| The SNP spokeswoman on health said she would be meeting representatives of NHS Tayside and Dundee City Council in the New Year to find out what was being done to reduce the number of gymslip mothers in the city and Tayside.
“I’m very concerned that more progress hasn’t been made to reduce the figures,” said Ms Robison today. “Obviously, it is a very complex problem and is not easy to solve.
“I’m concerned at the way things are going and will be arranging a meeting with those locally who are responsible for dealing with this, both health board and council, to hear their plans.”
Ms Robison said it was perhaps time to rethink the entire strategy for dealing with the problem.
“We have got to look at what has to be done in Dundee. There needs to be a bit of honesty — if things are not working then why are we still pursuing them?
“We need to look at examples elsewhere, where things are working and making a difference rather than making the same mistakes.”
Ms Robison added that part of the reason for the high rates of teenage pregnancies could be because for many teenagers, there was nothing else for them to look forward to in life.
“It is very complex. There is also a lack of opportunities and ambition amongst young girls,” said the MSP.
“Travelling around my constituency, there are a lot of communities where there are a lot of young men and women who feel they don’t have a stake in society or any aspirations.
“They don’t view getting pregnant in the same way as other young people might.
“There is a poverty of ambition and opportunity that can lead people to fall pregnant at a young age.
“It is not just the health and advice side of things but also making sure young girls have other in their life to aspire to so they have more respect for their bodies and lives, although that is obviously hard to legislate.
“A lot of young girls don’t have enough respect for themselves. It is a terrible, and very deep-rooted, indictment of our society they don’t have enough confidence or aspirations.” |
