School sex education in England has traditionally reflected wider cultural norms that
position teenage sexuality as fraught with danger, and teenage pregnancy and
motherhood as symbolic of its risky outcomes. This article draws on research
exploring projects in which young mothers themselves act as school sex educators,
recounting their experiences of early parenthood to assist pupils in making
‘informed choices’ regarding their own behaviour. Findings
indicate that, rather than upholding this aim, many of the young mothers shaped
their stories in order to collude with the dominant, negative messages surrounding
teenage sexual behaviour, pregnancy and motherhood. In so doing, they were able to
redeem themselves as good, moral citizens, but this was at the price of certain
truths continuing to be concealed from the pupils to whom they spoke.
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