Giving Compass' Take:

• The rate of teen pregnancy in England is reducing but is still among the highest in Europe. Here, the author lists various ways to curb these rates. 

• Are local schools addressing teen pregnancy in your area? How can comprehensive sex education classes incorporate or facilitate critical discussions around teen parenthood?

• Read about why teen moms need more support for education. 

The rate of teenage pregnancy is at the lowest level since records began in the 1960s.

A total of 5,483 of the 632,048 deliveries in England in 2015-16 were to teenage mothers.

Improved access to the right contraceptives, better sex education, more open attitudes to talking about sex, plus teenagers socializing more online are some of the reasons cited for the fall.

But there has been no government guidance on preventing teen pregnancy since 2010, so councils across England asked for a definitive set of guidelines on how to continue the downward trend.

You would start with improving the sex and relationships education in schools, in primary schools and secondary schools so that all children in the area get really good knowledge and confidence and know about healthy relationships, consent, and where to ask about contraception when they get into a sexual relationship.

These new guidelines from Public Health England outline what authorities should be doing, with 10 key factors and a checklist so councils can evaluate their current local situation, identifying gaps and actions.

They include better education, training for health professionals, making sure teenagers have access to contraceptives and ways of supporting vulnerable teens who are more likely to have children at a young age.

Read the full article on teen pregnancy by Katie Alston at BBC.