BARNSLEY has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in England and Wales, according to new figures released this week.
Figures from the National Office of Statistics show the town’s conception rate for women aged between 15 and 17 in 2016 was 33.8 per 1,000.
National sexual health charity FPA said this was despite a nine per cent fall across Yorkshire since the previous year.
Natika H Halil, chief executive of FPA, said: “It’s concerning that local authorities in Yorkshire are facing such massive cuts to their public health budget, which can then lead to sexual health services closing, or have their staff and funding reduced. These cuts could mean that we see teenage pregnancy rates start to rise again in the coming years.
“It’s also concerning to see large variations in teenage pregnancy rates between different areas.”
