[UK] Poverty blamed for rise in teen mothers

from The Lancashire Evening Post

TEENAGE pregnancy rates in Preston are still spiralling above county and national averages, according to a new report.
The city has bucked a downward trend of under -18 conceptions in Lancashire and suffers the highest number of teenage pregnancy in the county.

Between 1998 and 2003 the number of teenage pregancies in Preston rose from 123 to 139 – despite Lancashire County Council initiatives which have brought rates down in other parts of the county.

A report from County Hall’s Children Services Board states: “Lancashire has made steady progress in reducing under-18 conceptions since the baseline year of 1998.

Reduction

“Year on year figures show rates fluctuate but the county has achieved an overall reduction of 13.7 per cent.”

It adds: “Lancashire is just below the national average for teenage pregnancy but, when broken down to district level ... Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Preston are all well above the national average.

“Preston in particular has seen an overall rise in teenage conceptions since 1998.”

The report links some teenage pregancies to poverty and education problems.

It also shows that one fifth of the most deprived city wards are home to half of all under-18 mothers. It adds: “Conceptions are also linked to a range of other risk factors such as low educational attainment, substance misuse, disaffection from school, living in an area of socio-economic deprivation, having been in local authority care, or being the child of a teenage parent.

Risks

“These risk factors are common to other forms of young people’s risk taking behaviour, and teenage pregnancy/sexual health staff are increasingly working in partnership with colleagues from other strategy and policy areas.”