23/07/2010

Fifth Of Teens Pregnant At 18

One in five teenage girls has been pregnant at least once by the age of 18, according to the latest Government figures.

The figures, from a Department of Education study of 8,500 teenagers, found that more than eight of ten boys and girls questioned said that they were sexually active by the time they turned 18.

Almost one in five of these girls admitted that they had been pregnant at least once by the age of 18. Seventy-nine per cent of those who had been pregnant had been expecting once, while 18% had been pregnant twice and 3% had been pregnant at least three times.

Just under half - 46% - decided to keep the baby, while more than a third - 36% - had an abortion.

The study found that the highest teen pregnancy rates were amongst those with poorer GCSE results, as well as those who were given free school meals or whose parents had left school at 16.

Britain has the highest teen pregnancy rate in eastern Europe, with around 40,000 teenage girls becoming pregnant every year.

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, there were 25.3 births for every 1,000 women under 20 in the in 2009. There were also 39,020 abortions carried out on girls aged between 15 and 19 in England and Wales in 2009.

(KMcA/BMcC)

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