Teenage pregnancies in Scotland at a record low

Teenage pregnancies are at their lowest rate since records began 25 years ago.

The latest NHS statistics found there were just 30.2 pregnancies per 1000 teenage girls in 2017 - down from 31.7 the previous year and a major fall from 54.7 in 1994.

The statistics, produced by the Information Services Division, mark the tenth consecutive year that the rate has fallen and are at the lowest since records began. They had peaked in 2007 at 57.7 per 1000 teens.

They show that the total pregnancies for those aged under 20 decreased from 9,362 in 2007 to 4,276 in 2017, and of those under 16s accounted for just 4.5 per cent, with the majority of pregnancies - 69 per cent - among those aged 18 and 19.

The gap in teenage pregnancy rates between the most and least deprived areas in Scotland has also narrowed. For teenagers living in the most deprived areas, the rate fell from 93.7 to 56.0 per 1,000, with the rate for those in the least deprived areas dropped from 23.4 to 11.5 per 1,000 in 2017.

NHS Grampian recorded the lowest overall rate of teenage pregnancy at 23.8 per 1000 teens, while NHS Fife recorded the highest at 37 per 1,000.

The statistics also show that in 2017 the percentage of teenage pregnancies that ended in termination was the highest since reporting began at 45 per cent. Teenagers from the most deprived areas are more likely to go on to have a baby than to terminate their pregnancy, while those from the least deprived areas are more likely to have an abortion.

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: "It is encouraging to see a fall in the rates of teenage pregnancy for the 10th successive year. I'm particularly pleased that the gap in teenage pregnancy rates between the most and least deprived areas is narrowing too.

"We have taken significant action in this area and are working with partners to further support young people around both pregnancy and parenthood.

"This includes the introduction of our 'Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy' in 2016, which aims to address the cycle of deprivation associated with pregnancy in young people and ensure services put young people at the centre of decision-making, helping them to achieve their potential as young people and as parents."

Scotland has historically had a higher rate of teenage pregnancy than most other Northern and Western European countries.

A recent report by The British Pregnancy Advisory Service has also suggested that changing lifestyle factors such as reduced risk-taking behaviour and reduced alcohol consumption may have also contributed to the decline in teen pregnancies.