Shirley Temple Black; Abortion advice; Part-time relationships; Sexting; Animals and autism

Counsellors at crisis pregnancy centres are giving women misleading advice and warning they could become sex abusers, develop cancer or become infertile after abortions. Journalists from the Telegraph made a secret recording at two crisis pregnancy centres last month and Brook, the sexual health charity for young people has been ‘mystery shopping’ in 30 of these crisis centres around the UK. It has released a report looking at the quality of advice given to women.

Guests:

Emma Barnett, journalist

Laura Hurley, Brook

Julia Acott, Care Confidential

Dr Tracey Masters, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Family Planning Association

 

 

Shirley Temple has died at the age of 85. She secured her first film role at the age of 3 and as a child star in Hollywood was one of the most popular actors of the 1930s acting in hit films like Bright Eyes and Stand Up and Cheer. After retiring from films in 1950 at the age of 21, Temple returned to the spotlight as a politician and diplomat. Under her married name, Shirley Temple Black, she ran as a Republican candidate for Congress in 1967 but lost. She was appointed as the US ambassador to Ghana in 1974 and in 1976 appeared on Woman’s Hour talking about her move into politics and her decision to go public about her breast cancer and mastectomy – an unusual move in the 1970s.

Sexting is the sharing of sexual images by mobile phone. Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, possessing or distributing indecent images of a person under 18 is against the law. This means that even if both the person sending and the person receiving the photo are under 18 - and statistics show that a third of teens admit to sexting - both are breaking the law. Police guidelines advise against prosecutions for under 18 year olds, but in the case of persistent offenders they occasionally resort to a formal caution, which can stay on record and cause problems in later life when applying for jobs working with children or in health or social care. MP Sarah Wollaston suggests that police need an alternative recourse when dealing with persistent offenders – banning smartphone use. She and Andy Phippen, Professor of Social Responsibility in IT at Plymouth University who has conducted a study into sexting practice among 10 -16 year olds, join Jenni to discuss.

We talk to the mother whose autistic child found happiness and calm through his relationship with a rescue cat called Billy. Fraser’s tantrums and anxieties were overwhelming. His daily life was chaotic and normal daily events like mealtimes or bedtimes could trigger a meltdown. But with the cat by his side her son would immediately calm down. His mum Louise Booth tells Jenni how the presence of the cat has transformed all their lives.

Valentine’s Day is upon us, but does the thought of a 24/7, all-consuming relationship fill you with dread? Journalist Helen Croydon has created a new dating site PartTimeLove.com aimed at singletons who want loving relationships but value their independence.   Jenni is joined by Helen Croydon and Professor Sasha Roseneil to discuss  whether part time relationships are the new answer to our dating troubles or whether relationships that are half-hearted from the start are doomed to fail.