Premature grandparents

The increase in teenage pregnancies does not just affect the single mother, the absent father or the illegitimate child and Pink, which will be distributed with The Times tomorrow, looks into other aspects of the growing phenomenon.

What about their parents - now grandparents, depending on the angle taken? This month, Pink considers the situation from their point of view: having just brought up their own children, they are faced with grandparent - and sometimes having to restart parental - duties before their time.

It goes on to ask mothers how they plan to tackle - or not - the sensitive subject of sex with their children. When is the time right? It seems earlier than ever these days... If any mums don't have the answers they can read what their professional counterparts have to say, even though they too may have their doubts on the tricky topic.

And while some are prematurely hyperactive on the sexual front, there is always the other end of the spectrum. Sexless marriages and their chances of survival are discussed in depth, while women who plan to preserve their virginity until they tie the knot still exist and feel liberated when they come out in Pink on their personal lifestyle choices.

The taboo surrounding premarital sex has come full circle, with those who abstain before marriage now feeling like the odd ones out, whereas before they may have been branded otherwise.

When it comes to unprotected sex, getting pregnant is often the main scare rather than contracting a sexually-transmitted disease. But some STDs could actually leave women childless for life. These are highlighted in Pink's PrivateEye section tomorrow.

The usual regulars take related twists in the monthly women's magazine, with the health section focusing on the detrimental effects of stress on fertility and the use of lubricants.

Published by Allied Newspapers Ltd and printed by Progress Press Ltd, Pink's executive editor is Fiona Galea Debono. The magazine is produced by MediaMaker and designed by Helen Cassar Torreggiani and Joseph Schembri.