Q: How many teenagers become pregnant in the UK each year and why can this pose problems?
Teenage pregnancy and social deprivation are intrinsically connected. In England, 50 per cent of conceptions occur in 20 per cent of wards. Teenage parents are far more likely to come from disadvantaged backgrounds and suffer poorer health, educational and economic outcomes than those with more advantages. Reducing teenage pregnancy is also about giving vulnerable young people opportunities and aspirations, so they can decide on a future other than parenthood.
The number of teenage pregnancies is at its lowest in 20 years. For girls aged between 15 and 17, conceptions are at 40.4 per 1,000. But the UK still has the highest rate in Western Europe, so there is still a way to go to change a complicated situation.
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