New drop-in centres aim to cut teen pregnancies

North Yorkshire County Council has teamed up with the Department of Health to improve the health and well-being of young people in North Yorkshire and in particular to reduce the number of gymslip mothers.

The drop-ins come on stream as national Sexual Health Week gets under way. They will be run by the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The first service opened this summer in Scarborough where teenage pregnancy rates are the highest in North Yorkshire.

Although latest figures show they fell by 21.2 per cent between 1998 and 2008, they are still just above the national average, officials say.

Teenage pregnancy rates in North Yorkshire as a whole have fallen by 19.4 per cent over the same period. The health drop-ins initiative is designed to make sure that teenagers know where they can go for advice.

County councillor Caroline Patmore, North Yorkshire's executive member for children's services, said: "We believe these drop-ins will give young people the support and advice they need to make good choices in following healthy lifestyles.

"A service which helps to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies is of value not only to the young people themselves but in bringing down the cost of such pregnancies to wider society."

Now the service is being rolled out county wide to Harrogate College, Craven College, Pickering, Selby, Northallerton, and Skipton.

Officials say there is strong evidence that providing focused contraceptive services for young people is effective in reducing teenage pregnancy. Anyone aged 19 and under can use the free and confidential services.