Teenage pregnancy rates in Scotland have risen for the first time in more than a decade.
Official data from Public Health Scotland (PHS) showed the rate increased from 23.2 per 1,000 women in 2021 to 27.1 in 2022.
Rates fell for 14 consecutive years – a fall of around 60% in 2007 – before rising in 2022.
With 3,756 teenage pregnancies recorded in 2022, it is equivalent to a rise of 535, with statistics largely attributing the rise in those aged between 17 and 19.
READ MORE: Scotland's teenage pregnancy rate at lowest level since reporting began in 1994
The rate had also risen in all mainland NHS boards in 2022.
The gap between the most and least deprived areas has narrowed, however teenage pregnancy rates are still more than three times higher for those most deprived.
In 2022, those in the areas of highest deprivation had a teenage pregnancy rate of 45.9 per 1,000 women, down from 66.8 in 2013.
Meanwhile the number fell from 13.8 to 13 for those in the least deprived areas – and with rates falling more rapidly in the most deprived areas, PHS said the “absolute gap” had fallen.
The data also showed that both delivery and termination rates rose between 2021 and 2022, from 10.9 per 1,000 women to 11.8 and from 12.3 to 15.3 respectively.
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