Teen pregnancies halved
THE number of teenage pregnancies in girls across Runcorn and Widnes halved according to the latest figures.
The Office For National Statistics (ONS) has published conceptions to those aged under 18 across England and Wales.
For Halton in the first three months of 2016, there were 12 confirmed pregnancies in the borough to teenage girls.
But this represents a fall of nearly half from the 23 recorded in the previous three months, which was the final quarter of 2015.
The number is exactly the same as the dozen teenage pregnancies confirmed in the borough in the three months to March ● 2015, a figure which then rose to 27 and 19 in June and September of that year respectively.
The latest ONS figures for Halton put the borough’s conception rate at 22 per 1,000 girls aged between 15 and 17.
The borough’s rolling annual rate among the age group – which is calculated using the last four quarters’ conception numbers with mid-year population estimates and projections – is currently 36.7 girls per 1,000 aged between 15 and 17.
March’s figures for Runcorn and Widnes are the lowest for the three months out of the four Cheshire local authorities.
Cheshire West And Chester had the most teenage pregnancies with 33, while there were 23 in Cheshire East and 16 in Warrington.