AN investigation is to be carried out to determine whether strategies aimed at reducing Scotland's teenage pregnancy rate are working.
Duncan McNeil, the convener of Holyrood's Health and Sport Committee, said teenage pregnancy was an issue which could have a long-lasting effect on generations of young women and their children.
MSPs on the committee will look at what support is available for young girls most at risk of becoming pregnant and those who do have a baby while young.
Figures published in June showed a key Government target for reducing pregnancies among under-16s was missed.
Ministers had hoped to cut the rate in this age group to 6.8 pregnancies per 1000 girls by 2010. But the pregnancy rate for that year was 7.1 per 1000 – the same as 2009.
The country has a higher rate of teenage pregnancy than most other western European countries, with teenage girls living in the most deprived areas of Scotland four times more likely to become pregnant than those living in the most affluent areas.
The number of teenagers who have a baby is around 10 times higher in the most deprived areas than it is in the least deprived communities – with 64.7 deliveries per 1000 young women in the poorest parts of Scotland compared to just 6.2 per 1000 in the most affluent areas.
Abortion rates are also higher among those from the poorest areas, with 25.8 terminations per 1000 young women, compared to 14.4 per 1000 in the least deprived parts of the country.
Statistics showed that in 2010 NHS Fife had the highest teenage pregnancy rate for the under-16s, at 9.2 per 1000, and under-18s, at 47.7 per 1000. The highest rate for under-20s was in the NHS Ayrshire and Arran area at 59.7 per 1000.
Mr McNeil said: "Particular regions of our country are affected by this issue, which is more prevalent in areas of deprivation, and can have a long lasting effect on generations of young women and their children.
"Both local and national strategies are in place to try to reduce teenage pregnancy, but this inquiry will try and see if they are working."
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