Under 18 conceptions

This content is part of the Waltham Forest JSNA. To see other JSNA content, visit the JSNA landing page

Most teenage pregnancies are unplanned and around half end in an abortion. For many teenage parents, bringing up a child is extremely difficult and often results in poor outcomes for both the teenage parent and the child. Teenage mothers are less likely to finish their education, are more likely to bring up their child alone and in poverty and have a higher risk of poor mental health than older mothers. Infant mortality rates for babies born to teenage mothers are around 60% higher than for babies born to older mothers.  

In the past decade, the rate of conceptions among individuals under the age of 18 has decreased across the nation, including in Waltham Forest. From 2010 to 2020, the conception rate amongst 15 to 17 year-olds in Waltham Forest decreased by over two-thirds, with only 12.1 conceptions per 1,000 in 2020, 52 in total compared to 37.7 per 1,000 in 2010. However, when compared to the most recent data in London, Waltham Forest still had a higher rate of conceptions among under-18s at 9.8 per 1,000, although it performed slightly better than the national average of 13 per 1,000.  

Source: OHID Public Health Outcomes Framework. Data from Office for National Statistics. Date accessed: 13 April 2023.