The rate of underage girls falling pregnant in Dundee is nearly double the national average, shocking new figures have revealed.
It means that Dundee still has the unenviable distinction of being both the teenage pregnancy and abortion capital of Scotland.
Over a period between 2008 and 2010 the city’s pregnancy rate for under-16s girls below the age of consent was 14.4 per 1,000. By comparison the national average was just 7.4.
In fact, of all Scotland’s 32 local authorities, only Dundee has a pregnancy rate for girls under 16 that is in double figures.
The city also has the highest rates of teenage pregnancies among under-18s and under-20s.
For under-18s the rate in Dundee was 65.8 per 1,000 compared to a national average of 37.9, while for under-20s the rate was 67.9, compared to a Scottish rate of 50.2
In May it was revealed that Tayside has had the highest rate of abortions in Scotland for the past 22 years.
When looking at rates for under-16s and under-18s across health board areas rather than councils, NHS Fife leads the way.
There were 9.2 pregnancies per 1,000 among under-16s in Fife and 47.7 per 1,000 in the under-18 group.’Absolute duty to these girls’Nationally teenage pregnancy rates have fallen over the past four years, albeit only marginally.
The statistics also reveal a strong link between poverty and teenage pregnancy.
In the under-20 age group, the most deprived areas of Scotland had a delivery rate of 64.7 per 1,000, around 10 times that of the least deprived areas, where there were just 6.2 pregnancies per 1,000 teenagers.
Scottish Government Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said: ”I am pleased to see a small reduction in the rate of teenage pregnancy for the fourth successive year, which is very encouraging alongside recent reductions in terminations of pregnancy.
”I am, however, disappointed that there remain significant differences between those from deprived populations compared to more affluent populations, and our Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework aims to reduce the health inequalities gap in sexual health.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Alison McInnes MSP said: ”Teenage pregnancy is the highest in the most deprived areas of Scotland. It is our absolute duty to these girls that the Scottish Government supports them at every stage.”
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said teenage pregnancy rates are falling in Dundee, despite the high rates still being recorded in the city.’Increased access to contraception’She said: ”This is the fourth successive year that there has been a reduction in the rate of teenage pregnancy in Tayside across all age groups. The rates in 2010 for the under-18s and under-20s are the lowest ever reported and the rate among under-16s is the second lowest since records began in 1994.
”In the under-16s this represents a 36% reduction in the last four years.
”In recent years NHS Tayside and partner agencies have worked together to increase access to information and support and improve the delivery of sex and relationship education.
“We have also increased access to contraception and specialist sexual health services for young people. ”
A spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld said schools should do more to promote abstinence.
She said: ”Schools can only do their best but they should try to teach the gospel of abstinence.”
Photo used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user Polina Sergeeva.