TEENAGE pregnancy rates in Barnsley have fallen, according to a councillor.
The latest data for under 18 conceptions shows a continuing reduction, Coun Jim Andrews told cabinet members on Wednesday, falling from 36.3 per 1,000 females to 33.7.
But Coun Andrews said Barnsley’s rate is still higher than the regional and national rates.
From 2012 to 2015, the reduction in conceptions across England has been 6.9 per 1,000 under 18s who become pregnant. In Barnsley this has been slightly higher at 7.6 per 1,000, showing the gap is slowly closing.
Coun Andrews, cabinet spokesman for public health, said the challenge is to not only maintain but accelerate the current downward trend in teenage pregnancy, narrowing the gap further. To do this, he said, the council is developing a proposal to tackle teenage pregnancy and part of this work will include interviews with teenage parents.
