Britain's Teen Pregnancy Rate Increases After Several Years Of Decline

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 25 Feb 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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Teen pregnancies increased in Britain in 2007, reversing several years of decreases, according to government figures to be published next week, London's Daily Telegraph reports. According to the Daily Telegraph, about 40 out of every 1,000 girls under age 18 become pregnant each year, and half of the pregnancies end in abortion. The new statistics make clear that the government campaign to reduce the teen pregnancy rate by half from 1998 to 2010, backed by increases in the availability of sex education, condoms and emergency contraception, is "nowhere near" meeting its target. The Daily Telegraph reports that the 286 million pound -- or about $408 million -- campaign "appeared to be working," with a decrease in teen pregnancy rates nearly every year this decade. However, an Office for National Statistics report last year showed that rates increased in the first three quarters of 2007. According to the report, the teen pregnancy rate increased to 42.7 pregnancies per 1,000 girls as of June 2007, compared with 38.8 pregnancies per 1,000 girls in 2006. According to the Daily Telegraph, there is "growing concern" regarding sexual activity among youth in Britain. A study by the global organization YouthNet found that out of 2,000 young people ages 16 to 24, almost all were sexually active, and those who had not had sex felt pressured to do so (Beckford, Daily Telegraph, 2/21).

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