EFFORTS to reduce teenage pregnancies in the region are beginning to focus on young men, with health and education officials gathering for a conference.
Tim Gristwood, North Tees and Hartlepool's teenage pregnancy coordinator, said the conference on Teesside was the curtain-raiser for a new campaign targeting young men.
Taken by a trainer from the Working With Men project, in London, the two-day event at the TAD Centre, in North Ormsby, will involve representatives from a cross-section of organisations working with young men in Hartlepool and Stockton.
"There is an issue about the level of equality of sex education. Young men have not been given the kind of support they deserve, for historical and cultural reasons," said Mr Gristwood.
"We will be looking at a range of issues, including whether it is appropriate to have family planning services that do not offer a specific service for men."
Eventually it is hoped that a programme can be developed within the Tees Health Action Zone which will mean a significant number of boys and young men will be able to informally share knowledge and information about sexual health issues.
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