Teenage pregnancies in Lincolnshire drop by more than a quarter

The number of teenage pregnancies in Lincolnshire fell consistently in the five years up to 2013, according to new research.

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics revealed that in 2009 there were 475 pregnancies under the age of 18 in the county. This had gone down to 341 by 2013 – a drop of 28%.

ONS data also revealed that under 18 conception rates in Lincoln fell from 78.7 women per thousand in 2007 to just 40.1 per thousand five years later.

The trend in Lincoln is mirrored on a national level, with the number of teenage pregnancies in England and Wales falling to the lowest level since records began in 1969.

The ONS said that a shift in aspirations of young women towards education and the perception of stigma associated with being a teenage mother were two potential factors in explaining the recent reductions in teenage conceptions.

Another reason suggested for the drop was the work of various governments to address the issue of teenage pregnancy. The UK has historically had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Western Europe.

However, sexual health charity Family Planning Association warned against complacency.

FPA Policy Manager, Harry Walker, said: “The danger with getting good news year on year is that people start to take their eye off the ball and forget that the figures we are seeing today are the result of a complex series of actions over a number of years by professionals at a national and local level. Any complacency now and we will see a knock-on effect in years to come.”