Stories of Redemption? Teenage Mothers as the New Sex Educators

School sex education in England has traditionally reflected wider cultural norms that position teenage sexuality as fraught with danger, and teenage pregnancy and motherhood as symbolic of its risky outcomes. This article draws on research exploring projects in which young mothers themselves act as school sex educators, recounting their experiences of early parenthood to assist pupils in making ‘informed choices’ regarding their own behaviour. Findings indicate that, rather than upholding this aim, many of the young mothers shaped their stories in order to collude with the dominant, negative messages surrounding teenage sexual behaviour, pregnancy and motherhood. In so doing, they were able to redeem themselves as good, moral citizens, but this was at the price of certain truths continuing to be concealed from the pupils to whom they spoke.