Teenage conceptions continue to raise interest in the media, with young people often demonised about their early or allegedly frequent sexual activity. When conception rates are published, commentators waste no time in telling us how dreadful the situation is and how we compare with other Western European countries. Of course, we are not like our neighbours in Europe, as we do not have mandatory sex education for all young people, and we live in a highly sexualised society where sex is often the material for jokes.