sexual health and a sensible attitude to birth control, and in building self-esteem among young women. But they may need to work with the health, education and social services as well as the private sector to make this happen.

Some ideas that are worth trying include:

• training programmes targeted at minority ethnic communities, with childcare provided
  
• recruiting more housing staff from among the tenants, especially young black parents
  
• building awareness among black front line housing staff that they can be positive role models for young people
  
• running classes in literacy where children and parents learn together
  
• providing information on health, contraception and abortion in housing advice centres
  
• giving information on local health care facilities at sign-up for new tenants
  
• running community events with a health stall.

Annual report of the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy: www.teenagepregnancyunit.gov.uk or tel: 020 7972 1330.