Teenage pregnancies at record levels

Briefing.

From SPUC: England and Wales have the highest teenage birth rate in western Europe, according to statistics revealed by the British government. The area with the most teenage pregnancies is reportedly the London borough of Redcar and Cleveland, which has a conception rate of 18.4 in 1,000. Professor David Paton, an economist at the Nottingham University Business School, said that he believed the government's attempt to reduce pregnancies by easy access to contraception and sex education could be counter-productive. He said: "The underlying social deprivation of an area, family breakdown rates and religion seems to have a greater effect on teenage pregnancy rates than more obvious policies such as sex education or providing access to family planning. The danger with this sort of approach is that it can lead to an increase in risky sexual behaviour among some young people." [Telegraph, 2 April]