FSRH Statement on release of Office for National Statistics Quarterly Conception Rates to Women Under 18 data

FSRH responds to data released by the ONS revealing a downward trend in under 18 conceptions and assesses the implications of this continued decrease in teenage pregnancies.

FSRH uses this statement to welcome the Office for National Statistics’ publication of its quarterly conception to women under 18 statistics, which reveal a continued decrease in teenage pregnancy rates in England and Wales from January-March 2015. We see this trend as a positive that indicates more young women are accessing and using contraception. However, we also take this opportunity to highlight the variations in teenage pregnancy rates across the country and call on the Government and local authorities to continue to prioritise sexual and reproductive healthcare for young people to avoid regressions in the successes achieved through the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. 

Read the statement in full below.