Pre-teen pregnancies revealed

Published on Saturday 18 July 2009 19:47

THE extent of pregnancies among girls under 14, including pre-teens, can be revealed today, raising concerns that attempts to educate Scottish schoolchildren about sex are not working.

Scotland on Sunday has discovered that a total of 14 pre-teenage girls have become pregnant over the past five years, according to figures released by health chiefs for the first time.

Officials have previously held back details of the ages of those girls under the age of 14 who become pregnant because the low numbers involved could have led to them being identified.

However, following a Freedom of Information request, the NHS agreed to show how many girls became pregnant between 2003 and 2007.

In total, 105 13-year-olds and a further 14 pre-teens became pregnant during that period. Sex with a girl under 13 is classified as statutory rape, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The figures led to fresh calls from church leaders for a rethink on sexual health services for young people. A recent study by Aberdeen University of 100,000 women in Scotland found that dozens of 11 and 12-year-old girls were being prescribed the pill by their GP.

In total, 5,000 girls aged under 16 were being given the medication by their GPs.

Ministers admitted the figures were "disappointing" but defended their sexual health policies, arguing that teenagers were entitled to health services and information when they required it.

The most recent figures on under-16 pregnancies show the figure remaining steady at around eight girls per 1,000 in the age group. However, ministers have pledged to cut that rate by 20 per cent, which they are in danger of missing.

None of the 14 girls who became pregnant aged 12 or under can be named for legal reasons.

While the cases are extremely rare, church leaders said last night they illustrated the fault-line in sexual health services.

The Aberdeen University report found that 12 11-year-old girls, 80 12-year-old girls, and 260 13-year-old girls had been prescribed the pill. Four percent of 14-year-olds and one in ten 15-year-olds were also being prescribed contraception.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said: "It seems as if every set of figures produced regarding the present sexual health strategy are figures of failure.

"To recognise the likelihood that the present strategy is counter-productive is not based on religion but on public policy analysis."

Mary Scanlon, the Conservative health spokeswoman said: "We have had a sexual health strategy since 1999 which was supposed to educate young people and it was supposed to reduce pregnancies. This has not been a success so far."

She added: "There has to be a much less biological approach and a move to an approach which helps young people understand and discuss sexual relationships in a mature way."

However, sexual health charities and ministers said that youngsters needed to be given advice and sexual health services, alongside a message that they should wait before having sex "until they were ready".

Minister for public health Shona Robison said: "It's always disappointing when any young girl becomes pregnant as this is likely to have a major impact on her education and life chances. Fortunately the number of 12 and 13-year-olds who get pregnant is very low but that does not make it any more acceptable. It is, however, reassuring that the latest statistics show no rise in pregnancies in under-16s."

She added: "As part of our sexual health strategy, we are working with NHS Boards and councils to ensure that appropriate sex and relationships education is delivered in all schools. To ensure young people have access to services and information when they require it, health boards and councils are providing young people's sexual health 'drop-in' services available either within or near every Scottish school. Our message to youngsters for safer sexual health is delay until you are ready, but be safe when you are active."

Recent figures show that almost 30 per cent of girls aged between 15 and 19 in Scotland give birth, and in a recent league table produced by children's charity Barnardo's, Scotland finished 28th out of 31 countries.

Only America, Mexico and Turkey had more teenage mothers. The Scottish teen pregnancy rate is three times that of France and five times higher than the Dutch figure.