Latest statistics from Public Health Scotland indicate that as of 2018, teenage pregnancies in Scotland are at an all-time low since reporting began in 1994.
In 2018, 29.6 teenage pregnancies per 1000 women were recorded, down from 30.2 in 2017 and 54.7 in 1994. The rates of teenage pregnancy have declined for 11 successive years, the most recent peak being in 2007.
Furthermore, there has been a significant narrowing of the gap in teenage pregnancy rates between the most and least deprived areas of Scotland. For the most deprived areas, the rate fell from 87.4 per 1000 women in 2009 to 56.8 in 2018, and for the least deprived areas, it fell from 21.9 in 2009 to 12.2 in 2018.
Scotland's Public Health Minister, Joe FitzPatrick said: "We are continuing work to implement our 'Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy', focusing on supporting young people who are vulnerable to pregnancy in key areas including education and attainment, training and employment and emphasising the importance of positive relationships to help them to achieve their potential as young people and as parents."
References: Continued fall in teenage pregnancy rate. Scottish Government. 2020 August 25. https://www.gov.scot/news/continued-fall-in-teenage-pregnancy-rate/
This article originally appeared on Univadis, part of the Medscape Professional Network.
