§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many girls in England of school age were prescribed(a) contraceptive pills, (b) a contraceptive injection and (c) a contraceptive implant in each of the last seven years. [165492]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonContraceptives may be prescribed by general practitioners or by family planning clinics. Information regarding GP prescriptions broken down according to age is not available. The number of girls aged under 16 whose primary method of contraception was the pill, injection or implant obtained from family planning clinics in the period 1996–97 to 2002–03 is shown in the table.
First contacts with women aged under 16 at NHS family planning clinics by primary method of contraception, England, 1996–97 to 2002–03 Pill Injection Implant 1996–97 23,000 1,000 100 1997–98 22,700 1,200 0 1998–99 21,800 1,300 0 1999–2000 22,700 1,500 0 2000–01 23,900 2,000 100 2001–02 24,100 2,300 100 2002–03 24,500 2,500 200 Source: Department of Health Statistics Division; return KT31. Numbers rounded to the nearest hundred.