Teenage pregnancy rate falls but key target set to be missed

Published: 11:12AM GMT twenty-four February 2010

The North East had the top under-18 source rate at 49 per 1,000 girls elderly fifteen to seventeen Photo: PA

Ministers affianced to separate England"s under-18 conceiving physically rate by this year opposite a 1998 baseline of 46.6 conceptions per 1,000 girls elderly fifteen to 17.

Today"s total show a rate of 40.4 per 1,000 girls in 2008 - a dump of only over thirteen per cent opposite the baseline figure and a 3 per cent tumble given 2007.

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The conceiving physically rate in between under-16s in England fell by roughly 6 per cent in between 2007 and 2008 from 8.3 to 7.8 per 1,000 girls.

The North East had the top under-18 source rate at 49 per 1,000 girls elderly fifteen to 17.

The East of England had the lowest rate, at 31.4 per 1,000.

This sunrise Schools Secretary Ed Balls shielded the Government"s jot down on teenage pregnancies, but conceded it was going to be ""really hard"" to grasp the 50 per cent reduction.

""It was a unequivocally desirous aim - it was 50 per cent fall. I think it was right to set an desirous aim and it is going to be unequivocally tough to have that volume of fall.""

He pronounced measures to plunge into teenager pregnancies were being successful.

""But it is not enough. I"m still disturbed about it and there is a lot some-more to do,"" he said.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he additionally shielded legislation upheld last night that will force conviction schools to learn sex education.

An legislative addition to the Children, Schools and Families Bill will meant that eremite educators will be authorised to learn personal, social, health and mercantile (PSHE) lessons ""in a approach that reflects the school"s eremite character"".

Secularists have criticised ministers for permitting the Bill to be watered down.

Mr Balls said: ""It is a outrageous shift to have sex attribute preparation mandatory in each school, together with each conviction school, for the initial time.

""Currently, a conviction propagandize can select not to speak about relationships, to omit speak about contraception or termination or any of those things.

""That is right away going to change. This is not an opt-out at all.""

Keith Porteous Wood, senior manager executive of the National Secular Society, said: ""The Government have once some-more bent to vigour from the Catholic Church, betraying the immature kids in conviction schools who have a right to design and offset sex education. This timidity will corrupt most lives.""

Gill Frances, chair of the Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group, pronounced she was gratified the total were behind on their downward direction after a slight climb in the 2007 data.

"This is the lowest rate for twenty years and it reflects the complete work that is going on around the country.

"Successful rebate in teenage conceiving physically regularly depends on internal authorities and first caring trusts and we inspire them to press on with this severe problem.

"Nationally, orthodox Sex and relations preparation will give an additional good and Government contingency additionally safeguard all immature people have entrance to preventive and passionate health services."

Children"s apportion Dawn Primarolo and open health apportion Gillian Merron launched a new "action plan" called Teenage Pregnancy Strategy: Beyond 2010.

It includes piloting one-to-one passionate health and contraception consultations for 16-year-olds to one side some-more await for relatives and teachers and some-more school-based services.

Ms Primarolo said: "Teenage conceiving physically is no longer a rising problem.

"It is critical that we recognize the swell done by most areas in pushing down teenage conceiving physically rates.

"Last year"s enlarge was really unsatisfactory so I am quite gratified that today"s census data put us behind on track.

"In the last dual years alone, internal authorities and first caring trusts have redoubled efforts to plunge into the causes of teenage pregnancy."