For young people the proliferation of such images on television and the internet and in advertising adds to the pressure to agree to sexual relationships before they feel ready.

Joanna Nichols, teenage pregnancy co-ordinator for Calderdale, said: "We are bombarded with sexual imagery to the extent that it is hard to avoid it. Sexual images are all around us and pornography is much more available than it used to be. Gone are the days when you could control it."

All of which adds to the challenges for Joanna and her team as she tries to prepare teenagers for the reality of relationships and gives them the support they need to make the right choice.

One in every 10 babies born in England is to a teenage mother but Calderdale's strategy to reduce conceptions and support young parents has resulted in a decrease of more than 19 per cent of teenage pregnancies since 1998.

"We work very hard to send out the message to young people that they have a choice about when to start sexual relationships. Peer group pressure is very persuasive and teenagers sometimes feel they should be having sex because their friends boast that they are. We have developed stategies for giving them the confidence to be able to say 'no', that they're not ready," said Joanna.

Since 2006 the NHS and Calderdale Council have worked together to identify and fill gaps in services for young people. This has resulted in improved access to contraception services, improved sex education in schools and young people delaying their first sexual relationships.

Joanna said: "We try to get across to young people what the impact could be on their lives of having sexual relationships before they are ready. And the evidence shows that it's not only girls who regret it - boys often experience a high level of regret if they get into sexual relationships too early.

"We know that one of the most frequently asked questions on Google is 'I think I'm pregnant, what can I do?' There is a tremendous amount of anxiety about it.

"It is part of my job to make sure there are good, friendly services to help young people who are thinking about having sex and to suggest answers to such questions as, 'Should I do it at all?', 'Where can we get condoms or contraception?' and 'How can I talk to my mum about it?'

"Good education is crucial and so is helping young people to make the right choices for themselves."

To help young people make the right decisions, the CHOICES programme is now in place in all Calderdale secondary schools.

(Full report in the Brighouse Echo 2/4/2009)