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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=431238&in_page_id=1879They were the Government's 'brainwave' to combat teen pregnancies. But, says this agony aunt, all virtual babies do is encourage girls to get pregnant:
A few years ago, some Government bright spark charged with driving down Britain's shameful teenage pregnancy rate thought it would be a good idea to import 'virtual infant simulators' from the U.S. - anatomically correct, computerised dolls designed to give teenagers a 'realistic' experience of caring for a baby.
The dolls, which cost the taxpayer about £1,000 each, weigh the same as a three-month-old baby, cry at random and require feeding and nappy changing. A computer chip within them monitors both good care and neglect.
Used in schools, colleges and youth groups across the country, their supposed purpose is to teach parenting skills to teenagers and demonstrate the unpredictable, life-changing and time-consuming nature of babies.
The aim? A short, sharp shock treatment which should put girls off the idea of premature motherhood.
There's just one problem: they do exactly the opposite. Indeed, far from having any value in preventing teenage pregnancy, a new report published in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care suggests that in some cases they actually encourage girls to become teenage mums.
Being chosen to look after one of these dolls inevitably brings with it attention and status.
I can't say I'm surprised. I'm an agony aunt for the teen magazine Cosmo-GIRL!, and a relationship adviser for an online advice service.
Every week, my colleagues and I receive hundreds of letters, texts and e-mails - about sex, relationships and pregnancy.
Some are from girls worried they might be pregnant, after losing their virginity at a party or when drunk. Often they haven't even had sex and simply don't understand what is happening to their rapidly changing bodies.
Some may have kissed a boy or indulged in some light petting and are worried they may be pregnant. Many still believe they can't conceive the first time they have sex or if they go to the loo afterwards.
Others want advice about contraception, or reassurance that they're normal. Many describe peer pressure to have sex, whether real or imagined.
Occasionally, I get correspondence from girls who are desperate to be mothers, believing that only then will they have the love, fulfilment and acceptance they crave.
My response is to furnish them with the facts, to point out that sex under 16 is illegal, and to make it clear that no one should have sex unless they are emotionally and physically prepared.
But sadly, the overwhelming sense I get from reading these letters is one of confusion.
So simply looking after a baby simulation doll does nothing to put an end to this. It doesn't teach a girl how to say "no" or how to use contraception effectively. It won't give her stretch marks or incontinence, or ruin her social life.
Telling a young girl she'll have to stay up half the night with a baby won't put her off - have you ever tried telling a teenager to go to bed?
And if she drops the doll on its head or leaves it at home while she goes to a party she'll get a bad report, not a visit from the police or social services.
Baby dolls don't even come close to tackling the roots of the teen pregnancy problem.
After almost a decade as an agony aunt, I've come to the conclusion that there are three main reasons why teenage girls get pregnant in 2007: ignorance, lack of ambition and lack of self-esteem.
All these problems can be solved through education. We need to call on the Government to make sex and relationships education compulsory in secondary schools, with specialist teachers and access to confidential sexual health services and information.
The magazine I work for is campaigning for just that. We're asking for schools to be assessed, not just on their GCSE results, but on the life skills they equip their pupils with - how to gain selfesteem and the confidence needed to maintain their sexual health.
This doesn't mean merely teaching them the mechanics of sex and handing out condoms. It means informing children about the importance of monogamous and loving relationships, about marriage and trust and responsibility for one's own actions. And these are all lessons that should begin not in the classroom, but at home.
The oft-quoted fact that the Netherlands has the lowest pregnancy rate in Europe is testament to the fact that sex education works.
There, teenagers have the confidence to say no because they know what they're saying no to - unlike some of my British readers, who think they can get pregnant by touching themselves intimately or that they're no longer a virgin because they've used a tampon.
Lowering the teenage pregnancy rate is not just up to the Government or parents. We in the media need to take responsibility, too. We must give teenage girls role models who are successful in all areas of life, not just in music or fashion, and who come in all shapes and sizes.
Every time I receive a letter with the plea "How do I become famous like Jade or Jordan?" I want to reach out and tell them that fame isn't the only measure of success.
And you know what? When teenage girls are offered alternative role models - women they can relate to - they lap it up. I was not at all surprised to learn that Ugly Betty, the series about a short, frumpy, unfashionable girl who succeeds because of her intelligence, innate charm and warm personality, is, according to our reader research, teenage girls' favourite show.
Every time we feature one of our CosmoGIRL!s of the month - someone who has achieved success despite adversity or through intelligence or sheer guts - we receive hundreds of positive responses from our readers.
Another recent popular programme - ASBO Teen To Beauty Queen - showed how even the most uncontrollable, angry, aimless teenage girls could be transformed into confident, dignified young women if they were shown some love and attention.
It was a joy to watch. But I wonder how they would have turned out had they been given only a computerised doll to take home?
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