To wonder why teenage pregnancy rates have gone down

[Reallytired17]

here

Anecdotally, I remember four girls having babies in Year 11 in 1999.

Is it to do with better access to contraception, or are more pregnancies being terminated?

Silver lining of our pornsick culture where teenage girls are pressured into anal sex by their boyfriends?

Mixture of both probably.
In the school I teach you get a y11 student pregnant every 5 years or more (that we know of).
At a school I used to work it wad a couple in y11 a year. We also had a student pregnant in y9 and then they took some leave from school (to EOTAS) whilst baby was young during y10 and then came back in y11 and did GCSEs.

Teenage pregnancy rates and not just births have gone down so it’s not just about terminations.

I think a mix of both.

Along with better education and access to advice if you are pregnant and don't know what to do. I also think young people are more aware when they get pregnant that they are pregnant (cheap tests help) so they have more time to make a decision (which probably ends in abortion). I also think abortion is more acceptable to society than previously.

I've seen statistics that young people these days are starting to have sex later than in the past, and having less.

Good point Lules - it's important to read what is actually being measured before jumping to conclusions.

My mum works in sexual health and she says its got a lot to do with the implant as its pretty much fool proof, that and better sex education.

Boys are playing Xbox all day?

Kids don't hang around drinking as much as we did 20 years ago.

I was pregnant at 16 in year 11 as were a few of my classmates.my niece is the 16 and her sex ed was miles better.
She's way more aware of contraception and options then we were,
The idea of being tied to that life is unthinkable for her and her mates

I agree with the approx every 5 years thing. Rings true for my school too.

I think young women are more empowered to say no to sex too. I also think the young men are starting to see the consequences of not putting something on the end of it.

Dare I say it but people who have been brought up in single parent households seem less inclined to want this for their own child so will abort /take MAP. This is the feel I get from the students I teach and not a judgement on any single parents.

Teenage pregnancy strategy, vtechnically failed to meet target nationally but a huge success story.
A book has just been published about it.

"one up the bum, no harm done, one up the fanny, your mum's a granny."

No automatic right to a lifestyle on social welfare and a free council house for life?

They’re all alone in their rooms chatting on social media rather than seeing each other in person?

But yes, education and larc. And hopefully that's leading to better prospects for teens

The link in the OP is for the 2014 stats - 2015 stats are also available
www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/conceptionandfertilityrates/bulletins/conceptionstatistics/2015

The under 18 conception rate in 2015 is the lowest recorded since comparable statistics were first produced

1 - Facebook / social media, teenagers are more likely to be at home socialising online rather than at bus stops.

2 - increased availability of good contraception.

3 - lack of acceptance of teenage pregnancy has stigmatised pregnant teenagers.

It’s a really interesting question and there’s not really one simple answer but lots.

Acceptability of and access to termination would have no effect on these stats as this is counting conception rate not birth rate.

2016 out next month. I hope trends will continue

I think it's a combination of things. The implant is more suitable for many women who may otherwise forget to take the pill. Also the Internet means it's easier to find information online now of how to get the morning after pill (I remember having to get it at 17 and not having a clue where to go).

A lot of teenagers hardly go out or if they do its to a friends house where adults are. We used to go out two or three times a week. There were lots more opportunity to go to pubs (I used to get served at 14 no bother and looked it). We will spend lot of time in parks and at houses with no adults so there was lots of people having underage sex. Nowafdays young people dont go out so much and if they do it is for activitesike the cinema or bowling where it much harder to have sex.

Mumsymcmumface

How long has MAP been available over the counter?

The point being no one had anal sex when I was at school. Now loads of teens do (so I understand, from people who work with them)and clearly that’s not going to get you pregnant