NICE tells local planners to improve access to contraception services

Young people should have more convenient access to contraception and sexual health advice to reduce unwanted pregnancies, says new guidance from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).1

Although the rate of conception among women under 18 years old in 2012 was the lowest since 1969, there were still 27 834 conceptions in this age group in England and Wales—one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe. Almost half (49%) of these conceptions among teenagers resulted in an abortion, show figures …