Rise in Haringey teenage pregnancy rates curbed by a quater (From Haringey Independent)

Rise in Haringey teenage pregnancy rates curbed by a quater

1:30pm Wednesday 3rd March 2010 in

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SPIRALLING numbers of unwanted teenage pregnancies in Haringey have fallen by a quarter.

New figures show that pregnancy rates in young girls decreased by 25.8 per cent in 2007/08.

A Care Quality Commission report published in 2009 cited teenage pregnancies as one of NHS Haringey's key failings.

The previous year, 248 girls aged betwen 15 and 17 fell pregnant, prompting the borough to be named and shamed as having the fourth-highest rate of teenage pregnancy in London and one of the highest across the UK.

But that figure dropped dramatically to 184 by the end of 2008, meaning in every 1,000 girls, 52 now fall pregnant.

Lorna Reith, Haringey Council's cabinet member for children and young people, said: "This is a significant achievement. These figures show that we are moving in the right direction and we will be doing everything we can to continue this trend.

"However this is about more than just statistics – this translates to 64 girls, who may otherwise have become pregnant.

"We want to give young women in Haringey the best possible start at life, giving them the opportunities and education they need to fulfil their ambitions. Helping young people make the right decisions forms an important part of that."

In order to reduce the figures the council, NHS Haringey and their partners said they had started to focus on identifying high-risk groups to provide targeted support.

Other measures involved opening communication with young people through the council's youth website, improving access to sexual health services and contraception.

The council also created a new role for a dedicated teenage pregnancy co-ordinator and set up a strategy board last September.

Susan Otiti, acting director of public health for NHS Haringey and Haringey Council, said: "All the partner organisations in Haringey have been working hard to reduce unplanned teenage pregnancies. Our aim is to continue to support young people and parents in Haringey to do this.

"This is a complex issue, and there is no simple answer. But we are convinced that strong teamwork is the right way forward, and the Haringey teenage pregnancy executive board is making good progress in implementing our Haringey teenage pregnancy strategy."