Young Foundation March 2009
47 Meet the Parents
Lauren only remembers receiving some very basic sex education at primary school. She thinks that there might have been some included in Personal, Social and Health Education, but she did not attend those classes. Lauren said that she found out about sex through friends, TV shows and films. She said, “I knew about sex and that, but none of the other things. I thought it was just sex. My friends told me about other things [other sexual activities].” Her friends suggested visiting the clinic at the local health centre when she began her relationship with Dylan: When I first started seeing Dylan, I went up to the clinic. He doesn’t like using condoms. The clinic gave me the pill. I took it fine for the first three weeks or so. You have to take it every day at the same time. But after that I started forgetting. Then it didn’t work. They did offer me an injection, but I don’t like getting injections. I wish I did have it now. Lauren said her use of oral contraception was so erratic that because she did not get pregnant over the one-year period she thought that she was infertile. “I was thinking there was something wrong and I couldn’t get pregnant.” Lauren knew that she was pregnant when she missed her period. “I’m usually really regular, so when I missed it I knew that there was a problem.” The first thing she did was text Dylan. Unfortunately, he had been arrested that afternoon and couldn’t respond. When he was released he didn’t believe her. They went to the clinic together to get tested. When the test was confirmed as positive, Dylan walked out without saying another word. Lauren was referred to the GP who then referred her to the midwife at the drop in centre at Connexions on Lewisham High Street. She saw Anna, one of the midwives at Connexions, who asked Lauren to come back every month. Transport is one factor that limits Lauren accessing the support services. Her free Oyster travel pass expired at the end of the school year when she had passed 16 and as she is not in full-time education, she is not entitled to any more free transport. Lauren has very little money and cannot always afford to go to the Connexions office when she wants. There are no other services tailored to pregnant teenagers closer to home.
Annex one