
FSRH Press Statement - ONS National Conceptions Data 2015 (March 2017)
File size 296KB | Date: 23 March 2017
Date: 23 Mar 2017
Type: FSRH Press Releases and Statements
FSRH comments on the annual Office of National Statistics conceptions statistics which show that teenage pregnancies continue to drop, but conceptions are rising significantly in the over 25s.
As a the leading professional membership body working to ensure that doctors and nurses can deliver safe and effective contraceptive choices to women, we are however concerned that neither of these two factors are in place for women over 18 and there is decreasing interest among policy makers to take a national approach to contraception provision. Indeed, these same statistic show that in women over the age of 25, conceptions are increasing, and in some age ranges have doubled since 1990, while increases in abortion in the over 25s during this time suggests that these increases are not all ‘wanted’ pregnancies.
Commenting on the data, FSRH Chief Executive, Jane Hatfield said:
‘The continuing and significant downward trend for under 18s conceptions suggests the national Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, alongside clearly monitored national outcomes for under 18s conceptions, have had the desired impact of reducing teenage pregnancy. However, there is no comparable strategy or outcomes framework for women over 18.
Given that conceptions and abortions are on the rise for women over the age of 25, FSRH calls upon the Department of Health and Public Health England to introduce a strategy alongside appropriate indicators to enable an improved uptake in contraceptive care in women of all ages, alongside more timely statistics to measure outcomes.’
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Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, 27 Sussex Place, London NW1 4RG. Charity No. 1019969.
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