TEENAGE boys are to be targeted in the latest drive to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in an East Lancashire borough.
Health workers believe that targeting lads and explaining the consequences of their actions could help trigger a drop in the number of underage births in Blackburn with Darwen.
An outreach worker, who will go into schools to work with boys, is to be appointed by the Teenage Pregnancy Partnership, a joint group made up of health workers and council officials.
Latest figures show the conception rate for under 18s in Blackburn with Darwen was 58.2 per 1,000 in 2000.
Under the new strategy, the council has set itself the target of reducing teenage pregnancies by 23 per cent in the borough by 2004.
Council bosses are hopeful that figures for 2001, due to be published in March, will show a drop in the number of pregnancies.
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