Teenage pregnancy is a highly debated topic within public health as the UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Western Europe. It has been widely reported in literature that many teenage parents experience stigma from healthcare staff which can prevent teenagers from seeking help and accessing antenatal and contraceptive services. 
To investigate this area further, a questionnaire was designed based on issues facing teenage parents. It was distributed to HCPs and healthcare students to assess their attitudes towards teenage parents. 
This survey shows that teenage pregnancy is considered to be a public health problem by 55% of the respondents. Furthermore, there are notable differences between attitudes to teenage mothers and fathers. 76% of respondents thought that improved access to contraception would reduce teenage pregnancy rates. Follow up studies could include interviewing healthcare staff and teenage parents in detail. The ultimate aim being to identify areas of clinical practice that could be improved.

Attitude of Healthcare Professionals’ and Healthcare Students’ Attitudes Towards Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting

The Joint Annual Conference of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV & the Society for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Ireland