Teen pregnancy rates in the UK are currently at the lowest level since records began in the Sixties, with less than 0.9% of the 632,048 babies born in England delivered to teenage mothers in 2015-16. This success has been attributed to more effective and readily available contraceptives, better sex education, increased openness in talking about sex, and the rise of teenagers socialising online.

However, the UK’s rate of teenage pregnancy is still amongst the highest in Europe. To tackle this, local councils in England have now been given new guidelines to help them steer young women away from having children before they are financially, psychologically and emotionally ready.

Alison Hadley, director of the University of Bedfordshire’s Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange, helped create the guidelines. She says: “You would start with improving the sex and relationships education in schools, in primary schools and secondary schools so that all children in the area get really good knowledge and confidence and know about healthy relationships, consent, and where to ask about contraception when they get into a sexual relationship.”

To read more on this story via BBC News, click here.

Women’s Daily Dispatch: The news you need to know on 15/1/18