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Drop in teen pregnancy rate

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By Fiona Reid
Front
Drop in teen pregnancy rate

TEENAGE pregnancy rates in the region have dropped again.

The latest figures were published this week, for 2018, and show there were 91 pregnancies to mothers aged under 20 in Dumfries and Galloway that year.

And of those, 31 were aged under 18.

Overall, 53 of the pregnancies resulted in delivery, while 38 ended in a termination.

The 2018 statistic is the lowest in the last ten years and over half of the rate in 2009 when it there were 251 teenage pregnancies locally.

In 2017 it was 106 and 118 in 2016.

It mirrors the national picture, where teen pregnancies are at the lowest level since 1994.

Commenting, Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “We are continuing work to implement our ‘Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy’, focusing on supporting young people who are vulnerable to pregnancy in key areas including education and attainment, training and employment and emphasising the importance of positive relationships to help them to achieve their potential as young people and as parents.

“We have also continued to roll out the Family Nurse Partnership programme since 2010, to offer direct support to young, first time mothers and their families from pregnancy until their child reaches two.”

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