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Implants to cut highest teen pregnancy rate in Europe
SCHOOLGIRLS as young as 13 could be given controversial contraceptive implants in a desperate bid to cut teenage pregnancy rates in Barnsley.
A 10-year campaign to cut the number of underage pregnancies has had no effect, it has been revealed.
Now the town's children's service is considering offering contraceptive implants that can protect girls for up to three years.
Coun Sharron Brook, chair of the children's scrutiny commission, said Barnsley's underage conception rate was the highest in Europe.
"We want to stop children having children, so I'm not ruling anything out.
"There are girls as young as 13 having sex regularly, that is a fact of life, and an implant will suit some young women better than any other method.
"It's not an age thing - the choice of contraceptive is dependent on a young person's ability to take a pill, say no and mean no, or go and get a morning-after pill. An implant is preferential for the forgetful.
"The commission members didn't close their minds to anything, they care about the children of Barnsley."
The recommendation is part of a report into teenage pregnancies and sexual health in Barnsley.
It will be submitted to the Cabinet this week, which will decide whether it will be implemented.
Coun Brook added: "We have done an investigation into sexual health and STIs and if we can't encourage young people not to have sex, we have to encourage them to use contraception - and condoms.
"It's not just getting pregnant that is the problem, it's also the issue of disease."
Figures show 16 to 19-year-olds account for more than a third of some sexually transmitted infections. Teenagers accounted for 34.6 per cent of reported chlamydia; 32 per cent of gonorrhoea, 26.7 per cent of genital warts and 14.3 per cent of genital herpes.
The report also recommends a review of the C-Card Scheme - which enables people aged between 13 to 24 to obtain free condoms at collection points throughout the borough.
It suggests an increase in the current 24 registration and collection points existing in the borough. It also calls for additional sexual health and advice training for secondary school nurses.
But Coun Fred Clowery, who is also on the commission, said he feared a rise in promiscuity.
"Having a contraceptive implant for 13, 14, and 15-year-olds would give them the licence to go out and be more promiscuous," he said.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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