TEENAGE pregnancies have risen in Greater Manchester.
The level of underage pregnancies in Manchester is one of the worst in the country - nearly twice the national average, new figures reveal.
But health bosses hope that a range of education schemes - including handing out condoms at city secondary schools -will tackle the problem.
Government figures show a two per cent increase between 2006 and 2007 in the number of girls aged under 17 becoming pregnant. In Greater Manchester there were a total of 2,639 underage pregnancies - up from 2,584 previously.
In Manchester itself, 71 teenagers out of every 1,000 became pregnant, making the city the country's fourth worst black-spot after Stoke and inner London boroughs.
Salford had the next highest rate of 62, followed by Tameside (55), Wigan (54), Rochdale (49), Bolton (47), Oldham (47), Bury (44). Only Trafford and Stockport were below the national average at 39.
The latest available data said 42 out of every 1,000 teenage girls got pregnant across the country, up from 41. More than half - 51pc - opted for abortion. Health bosses in Manchester have pioneered moves to give out condoms and sex advice in schools. In December Manchester council said school nurses would be allowed to provide advice in all the city's non-faith secondary schools.
But some parents have complained that, under the scheme they will not be told if their children ask for advice or contraception.
Other initiatives have involved a poster campaign.
Gill Frances, of the Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group, said of the national statistics: "All local areas have to stop the excuses and get on with providing contraceptive services and sex and relationship education for all young people, including the under-16s."
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Teen pregnancy on the rise
February 27, 2009
Teenage pregnancies nearly twice the national average
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Jay B, oldham (27/02/2009 at 09:11)
but we are breeding a nation of irresponsible children who think its financially viable to have kids young because they can claim benefits and get a house! just watching the interveiws on tv last night clearly showed the attitudes they have!
if you cannot afford to have kids then you shouldnt have them! simple!
if you're irresponsible enough to have them when you cannot support them then tough! you have responsibilities now and you have to sort them!
but the tax payer should be funding this irresponsibility!
The greatest form of child abuse today is bringing kids up in poverty! end of!
Bean B4, manchester (27/02/2009 at 09:50)
The sad thing for society is that the products of these births grow up to do the same.
Once again, the hard working tax payer if funding a whole raft of people who just want to take out and who have never put anything in. That's why pensions are poor, drugs aren't available, nurses are scare.
Wake up Britain!
citycentre, manchester (27/02/2009 at 12:45)
Jay B, oldham (27/02/2009 at 14:50)
when its their last 10 years of government that seem to have created this new booming industry!
its about time the responsible working tax paying people in this country did something to show brown and his cronies that we're fed up of funding the irresponsible!
thats why we have poor healthcare, no pension future and spirialling debt and public unease in this country! too many are taking out when they havent put in!
Porterhouse Blue, Manchester (27/02/2009 at 15:24)
I watched a documentary recently and the teenage girls on this program considered getting knocked up as an alternative to working! One of the girls said "I haven’t any qualifications, I wagged school all the time and no one will give me a job, so I have got to have kids to get my benefits".
Accidents do happen and whilst unfortunate the country could cope with mistakes. But huge numbers of teens having babies is just another burden on our overstretched welfare state.
I am not slagging England off or indeed Manchester as I love the place and I am still proud of the fact I was born there. But I have been working in Holland recently and I just don’t see teens with kids. The odd one yes, but a huge majority want careers and independence.
Also, benefits here in the Netherlands are not easy to come by for the Dutch and indeed immigrants. Lots of checks, your family assessed to see if they can help you out etc. Maybe there is a correlation with the high numbers of teen pregnancy and the relative ease of claiming benefits in the UK?
Jay B, oldham (27/02/2009 at 15:59)
our government wonders why this country is going to ruin! it has the highest numbers of people on the dole, claiming incapacity benefits and teen pregnancies in europe and yet they still let our benefits system carry on the way it is!
why dont they look at countrys like the netherlands and use them as examples!
although they seem to be good at looking at fellow countrys that have high taxation! although in those countrys you get a lot more in return for the tax you pay unlike here!
lizard (27/02/2009 at 16:43)
Jay B, oldham (27/02/2009 at 17:14)
currently at the momment the biggest booming industry is claiming benefits!
its far easier to do nowt and claim. so if you want to reduce the numbers just stop them!
surely this would help in almost all cares.
young girls would be put off if they cannot get anything for having kids!
more people would be willing to work if you couldnt get any unemployment benefits!
also this would mean people would be willing to do these jobs that migrant workers seem to be filling. the ones that no one is supposidly prepared to do! well if it that or nothing at all i know what i'd be doing!
Maybe then with these lower numbers of claimants there less money going out meaning more money for the Health service, police, public transport and even pensions!
plus the fact more people are working so they're paying tax!
maybe even a tax cut or too as the funds stack up!
but hey thats far too simple for our government to understand!
Cllr Ken Hulme, Delph (27/02/2009 at 17:20)
However much I sympathise with much of what you say, the poor old tax payer is caught between a rock and a hard place. Driving teenage mothers into abject poverty will also have severe consequences - not least on the poor young offspring who can't be blamed/punished for their parents irresponsible behaviour
Think of the further breakdown in society this action would bring in its wake. No easy answers. If we had a referendum on teenage pregnancies I would vote no - but its not like the congestion charge.
PW, Manchester (27/02/2009 at 20:13)
citycentre, manchester (01/03/2009 at 20:59)
you miss an important point. government (regardless of party) collect taxes and spend them, so the taxes you and i pay now, pay for health care now, and the pensions of old people now. what they do not do is invest that money to pay for health care and pensions of current tax payers in their old age.
if current tax payers, such as you (although i dont know your exact age) and myself want these things in later life we will be relying on people in the future paying for it. since birth rates have been falling for at least the last 30 years, and life expectancy increasing there will be a huge need for extra tax payers in the future, and as these need to be born now we should support anyone having children
Jay B, oldham (02/03/2009 at 09:58)
why dont we try cutting back on this! we seem to be cutting back on everything else! so why dont we cut the benefits! the numbers claiming seems to be going up. the number of teenage pregnancies seem to be going up. so what is the driving force these figures? it usually all boils down to money! of free money to be precise!
stop that and we might cut these numbers!
its so simple that no one can actually see it!
at the moment migrant workers and benefits seem to be the most sensitive subjects that any party wont touch! all except for the bnp and if they contiue to ignore this it will only play into their hands!
PW, Manchester (02/03/2009 at 10:08)
I agree with your theory, but not in supporting the ones who are clearly living off benefits generation after generation, as we see now. They will only act as a drain on the pot which will be badly needed by those who worked all their lives. The Government will clearly have to get tougher.