Contraceptive implants and injections for girls under 16 has nearly TRIPLED in the past decade

In the UK the use of contraceptive implants and injections among under-age girls has nearly tripled in the past decade, official figures show.

Some 8,400 teenagers aged 15 or under received the long-acting treatments on the NHS last year - up from just 3,100 in 2004/05.

In total, 58,700 under-16s were given either an implant or contraceptive jab in English sexual health clinics over the last ten years, at rates that have steadily risen throughout the period.

Sex is illegal until the age of 16 - but contraceptive treatment is not, and it can be given without parental consent.

Health experts insist this policy is essential to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Teenage pregnancies have dropped to the lowest level in nearly 70 years, according to statistics published earlier this month.

But campaigners warn that the ease of access to contraceptive treatments encourages sexual activity among those who are too young - putting them at risk of sexually-transmitted diseases and exploitation.

The figures, compiled by the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre, show that 5,400 girls under the age of 16 received contraceptive implants in 2013/14. Of these, 1,800 were aged 14 or younger.

A contraceptive implants consists of a thin tube which sits below the skin in the upper arm for up to three years, releasing a steady dose of the hormone progesterone which stops a women becoming pregnant.

Another 3,000 under-16s received hormonal injections in 2013/14, 800 of them aged 14 or younger.

Contraceptive injections work in a similar way, but only last eight to 12 weeks before the treatment is repeated.
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