Teen pregnancy rates fall in Dudley (From Stourbridge News)

Teen pregnancy rates fall in Dudley

4:30pm Friday 11th January 2013 in News

TEENAGE pregnancy rates have fallen year on year across the borough, according to latest government figures.

The Department of Education’s teenage conception data for the third quarter of 2011 shows a decrease compared to data from the previous period.

Figures show teen pregnancies dropped by 9.8 per cent from the 2010 rate of 32.6 to 29.4 per 1,000 for girls aged 15 to 17 - and numbers decreased by 4.9 per cent from 6.1 to 5.8 per 1,000 for girls aged 13 to 15.

And in Dudley - the Respect Yourself Campaign has been working to bring down the figures down further.

The campaign, formerly known as the Teenage Pregnancy Partnership, aims to ensure young people across the borough have access to services and information to make positive and informed choices about their sexual health.

Through its ten-year programme it aims to address under 18 conceptions by improving contraceptive services and sex education and provide support for teen parents.

Councillor Tim Crumpton, Dudley’s cabinet member for children’s services, said: “This decrease in teenage conception rate is very good news for the borough and shows we are taking the right approach.

“The Respect Yourself Campaign focuses on quality relationships and sex education. Access to young people friendly services plays a very important part of this support.”