Teenage pregnancy campaign pays off

A DRIVE to cut the number of teenage pregnancies in Merseyside and Cheshire appears to be succeeding, according to new figures.

The number of conceptions among under-18s fell by 12.5% between 1998 and 2003, compared with a decline nationwide of 4.4%.

Some of the biggest falls in the number of pregnancies were in Liverpool (103), Cheshire (63), Knowsley (49) and Wirral (35), according to the office of national statistics.

Across Merseyside and Cheshire as a whole, the total fell by 262 over the five-year period, from 2,100 to 1,838.

No district showed a significant increase.

However, across the country, there needs to be a dramatic improvement in teenage pregnancy rates by the end of the decade if the Government is to hit a key target.

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