Prescribing constraints in primary care: false economy or necessary husbandry?

Addressing high rates of unwanted pregnancy Nobody working in reproductive health doubts that the UK has a problem – or rather, several problems. We have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe, with levels twice those of Germany, three times those of France and six times those of Holland.1 In real terms, this translates into 90 000 conceptions a year to teenagers in the UK, of whom 40% have terminations of pregnancy and 60% continue with the pregnancy. Of those becoming mothers in their teenage years, 90% are unmarried and at least 50% are not in a relationship.1 Nor is the situation improving. Despite an overall trend towards later childbearing, the proportions of teenagers getting pregnant in the UK have continued to rise since the late 1970s. In 1999, 45 in 1000 15–17-year-olds and 68 in 1000 15–19year-olds conceived.2 Between 2001 and 2002, there was a further 8.7% increase in the proportion of under-18s becoming pregnant – an absolute increase of 800.3