Teen Pregnancy Rate More Than Halved In Barking And Dagenham In Ten Years
The latest figures published last month show fewer teenage girls are getting pregnant in Barking and Dagenham than ten years ago.
A total of 112 fewer girls under 18 in Barking and Dagenham got pregnant in 2018 than a decade earlier, new data can reveal.
According to figures published by the Office of National Statistics in March, there were 81 teenage pregnancies in 2018 compared to 193 in 2008.
In 2017, there were 99, and in 2016, there were 108. 2013 was the highest year since 2012, with 154 teen pregnancies.
Barking and Dagenham’s teenage conception rate is still higher than the average for London: across London, 13.9 teenagers conceive per 1,000 women in their age group, but in Barking and Dagenham, that rises to 20.3.
Per 1,000 women in their age group, 9.5 female teenagers in Barking and Dagenham give birth, compared to 4.5 across the whole of London.
Around one in 50 female teenagers in the borough experienced a pregnancy in 2018, compared to one in 13 in 2002, the highest since 2000.
Anyone under the age of 16 can access free and confidential sexual health advice without the knowledge of their parents or guardian if the medical professional believes the young person is mature and not at risk.
Free contraception is available at most GP surgeries, sexual health clinics and some youth services.