HC Deb 23 May 2002 vol 386 cc575-7W
Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many oral contraceptive pills were dispensed to teenage girls in each of the last five years, broken down by(a) age and (b) region. [42328]

Yvette Cooper

[holding answer 11 March 2002]: The information requested is not collected by the Department. Data on general practitioners prescriptions are not broken down by age.

Information about the number of first contacts with girls age under 16, and between 16 and 19 years of age at family planning clinics, where the primary method of birth control was the oral contraceptive, is given below. The figures for England are published in "NHS Contraceptive Services, England: 2000–01", a copy of which is available in the Library.

Because regional health authority boundaries changed in April 1998, the information is presented in two tables, one for the pre-1998 boundaries and one for the boundaries introduced in 1998. First contacts with teenage girls at family planning clinics where the primary method of birth control was the oral contraceptive.

(a) 1996–97 and 1997–98: Health regions in existence before April 1998
Age under 16 Age 16–19
England 22,968 110,115
Regions 1996–97
Northern and Yorkshire 3,979 14,372
Trent 2,464 9,070
Anglia and Oxford 1,787 9,968
North Thames 2,528 15,826
South Thames 3,081 16,265
South and West 2,912 14,876
West Midlands 2,706 13,169
North West 3,511 16,569
1997–98
England 22,675 115,879
Regions 1996–97
Northern and Yorkshire 3,788 16,861
Trent 2,421 9,086
Anglia and Oxford 1,712 9,776
North Thames 2,431 17,087
South Thames 3,506 17,037
South and West 2,864 15,186
West Midlands 2,475 13,217
North West 3,478 17,647

Source:

Department of Health Statistics Division SD2B, form KT31

(b) 1998–99 to 2000–01: New health regions from 1998
Age under 16 Age 16–19
1998–99
England 21,830 114,959
New regions from 1998–99
Northern and Yorkshire 3,922 15,719
Trent 2,309 9,283
Eastern 1,491 10,691
London 3,232 19,416
South East 3,412 17,748
South West 2,094 10,440
West Midlands 2,297 13,678
North West 3,073 17,984

(b) 1998–99 to 2000–01: New health regions from 1998
Age under 16 Age 16–19
1999–2000
England 22,736 118,752
New regions from 1998–99
Northern and Yorkshire 3,939 16,201
Trent 2,479 2,524
Eastern 1,733 10,806
London 3,251 20,698
South East 3,811 19,394
South West 1,560 9,215
West Midlands 2,726 14,248
North West 3,237 18,666
2000–01
England 23,911 116,682
New regions from 1998–99
Northern and Yorkshire 3,930 16,342
Trent 2,522 9,676
Eastern 1,814 10,406
London 3,494 19,707
South East 4,072 18,798
South West 1,614 8,174
West Midlands 2,773 14,194
North West 3,692 19,385

Source:

Department of Health Statistics Division SD2B, form KT31

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