The rate of teenage pregnancies in Swindon has seen an astonishing drop over the last two decades.

Around the turn of the century, Swindon had one of the highest rates for conception by girls aged 15 to  17 in the country – there were 59.3 such pregnancies for every 1,000 young women between those ages – that translates to a percentage of 5.9 per cent.

In 2021, according to a report on sexual health in Swindon presented to the borough council’s Health & Wellbeing Board last week, the percentage had dropped massively to 0.89 per cent, significantly below the England average of  1.31 per cent.

The decrease in the rate of teenage conceptions from 1998 to 2021 has been 83 per cent in Swindon, compared to an average decrease of 66 per cent England-wide.

Continuing the reduction in the rate of unwanted and teenage pregnancy is a key priority for Swindon Borough Council’s public health team.

Its sexual health strategy says good information about contraception and access to it is crucial to reducing the rate of unwanted pregnancies.

Council leader Councillor Jim Robbins also chairs the Health & Wellbeing Board. He said: ”It was great to get the Teenage Pregnancy statistics for Swindon presented at the Health & Wellbeing Board and hear that there has been a decrease of 83 per cent since 1998.

“Swindon did once have one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy rates in the country and it is great to see the number falling so much, Swindon now being seen as an area with a low rate of teenage pregnancies. 

“Continuing to reduce teenage pregnancy rates remains an ambition of the Swindon Plan, aiming to reduce the inequalities that exist in Swindon and ensure people have the best chance of achieving their full potential.”

The Conservative shadow cabinet member for children and education, Councillor Jake Chandler said: “England’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy is widely advocated as a model that other countries should follow. When Conservatives took over the council back in 2004, Swindon had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the country.

“Following the success of the borough’s previous Sexual Health Strategies, , the numbers have decreased considerably. While these figures reflect the work undertaken by the previous council being successful, the news all around is generally positive.

“There is of course more work to be done, however, Swindon is now below the national average, and credit should absolutely go to our team of officers going right back to 2004 for their dedicated time in helping reduce these levels and the damaging consequences to a young person’s health that a teenage pregnancy can bring."