NHS Barnsley – reducing unplanned pregnancy
NHS Barnsley – reducing unplanned pregnancy
Barnsley has a very high level of teenage pregnancy – twice the national average in some wards. The PCT asked us to design a social marketing campaign which would increase uptake of sexual health services and thus reduce rates of unplanned pregnancy.
Our insight phase showed that the people who had used sexual health services were generally happy with them. However, many did not know which services were available, or did not want to use them. Young people told us sexual health clinics were for prostitutes and drug users, not for ‘people like me’.
TCC designed a social marketing campaign to break down this stigma, presenting sexual health services as a normal part of young people’s lives. We recruited a network of young people who acted as ‘peer champions’, able to speak to their friends about pregnancy and STIs and breaking down low trust in authority figures. We also ran a series of engagement events in schools, youth clubs and in the town centre, and created a video about sexual health services in Barnsley which is now shown as part of sex education for all pupils.
‘TCC are great to work with – you know from the start that they’re in it for the long term, not just quick wins. They are very responsive, friendly, and always deliver. The team’s sound knowledge and professional approach means they have quickly built credibility with our staff and partners’.
Richard Hart, Teenage pregnancy and sexual health co-ordinator, NHS Barnsley
Last Updated on Friday, 11 February 2011 16:07