:

Coming soon on Hollyoaks, we tackle the issues surrounding underage sex when Amber Sharpe and Finn O'Connor decide to have sex.  They're both facing difficult home situations that are changing their perceptions of sex and vulnerable, confused and angry with the world, they make the split second decision that will change their lives forever...

Amber will discover the reason her parents have separated is that her father has been having an affair and she's completely devastated that it's destroyed her family.  She wants to know why sex is so amazing and why her Dad would risk everything for what she thinks is just sex with another woman...  Meanwhile Finn feels rejected after his own mother abandoned him as a baby, and now the mother who raised him (Diane O'Connor) is suddenly desperate for a baby ‘of her own’. Finn wants to know why he’s no longer enough for the step-mum he loves so dearly.

Finn and Amber find comfort in sharing their problems with each other.  But when Amber decides she wants to experiment with sex and understand why adults think it’s so amazing, Finn finds himself engaging in something he’s just not ready for.

Both Amber and Finn immediately regret having sex. Amber makes Finn promise not to tell anyone and he’s relieved that they won’t be having sex again anytime soon.  But Amber is left devastated when she later discovers that she is pregnant! Both of them are then faced with the life-changing consequences of their actions…

We’ve teamed up with Channel 4 Education’s Battlefront series, ahead of this dramatic new story-line, to tackle the issues surrounding underage sex. The Battlefront project follows 12 young people on their mission to tackle various issues that face young people. Abbie Louise Davies’ campaign ‘Where is the Love’ caught the attention of Hollyoaks’ Producers as her message related to this forthcoming story-line.  Abbie Louise is campaigning to empower young people not to feel pressurised into having sex until they are ready.

In a special focus group held on the Hollyoaks set, Abbie Louise and other young people were given the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and opinions surrounding this difficult subject with the Hollyoaks writers and Hollyoaks cast, who shared their experiences and details of the forthcoming story-line. Watch what happened by playing the video below, or heading over to http://battlefront.co.uk/.

Producer Paul Marquess has said: “I am very proud that we are once again bringing to the forefront a subject for our young audience that many parents, politicians and schools struggle to address.  The story-line very clearly communicates that Amber and Finn were not emotionally or physically ready to engage in any sexual activity.  And make no mistake, there will be no fairy-tale ending for Amber; she is faced with the most difficult situation she could ever imagine.”

For help and advice about the issues surrounding under age sex, click here...

Find out more about Amber Sharpe and Finn O’Connor by checking out their character profiles.