31 July, 2008

Abortion at all-time high and rates soar for teens

The number of abortions taking place in England and Wales has reached a record high, new figures show.

Numbers increased by more than 4,000 according to official statistics published today. There were 205,598 abortions in 2007 compared to 201,173 in 2006.

For girls aged 14 or below, the number of abortions have shot up 12 per cent to 1,171.

The highest abortion rate is among 19 year-olds, with 36 per 1,000 having terminations.

Abortions among women aged below 18 increased by 8.5 per cent to 20,289. The abortion rate among that age group is 19.8 per 1,000 women.

Attempts to reduce the number of abortions by lowering the upper time limit were defeated in the Commons in May, though they were supported by the majority of the public.

Claire Curtis-Thomas MP, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group said: “The numbers of UK abortions are truly horrifying.

“We should be putting all our effort into reducing these numbers through sensible precautions such as offering a full range of information to women considering abortion.”

The latest figures cast serious doubt on the Government’s teenage sexual health strategy. Critics say the ’safer sex’ approach is a clear disaster that is only getting worse.

More twelve-year-olds are having abortions

The number of twelve-year-old girls becoming pregnant and having abortions is increasing, and “society just has to come to terms with that”, a leading abortion provider says.

In 2004 there were 15 girls aged twelve who had abortions, up from 10 in 2003, according to figures obtained from the Department of Health by The Sunday Times using freedom of information laws.

Among 13-year-olds, 142 girls had abortions in 2004, increasing from 138 in the previous year.

Ann Furedi, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, a nationwide abortion provider, told The Sunday Times: “This is a tiny number of girls. Children grow up very quickly in our society.

“They are maturing faster physically, psychologically and socially, and society just has to come to terms with that.”

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service is a registered charity heavily funded with public money. It latest published accounts show an annual income of over £23 million, but only £2,000 of that came from donations.

Almost all its income comes from fees. It facilitates abortions for almost 50,000 women each year, nearly 80% under contracts with the NHS.

Dr Rhona Knight, a family doctor, disagrees that girls are simply choosing to have sex at earlier ages.

She said: “The message given out is that the boys will use a condom or the girls can go on the pill, but they end up pregnant which is extremely sad.

“We need to empower these girls to realise that they do not need to have sex at that age.”