The bare facts of teenage pregnancies are the fault of illiberal prudery, according to a report to the Scottish government.
The nudist organisation British Naturism says that a more relaxed attitude to the naked body could cut the number of unplanned babies born to young girls.
It says: “Anyone who advocates prudery should be required to stand in front of a group of pregnant teenagers and explain why it is that, in countries such as Denmark or the Netherlands, most of them would not be pregnant.”
Said spokesman Andrew Welch: “There is strong evidence that conventional attitudes towards the human body contribute significantly to a wide range of problems, some of them serious – but there is incredible reluctance to face the implications.
“Governments, authority figures and social and community leaders should accept that the human body is not something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about and that being more open about it would benefit society.
“The evidence is clear but there is incredible reluctance to face the implications. It is time to leave prejudices behind and do what is right for the young people of this country.”
Copyright © Press Association 2009
Your comments (terms and conditions apply):
“No, the high cash benefits and houses given to these young ladies is why they are happy to stay pregnant. And the house is fitted out for them and then they are given cash each month so end up better off than a person who has worked all their life, paying the tax to pay them. They even have not had to get a mortgage, so more money in the pocket. So then she has more children at more expense to the taxpayer, but the state will pay to make sure the children are ok, so payments get bigger. Her friends see what she has and then do the same because it seems by them that it is ok for her so I can as well. So stop the pathetic ideas and open your eyes” – Gary, East Hertfordshire
“Perhaps more than prudery, it is the ignorance that accompanies prudery. The constant hiding and mystifying of body parts, particularly genitals, simply adds to the excitement and experimentation of using them. Were they more commonly in view, and not so mysterious, I think the teenage reaction would be more ‘so what’? The number of young people who believe all the old stories about when and how pregnancies occur often know very little about their own bodies. The parents are embarassed to talk about it and the schools are scared of
it. Factual, repetitive, clear sex education, starting before puberty, would be helpful. Acceptanc of body parts and functions, as is common in Denmark and Holland, seems to keep unwanted pregnancies to a minimum” – Bruce, California
“I believe so, same as for any country where poor body image is rampant. If people would just stop sticking their heads in the sand and stop being ashamed of their bodies, we would have a lot less problems across the board … anorexia … rape…. In a society where children are exposed to nonsexual nudity, there are less of these things!” – Michael, Australia
