Trevor Stammers

South London GP and trustee of Family Education Trust thinktank

My short answer is "no". We've been here before - the morning-after pill was meant to be the solution but there has not been one single piece of evidence that it has had any impact on teenage pregnancy. The message I would like to see is that teenagers should delay first intercourse. I would like to see more emphasis put on the behavioural and emotional aspects of relationships - that you should know the person for at least three months rather than three days, and be of legal age. It's the concept of "saving sex" versus "safe sex".

Stephanie Whitehead

Policy and development manager, Brook sexual health charity, and member of the guidelines development group

Long-acting reversible contraception (Larc) methods remove the element of user error, so it could have an impact on reducing teenage pregnancy rates. But it's all about whether these young people choose to use these methods. This is about people making informed choices. These methods of contraception are not very much used at the moment, probably because of the reluctance of the service to buy them (their upfront costs are more expensive than a packet of pills). The guidance [from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice)] shows that they are cost-effective and they should be among the range of options we are telling people about. What we say needs to be done to help reduce teenage pregnancy rates is an improvement in sex education and relationship education, and in particular to make that a statutory part of the curriculum. Biology is statutory but young people are missing out on the relationships education that would put the biology in the context of their lives.

Toni Belfield

Director of information, FPA (Family Planning Association)

I think it will have an impact on all unplanned pregnancy rates - even if there is a very small shift, it will reduce all unintended pregnancies - not just teenage pregnancies. I think a lot of teenagers will think: "Great, I can use a method that I don't have to think about all the time." As far as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are concerned, contraceptive consultations must include advice about safe sex and talk about condoms. But STIs are not just a young people issue. We have to look at this whole issue as a country - be less hypocritical about sex, get it on the public agenda, talk about sex education in schools and start to engender a more healthy attitude towards sex in the first place. It's about being more upfront about sex, not just tittering about it, looking at the educational messages in schools. This is about parenting skills, it's about better information, where you have your consultation - and the government has to be less embarrassed about sex.

Chris Wood

Consultant in HIV and genito-urinary medicine, North Middlesex university hospital

The government has been diverted by teenage pregnancy - what we need is a comprehensive strategy to work with STIs and sexual health in the first place. This is just another example of the piecemeal approach that is being taken to the whole problem. The key thing around teenage sexual health is about education from an early age. It's very easy for schools to play lip service to sexual health education. Schools are overwhelmed by lots of other issues and sexual health per se doesn't represent any targets. I think the only way we can combat STIs and teenage pregnancy is to introduce sexual health at school as early as appropriate, as soon as children start to ask questions.

Ellie Lee

Lecturer in social policy, University of Kent and co-author of A Matter of Choice? Young Women, Abortion and Motherhood

Trying to imply that any policy innovation in reproductive health services will have any profound impact on contraceptive rates or outcomes is misplaced. Medics always think that the whole thing is black and white - if we give people the right information then behaviour will follow. The Nice guidelines are not a waste of time, it's good that women are given information to make an informed choice. But I think the only way to bring teenage pregnancy rates down is entirely connected to raising young women's social expectations and the dynamics of poverty. The deciding factor in explaining teenage conception rates and teenage conception outcomes is deprivation. So long as there is social deprivation, teenage pregnancy rates are going to go on. If you want to do something about it then you have to do something about poverty.

Ann McPherson

Oxford GP, co-author of Teenage Health Freaks, and founder of Teenage Health websites

There is no panacea. I think it's important that all women are offered the full range of contraceptives available. But there are problems with some of the Larcs, especially for teenagers. One of the issues is about STIs. I would still want to make sure they are using condoms. The second is the problem about bone density of young people on long-term use. What I would like to see happen is more young people delaying sex - 16 is not a magic age. I also think ambition is the best form of contraception. I bought the teen magazine Sugar this week, thinking there might be something in it about what teenagers want to do apart from sex and clothes. But there was nothing in it about what young people can do in life.

Daisy Malin (15)

St Albans, Hertfordshire

Long-term contraceptives sound like a good idea but I don't think young people will take it because it's something new and they would want to know what the side effects were. I wouldn't be keen on it because I don't like the idea of having chemicals in my body. I'd have to be convinced it was safe. I don't see how long-term contraceptives can reduce STIs. In fact, it could be even worse because people wouldn't be using condoms. We do get sex education in school. But what I think teenagers need is to hear stories from other older teenagers and then have a discussion - not just be given information sheets. One of the problems is that people of my age don't think about the consequences of what they do. I don't think you can tell teenagers not to have sex because they will just blatantly go and do it. I think there should be more advertisements about safe sex on radio and TV and on posters in public places. Also, family planning clinics should be open more often because teenagers need somewhere to go for help and advice.