THE NUMBER of 15-17 year olds falling pregnant in Worcester has almost halved in the last 16 years according to new figures.
The Office for National Statistics information shows that between 1998 and 2014 the number of girls aged 15 to 17 falling pregnant in the county was down from 340 to 197.
This puts Worcestershire below the national average for England.
The biggest fall was seen more recently, with 197 pregnancies in this age group in 2014 compared to 250 the year before.
Although the figures show Worcester City and Redditch to have more cases of teenage pregnancy than other parts of the county, there has still be significant reduction over the last 15 years.
In Worcester, teenage pregnancies have fallen from 81 in 1998 to 45 in 2014 while in nearby Redditch the number has dropped from 71 in 1998 to 49 in 2014.
More recently figures for Redditch and Worcester have remained broadly the same.
Dr Bill Spice, Sexual Health Consultant for Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, which provides NHS sexual health services, said: “We are really pleased to see a general decline across Worcestershire in the numbers of teenage girls falling pregnant.
“Traditionally the picture is slightly different in Worcester and Redditch than the rest of the county but progress is being made here too with figures either falling slightly or remaining roughly the same.
“We have put a lot of effort into promoting sex education within schools and colleges and to ensuring young people are more aware of risks associated with unprotected sex.
“There is always more to do and we want to see this county-wide trend continue over the next few years,” he added.
