Government drive to promote contraception

The Department of Health will give local health teams £26.8 million to improve young people’s access to contraception and help reduce the number of teenage pregnancies.

Latest figures provided by the Department of Health (DH) show that 11% of sexually active women do not use any form of contraception; 80% of teenage pregnancies are in 16 and 17 year olds; and the highest rates of abortion are among 20-24 year olds.

The DH is providing extra money for local health teams to work with women of all ages to promote the full range of methods of contraception including Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARCs) such as implants and IUS (Intrauterine System).

£14 million will be allocated to Strategic Health Authorities for innovative new ways of helping young people get access to sexual health advice and contraception. The ten regional health authorities will be asked to come up with proposals and, if agreed, they could be granted funding to run pilots.

The DH gives the following examples of the way in which the money could be used:

This money is in addition to the £130 million which has been invested in modernising sexual health clinics and services over the past two years, which, the DH claims, has seen access to GUM clinics and uptake of HIV tests increase substantially.

Public Health minister Dawn Primarolo made the announcement on 6 February at the launch of a new charity, the Association for Young People’s Health. Speaking at the charity’s conference in London, she said:

‘There is increasing evidence of the key role contraception plays in preventing teenage pregnancy. We need to use this evidence and improve access to the full range of methods of contraception in many areas, particularly those with high and increasing rates of teenage pregnancy and high rates of abortion.

‘This is just one part of the Government’s strategy on sexual health. We are working to educate young people about the dangers of STIs and will be launching a new national information campaign later in the year on the range of contraceptive choices available to young people.’

Children’s minister Beverley Hughes said:

‘Teenage pregnancy rates are falling steadily and are currently at the lowest level for twenty years, but some local areas need to make much faster progress. As international evidence and our Teenage Pregnancy Strategy highlight, improving young people’s access and use of contraception is vital in reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies.

‘This new funding will allow the ten Strategic Health Authorities involved to develop new and innovative ways of engaging and educating young people in safer sexual behaviour. But increasing availability of contraception also needs to be accompanied by good quality sex and relationship education in schools and support for parents to talk to their children about these issues. That is why we are calling on all local authorities to fully implement our tried and tested guidance on tackling teenage pregnancy and for all areas to perform as well as the best.’

£26.8 Million to improve access to contraception. Department of Health press release, 6 February 2008