Kizzy - Mum at 14

Teenage Pregnancy Explored In BBC Documentary

© Arlene Kelly

Sep 3, 2008

The statistics are grim. Britain has the highest teen pregnancy rate in Western Europe. Half of all underage pregnancies end in abortion. Most teenage mothers never return to full time education. Two thirds of teen mothers end up alone. And teenagers in Torbay are six times more likely to become parents, one of the highest rates in Britain.

The teenagers interviewed insist there is nothing to do in Torbay, so they fall back on the usual things – drink, drugs and sex. One boy sums up the general attitude – “The boy gets all the credit, and the girl gets called a slag”. So is Kizzy just another bored teenager, her pregnancy an accident waiting to happen?

Are Free Condoms the Answer?

Kizzy had sex just once, unprotected, with her boyfriend Louie, who was also 13. When he learned she was pregnant, he left Torbay to live with his grandmother in Southend rather than face responsibility. So what sort of sex education did she receive at school? Not much in the way of lessons, according to Kizzy, although the school does provide a drop-in centre offering advice on contraception, abortion and relationships. “The message I get from it is, come to us if you get pregnant and we’ll sort an abortion out … I think it should be set out more, if you are going to have sex we are here, but don’t”. The school insists that part of its remit is to emphasise sex should be part of a stable, loving relationship. Kizzy’s father, Kevin, feels the centre undermines the values taught at home which encourage refraining from sex despite external pressures.

Terrified at the beginning, Kizzy gradually grows to accept her situation with remarkable maturity – “I have made a mistake but can’t change it”. She agrees to make a video diary of her pregnancy to show other teens exactly what she goes through, as well as making the BBC documentary. As Kizzy’s sister suffered cot death at three months, her parents felt very strongly that abortion was not an option. As her pregnancy progresses, she is dumped by some of her friends, and even spat at and abused on the street. Even though Kizzy had to leave school, she continues with a home tutor up until the birth.

What About the Father?

Louie wants nothing to do with her or the baby. On a short visit back to Torbay, he makes no attempt to get in contact. According to his grandmother, “He’s ashamed of what he done. She told him she was on the pill, told him this, told him that.”, and the reason Louie has stayed away from Kizzy is because he was threatened by Kevin. She also wants a DNA test to prove that Louie is really the father.

Eventually Kizzy manages to persuade Louie to meet his son, and takes baby Kaylib to Southend to see him. But she knows that will probably be the only time they ever meet, and feels as though she has let Kaylib down, growing up without knowing his father. Her new boyfriend Michael, who has supported her throughout the pregnancy, has a steady job, and no qualms about looking after somebody else’s baby. “Michael is his dad, but not by blood”, says Kizzy firmly.

So with the support of her family, Kizzy is back at school, determined to make something of her life. She has also embraced the Catholic Church, another source of help, and wants to have Kaylib christened. Not another sad statistic, but a girl who has lost her childhood and is coping the best way she can.

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