Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
More young girls falling pregnant
Growing concern for girls under 16
Lanarkshire has one of the highest rates of under- 16 pregnancies in Scotland.
New figures reveal that 42 girls aged between 13 and 15 got pregnant in 2016.
And half of under-16 pregnancies resulted in a termination.
The pregnancy statistics rose significantly, up from 29 the previous year.
Among females aged 15 to 17, there were 243 pregnancies in 2016 – up from 229 the previous year.
And among females aged 15 to 19, there were 654 pregnancies in 2016 – up slightly from 645 in 2015.
The latest government data, for the year ending 2016, was released last week.
And the report said: “Many teenage women experience unintended or unwanted pregnancies, although for some this may be planned and a positive life choice.
“Scotland has historically had a higher rate of teenage pregnancy than most other northern and western European countries and reducing unintended teenage pregnancy is a priority for the Scottish Government.”
Across North Lanarkshire, there were 68 under- 16 pregnancies between 2014 and 2016, while there were 56 in neighbouring South Lanarkshire.
Among females aged 15 to 17, there were 401 pregnancies between 2014 and 2016 in North Lanarkshire, with another 344 in South Lanarkshire.
And among females ages 15 to 19, there were 352 pregnancies between 2014 and 2016 in North Lanarkshire, while South Lanarkshire had 302.
Across Lanarkshire as a whole, the 42 under-16 pregnancies equates to 3.9 girls out of 1000 in that age bracket getting pregnant.
That is the third-highest rate out of Scotland’s dozen health boards. Fife is the highest at 4.9 per 100, followed by Tayside on 4.1 per 1000. The Scottish average is 3.1 per 1000.
Among those aged 15 to 17, there were 21.9 pregnancies out of every 1000 females across Lanarkshire in 2016. The Scottish average is 18.9 per 1000.
And among those aged 15 to 19, there were 35.2 pregnancies out of every 1000 females in 2016. The Scottish average is 31.6 per 1000.