Why do you think teenagers are having sex at such a young age?
Julie: I don't know really. I think that peer pressure plays an important role - some girls take the mick out of you if they think that you haven't had sex. Some girls do it because they think they can act older than they actually are. Other girls I know just did it because they were afraid their boyfriends would leave them if they didn't.
Do you think that parents should be to blame for children turning out the way they do?
Julie: Definitely not! They can't keep an eye on you 24/7. A parent could tell you about all there is to know, or not tell you anything at all. Your parents could be rich or poor and their children still turn out like rebels!
You hear about teenagers who hide the fact that they are pregnant, right up until they go into labour. Why do you think that is?
Julie: They're afraid to tell anyone. My friend was fourteen years old and hid her pregnancy for four months before her mother found out, and then it was only because her mother noticed she hadn't used any sanitary towels.
She hid her pregnancy because it was under-age sex and illegal for her boyfriend who was nineteen. Her parents said if they found out that she had done anything with her boyfriend they'd report him to the police and get him sent down. However, when they found out she was pregnant, they became very supportive and never reported her boyfriend.
What do you think her parents could have done for their daughter to be more open?
Julie: Well, I think parents need to realise that, like it or not, most teenagers have sex at a very young age. I'd say that if your daughter is in a relationship where you think that something may happen, then you should sit down, discuss it with them - tell them that if they have any problems then they shouldn't be afraid to talk about it. I think that they should also think about putting their children on the pill. At least then the teenager would be more open with them.
Do you think alcohol plays a big role in under-age sex?
Julie: Yes. A lot of my friends lost their virginity because they were so drunk that they didn't care what they were doing and just had sex.
Why do you think that is?
Julie: When you're drunk you don't really think about it being wrong, or about the consequences. For many it's because they'd be too nervous if they weren't drunk.
Do you think that teenagers should consider an abortion?
Julie: I think that the girl should think long and hard about what they really want. Having a baby is a huge commitment and it would mean that you lose your teenage life.
One of my friends had an abortion at the age of just fifteen years old. She was studying for her GCSEs, and if she had kept the baby it would have been born during her exams. Also she wasn't with the baby's father and she felt she was too young.
She left her pregnancy until four months. The hospital wouldn't carry out the abortion, so her mother and father paid for her to go private. She was affected by it all. Even now she still gets upset, but she is trying to make the most of being young and free.
You're engaged to Christian, also nineteen. Don't you think you're a bit young to get married - plus you've only been together for four months?
Julie: People are always telling me that, but I've never felt so happy with anyone before. Okay, so I may not know him properly yet, but just because we're engaged, it doesn't mean we have to get married for another couple of years. As for age, well the chemistry's there and I've seen enough young life to last me a lifetime.
