London teenage pregnancies and sex health worst in country’
TEENAGE pregnancy rates across half of London are higher than the national average—and in some areas as many as one-in-three girls aged 15 to 17 is falling pregnant, a shock London Assembly report reveals. Nearly 46 girls in every 1,000 get pregnant before their 17th birthday
TEENAGE pregnancy rates across half of London are higher than the national average—and in some areas as many as one-in-three girls aged 15 to 17 is falling pregnant, a shock London Assembly report reveals this morning (Wednesday).
Nearly 46 girls in every 1,000 get pregnant before their 17th birthday, compared to the national average of under 42.
The average in four East London boroughs is even higher, at 52 for every 1,000.
Rates of sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and herpes have also increased and remain above national levels and are among the worst in the country, according to the Assembly’s Health & Public Services committee.
POOR HEALTH
“Youngsters’ sexual health is a major public issue in London,” said the committee’s chairman James Cleverly.
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“Their sexual health remains worryingly poor. Teenage pregnancies and untreated sexual infections can have serious consequences for young people’s health and life chances, as well as placing strain on NHS resources.”
The worst borough in East London for teenage pregnancies is Barking & Dagenham, with 60 in 1,000 of the girl population under 17, followed by Hackney’s 57, Waltham Forest’s 53, Tower Hamlets’ 46 and Newham’s 45.
