Across NHS Ayrshire & Arran, the number of teenage pregnancies has declined from 715 in 2007 to 318 in 2016, a 55.5% decrease, with a 64.5% fall for under 18s.
Amongst teenage girls aged under 16 in Ayrshire, pregnancies also decreased from 70 to 21, a 70% decrease.
Teenage pregnancies in Scotland are now at the lowest level since 1994, with 30.2 teenage pregnancies per 1,000 women in 2017, down 54.7 in 1994.
The gap in teenage pregnancy rates between the most and least deprived areas has also narrowed, with the rate for those living in the most deprived areas decreasing from 93.7 to 56.0 per 1,000 and those in the least deprived areas dropping from 23.4 to 11.5 per 1,000.
Commenting, Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick MSP said:
“It is encouraging to see a fall in teenage pregnancies for the tenth successive year.
“This reduction means teenage pregnancies are the lowest since monitoring began in 1994. I’m particularly pleased that the gap 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 and ensure services put young people at the centre of decision-making, helping them to achieve their potential as young people and as parents.”
Kenneth Gibson MSP added:
“The SNP Government recognises the link between deprivation and teenage pregnancy and has worked to improve school attendance to help reduce the risk of pregnancy and enable young people to engage in education during pregnancy and following birth of their babies.
“In addition to wider work, the Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy was published in March 2016 and reviewed again last month. It was the first Scottish strategy focussing specifically on this important issue.
“I am pleased that ever more girls and young women across Ayrshire are choosing to realise their own potential as much as they can, before thinking of raising a family.
“Scotland needs more children, however both children and mothers have better life chances if they have an education and work experience first. This makes it easier for them to sustain themselves and their families and increases the ability to provide and enjoy a stable home.”
More information can be found in the Teenage Pregnancy 2017 statistics report.
The latest National Progress Report, published on 25 June 2019, can be accessed here.
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