LOCAL doctors say they are continuing to target teen pregnancies after new figures placed Redditch in the top ten towns in the country for schoolgirl mums under the age of 16.
Statistics covering the past three years show that in Redditch 22 schoolgirls became mums, putting it fifth in the country for teen conceptions.
This amounts to a rate of five babies for every 1,000 born.
Acrosss the UK as a whole teenage pregnancies have fallen to their lowest level since 1946 and tackling teen pregnancies is a target for local doctors at Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
As a result under 18 conception rates for Redditch have fallen by 30.7 per cent over the last decade – down to 28.8 conceptions per 1000 women – however conception rates for under 16s have levelled off over the past few years.
A spokesperson for NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “We are working with Worcestershire County Council, Redditch Borough Council and schools across the area, focusing on reducing the rate of teenage pregnancies and supporting teenagers who become parents.
“Whilst the overall rate has fallen, the conception rate for under 16s has remained at roughly the same level over the past four to five years, although these are very small in number, and we continue to do all we can to support teenagers and reduce pregnancies.
“There’s a commitment from all the health and social care organisations involved to ensure that all teenagers across Redditch have access to good sex and relationship education at school combined with easily accessible contraceptive and sexual health advice whenever they need it.”
The Top Ten Towns per 1,000 babies born to under 16s are: 1. Burnley (6 babies per 1,000), 2. Lincoln (5.2), 3. Bridgend (5.1), 4. Corby (5.0) 5. Redditch (5.0) 6. Hastings (5.0) 7. Ashfield, Notts (4.9) 8. Middlesbrough (4.7) 9. Southampton (4.7) 10. Walsall (4.7).
