Spending cuts may have contributed to falling teen pregnancy rates, study finds

Teenage pregnancy rates have dropped in areas of the country most affected by government cuts to spending on sex education, according to a new study. In recent years local authorities in England have been forced to make significant cuts to public expenditure, with one particular health target affected: reducing rates of teen pregnancy. In a new study published in the Journal of Health Economics , Professor David Paton from Nottingham University Business School and Liam Wright, a research Assistant at the University of Sheffield, looked at whether a decrease in sex education had led to an increase in teen pregnancy. 'Cuts have led to fewer pregnancies' Between 2007 and 2015, the under-18 conception rate in England almost halved, with some stating that this was due to the 1999 Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. Running until 2010, the strategy saw hundreds of millions of pounds distributed to local authorities with the aim of expanding access to birth control and sex and relationships education. These services were subject to significant government cuts, with spending falling by over 70 per cent since 2008. Writing about the study for The Conversation , Professor Paton said: "Contrary to expectations, we found that if anything, cuts have led to fewer teen pregnancies.