Teenage pregnancy rates continue to fall

Teenage pregnancy rates have fallen for the third consecutive
year, according to figures published by the Office for National
Statistics.

Conception rates in under-18s were 3 per cent lower in 2001 than
they were the previous year, the statistics show. The total
reduction since 1998 is 9 per cent, equating to around 8,000
pregnancies in teenage girls which have been prevented.

Conception rates in under 16s were 4.5 per cent lower in 2001
than in 2000, with an overall reduction of over 10 per cent since
1998.

Announcing an additional £40 million to support the
implementation of the government’s teenage pregnancy strategy
over the next three years, public health minister Hazel Blears
said: “These figures show very encouraging progress towards our
goal of halving the under 18 conception rate by 2010.”