Teenage parents do not themselves believe that sex education is comprehensive or detailed enough to help combat under-age pregnancies, according to new research.
The results were presented to the South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) at the board's monthly meeting in Kilkenny yesterday.
In a study by researchers at University College Cork for the board and the Health Research Board, teenage parents stressed the need to deliver a sex education programme that relates to young people and their life experiences.
From 58 interviews with focus groups and individuals in the south-east, it emerged that teenagers do not link intercourse with having a child and often do not view sexual intercourse as pleasurable.
It also emerged that contraceptives were more often used to avoid than to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Peer pressure, experimentation and abuse of alcohol and drugs are considered the main causes of sexual intercourse leading to teenage pregnancies.
The report, The Experience of Teenage Pregnancy in the South-East of Ireland, recommends that sexual health education programmes be delivered in a holistic, interactive and comprehensive manner and in a style that is easily understood and relevant to a teenager's experiences.
The UCC report also recommends the development of an easily accessible and widely available contraceptive service, which links into improved sex education programmes.
Such programmes would also encourage teenagers to consider the consequences of their behaviour and the reality of caring for a baby. The need for all agencies, including schools, doctors and the health board, to work together is also emphasised.
Confidentiality when seeking advice emerged as an important issue, with teenagers expressing fear of informing parents when their pregnancy was confirmed as they felt that to do so would be an admission of sexual activity.
In dealing with a teenage pregnancy, the report also highlighted the need for specific support for the parents and their respective families, to deal with the huge impact such an event would have on their lives.
The new measures would also encourage teenage parents to continue in education, particularly through the provision of additional childcare facilities.
Ms Angela O'Shea, woman's health development officer with the SEHB, said the issue needed to be tackled. "Current statistics show that every teenage girl between the ages of 15 and 19 has a one-in-10 chance of having a baby. In Ireland, as in many European countries, sexual maturity is occurring at an earlier age," she said.