FRACTIONALLY more teenage girls got pregnant in the 12 months to 2006 than the previous year, new figures reveal.
But the overall trend is downward.
Decision-makers were meeting in Huddersfield todayto report on the success of work to combat the problem of teenage pregnancy.
The conception rate among girls aged 15 to 17 in Kirklees rose from 43.4 per 1,000 in 2005 to 43.9 the following year.
The Kirklees Partnership – which includes educationalists and health workers – will discuss its teenage pregnancy strategy at Huddersfield Town Hall.
Marianne McLeod Hill, who co-ordinates the strategy, told the Examiner that the long-term picture was more encouraging.
She said: “Kirklees has reduced its teenage pregnancy rate by 9.7% between 1998 and 2006.”
But Ms McLeod Hill added that Kirklees was not performing as well as it could.
She said: “The overall rate across England fell by 13.3% in the same period. There is no obvious reason why the Kirklees fall is lower.
“Kirklees is among the 89% of local authorities to have seen an overall reduction in under 18 conception rates between 1998 and 2006 but there is still work to do if the Government target of a 50% reduction by 2010 is to be met.”
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Local initiatives include a sexual health nurse at Huddersfield Technical College and a GP and contraceptive service at New College.
Integrated educational programmes for secondary and primary schools are to be introduced this year and there are plans to extend the role of the school nurse at Royds Hall, Fartown and Salendine Nook high schools. A training programme for teachers is in place.
